HO44 - Former Diggers Rest School

The former School building, at 1290 Calder Highway, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC D.2). Although relocated, it still demonstrates original design qualities of an "Edwardian single room" school building type established by the Public Works Department for the Education Department in the early twentieth century. These qualities include the floating gambrel roof form, wide eaves with exposed timber rafters, and the bank of three timber framed twelve paned double hung windows with three paned hopper sashes above. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the modest scale, single storey height, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, face brick chimney and the corrugated sheet metal roof cladding.

The former School building, at 1290 Calder Highway, is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC A4, B2). It is an expression of the history of State primary education in the area, and in particular the small schools that were built, and shifted, to accommodate fluctuating rural populations. It is also expressive of the competing claims of the Holden and Kororoit districts for a school in the nineteenth century, and the break-up of the large nearby pastoral estates in the early twentieth century.

The former School building, Calder Highway, is socially significant at a LOCAL level (AHC G1). It has been restored by the community, and houses the Diggers Rest historical society.

Overall, the former School building, Calder Highway, is of LOCAL significance.

Group

Education

Category

School - State (public)