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Special School No. 3842

Other Name Former State School No. 111 Location 38 Bell Street, FITZROY VIC 3065 - Property No B4506 File Number B4506 Level State

[1/1] B4506 Bell St Special School

Statement of Significance

The first part of the school was erected in 1855 by John Clayfield for Robert Bell, teacher. An extension of three terrace houses to the west was built in1858 and a further extension to the east was completed in 1865. By 1867 James Conly, teacher, owned all five buildings. He sold them to the Education Department in 1873 and the school was then called State School No 111.
In 1911 part of the school moved across the road and became the Fitzroy Girl's School, currently the Exhibition High School. The remaining part was converted in 1913 into Special School No 3842 and this was the first special school for handicapped children in Victoria; Stanley Porteous was the first headmaster. In 1944 the westernmost terrace house was demolished and the two remaining two-storey bluestone terrace houses are mainly as originally designed and have an unusual cantilevered ground floor front verandah roof.
Both the 1855 and 1865 buildings on the Belll Street/John Street corner have been considerably altered (including two new linking front facades) and are not included in the Classification.
Classified: 05/07/1979