Perth’s urban sprawl had reached Heathridge in the 1980’s, a beautiful suburb close to the beach and the freeway, which was still snaking out of the city.
Eddystone Primary School opened for the start of the 1986 year with over 249 students in all grades from Pre-Primary to Year 7. There was a Principal and two Deputies, who taught classes as well as their admin role. Eleven Teachers taught classes and in specialist role’s, the non-teaching staff included a School Officer, Library Officer, Educations Assistants in the Pre Primary and Mainstream, a Gardener and three Cleaners.
The grounds have more open space than most schools as the City of Joondalup’s Littorina Park is an extension of the school oval; this is used in school hours for educational activities and after hours by the community. Situated back off the main road the school buildings originally consisted of two blocks, Rottnest and Leeuwin and an undercover area. In the second year Naturaliste block, the Library and a canteen were added; some year’s later Guilderton block completed the current configuration of the school.
There are Eddystone Lighthouses in the UK and Tasmania. Sticking with this theme the teaching areas were named after lighthouses in WA, Leeuwin, Rottnest, Naturaliste and Guilderton. When the school opened in 1986 three of these lighthouses were still run by lighthouse keepers, now they are all electrically controlled. A competition resulted in the Lighthouse becoming the school logo.
Eddystone Primary School’s reputation of being friendly and part of the community started in those early years with concerts and the choir singing in the public arena. There were car boot sales and fetes which raised funds for school projects and frequent special events when students were dressed for an occasion such as Pioneer Day, Book Week, Easter and the popular Christmas carol singing. Parents and friends of the school were invited to all these events.
In the early years Eddystone Primary School students were competitive at sports, at the interschool carnivals they brought home many pennants and the perpetual shield, on which ‘EPS’ features for a number of consecutive years.
English