Though the history of Bullsbrook College where it stands today commenced in 1952, the very first Bullsbrook School opened to pupils on 13 May 1901. Requests had been made and denied for a school at Bullsbrook since 1896, when Mr Charles Morley first raised the idea with the Department of Education. The school was a one-room facility located on the corner of Railway Parade and Strachan Road on the west side of Bullsbrook. Miss Clara Ward was the first teacher.
Over time, the need for a consolidated school on the east side of Bullsbrook grew. Student population at four other small schools in the region — Muchea, South Chittering, Chittering and Lower Chittering — was growing, and the commencement of operations at RAAF Base Pearce in 1938 meant further development in Bullsbrook would occur on the east side of town. In November 1951 it was announced that a new school would be built — for the princely sum of £34,000!
The school opened to students in August 1952 and was officially opened on 27 September 1952 by the Minister for Education, Hon AF Watts, MLA.
Norma Geddes (nee Taylor) was a foundation student at the new Bullsbrook School and remembers her school years with impressive clarity.
“I moved from South Chittering School,” said Norma. “I was in first class (year one) and there would have been probably twenty of us.
“At South Chittering, we had 24 kids total — all different year groups in the one room! Mrs West was our teacher and she kept us all occupied with things to do.”
The students were encouraged to contribute to their new school, having a say in the design of the uniform, and the school’s symbol, the Leschenaultia.
“They let us kids design a uniform. My idea was a blouse, a skirt…and a pair of thongs!” laughs Norma. “I’ll never forget that. A white shirt and pants was what they eventually adopted, with prefects having a navy blue blazer, white shirt and navy blue skirt or pants.”
Whether you are a regular or sporadic visitor to the school, the large gum tree in the centre of campus is a welcoming sight. Affectionately, although perhaps not creatively, known as The Big Tree, it has been a prime hangout location for these seventy years, providing a shady spot for lunch, and acting as a location marker for meeting up with friends and parents: “Meet you at The Big Tree!”
Norma says, “We were always playing around The Big Tree, and when the gumnuts were ripe, we’d scrounge around looking for the seeds. We’d wash them and eat them!”
It is recommended that current students try the canteen adjacent to The Big Tree for a quick snack instead!
