The old building at Monbulk Primary School, which was constructed in 1914 to replace the 1897 former Dandenong Forest Village Settlement School destroyed in the 1913 fires, has high local significance as an important and popular community centre. It is significant as an example of a school on an historic site occupied by a primary school for more than a century, and with pupils descended from the original 1890s Village Settlers in the area. It is architecturally significant as an intact example of timber, school architecture dating from the early twentieth century.

The Monbulk State School dates from the turn of the century and is a typical example of school design from this era. It is built in the Edwardian style from timber, with asymmetrical massing, tall brick chimneys and a combination of dominant hipped and gabled roofs of corrugated iron with decorative timber and stucco gable ends. The school is set back from the road by a picket fence and has a landscaped setting.

The rectangular plan, hipped roof school building is delineated to the street-facing facade by three projecting gable roofs. The irregularly spaced gables are of varying prominence, with the eastern gable projecting beyond the building line to incorporate a recessed entry porch and the remaining gables extending in line with the small roof overhang. These highlight banks of windows to the south facade. The gable ends have timber bargeboards with vertical timber straps and stucco infill: a common feature of Edwardian architecture. Decorative timber brackets connect the gabled roofs to the timber wall below.

The south-facing banks of windows on the street facade extend the length of the gabled roof and have four regularly spaced divisions. Each division incorporates a multi-pane double hung window with an angled multi-pane awning window above. The angled upper window emphasises the roof overhang. Three red brick chimneys with a stucco detail and terracotta pot are located towards the south facade, and extend above the building's ridge line.

A modern extension is located on the north face of the building.

Some original interior features remain including timber doors with inset multi-pane windows, moulded timber architraves and skirtings and a beaded timber dado to the main corridor. The school also houses an honour board from the First World War, unveiled in 1918 by noted Australian author Aeneas Gunn (Ray Yates, pers. comm.).

Physical Conditions: Good

Integrity: Intact