All invited to celebrate school milestone

THIS year marks the one-hundred-and-fiftieth year of Ballan Primary School’s existence, and it’s planning a big community party on 28 November to celebrate.

Starting at 4pm, the school will open its gates in Duncan Street to the entire Ballan community, with a range of activities and attractions on the schedule.

Organised by the school’s parents and friends group, the celebration will feature market stalls, face painting, tattoo artists, students’ art displays, pony rides, food trucks, coffee and more.

Group president Anna Shelton said a highlight would be a major raffle, tickets for which will be available on the day and which will be drawn in late December.

Ms Shelton said all money raised from the raffle, and the overall celebration, will go towards improving the school grounds.

She said she is hoping the event will attract large numbers.

“I hope it’s really big,” Ms Shelton said.

The event will run until 6.30pm.

As for its history, the then ‘Common School’ became the Ballan State School in 1874, and the teacher and pupils transferred to a new building in Duncan Street that opened in August of that year.

In its opening year the school had an average attendance of 162 pupils out of a total enrolment of 201. Overcrowding soon led to the addition of a third room, which was completed in February 1887.

Since then, the school has grown to become a modern and well-equipped primary school in the region.

As enrolments have increased, building programs have seen the establishment of new classrooms, administration offices, art, library and canteen facilities, as well as the provision of a gymnasium.

A new recreational oval has added further to the school’s facilities.

Its current enrolment stands at more than 240, and enrolments for the 2025 school year are open now.