Stanley Grammar School facts for kids

Stanley Grammar School was a private school in Watervale. This small town is located in South Australia's Clare Valley. The school was open from 1858 to 1904. Its story is closely connected to its founder and headmaster, Joseph S. Cole (1831–1916). Students could attend during the day or live at the school as boarders.

The School's Story

How It Started

The school began in mid-1858. It was first called "Watervale School." Joseph S. Cole was the headmaster. There were 59 boy students when it opened. The first lessons were held in the Bible Christian chapel in Watervale. A new public school building was approved. It opened on 17 February 1859.

Mr. Cole ran the school in two parts. One part was a lower school. This part was funded by the Council of Education. It used their building and followed their lessons. The other part was an upper school. For this part, families paid fees. This upper school was run independently by Mr. Cole.

Growing the School

Mr. Cole bought land near the school building. In 1863, he started building his own private school. It first had four rooms at the back of what is now a two-storey building. A lady named Anne Parker offered "boarding for young gentlemen." This meant boys could live with her while attending Mr. Cole's school.

In 1867, the school became "Stanley Grammar School." Stanley was the name of the county where Watervale is located. Later, the school adopted a motto. It was Discat puer ut docere possit. This means "Let the boy learn, that he may teach."

More Space for Students

In 1871, the school building was made taller. Four dormitories were added on the top floor. Dormitories are rooms where students sleep. A new section was also added on the ground floor. It had two more dormitories above it.

More and more students wanted to live at the school. Mr. Cole decided to separate his school from the public education system. In 1878, he tried to buy the public school building. His offer was not accepted. He was planning to build even more rooms.

In 1884, the building was made much larger. It became very close to its final size and shape.

What Students Learned

Stanley Grammar was mainly for boys. But sometimes, girls also attended. Some girls might have even lived there. Students could learn many different subjects. These included chemistry and surveying. They also learned drawing, bookkeeping, and outdoor skills. For a while, the school also operated as a night school.

The School Closes

Mr. Cole retired in 1904. It seems the school closed at that time. He passed away in 1916. His two daughters kept the building untouched for almost 30 years. Then, it was sold at an auction. Since then, the building has been a restaurant. It has also been a "bed and breakfast." This means people can stay there overnight. The building is now on the South Australian Heritage Register. This means it is a protected, important building.

The Building's Journey After the School

New Uses for the Old School

After Mr. Cole's daughter Jessie passed away in 1949, most of the building's contents were sold. The building was bought by many different people. Many wanted to turn the old school into a home. But they soon realized how expensive such a project would be.

The building's rooms were used by Girl Guides. The school next door also used some of its spaces. Old items, antiques, and farm tools were sold from the building. In the early 1970s, a group of artists bought the property for $10,000. They used it as a studio to make jewelry and pottery. At one point, someone even wanted to tear it down for its building materials.

In 1978, the building was officially recognized as a State Heritage site.

Restoration and New Life

In the 1980s, it became a restaurant called "The Three Roses." This restaurant was very popular for some time. In the early 1990s, it operated as a "Bed and Breakfast."

Through all these changes, the building had slowly fallen into disrepair. Then, a heart surgeon from Adelaide bought the property. He spent a lot of money and effort to restore and fix up the building. He owned it for 14 years. In 2007, he sold it to Denise and Frank Kuss. Today, the building offers luxury rooms for people to stay in.

Famous Former Students

Some students from Stanley Grammar School became well-known. They include:

• Dr. W. Jethro Brown
• Sir John Duncan
• Walter Hughes Duncan, his brother
• Sir David Gordon
• David Shearer
• Emile Sobels
• William George Torr