Claremont Teachers College
Encyclopedia
Claremont Teachers College was Western Australia
’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University
. The building is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the western Perth
suburb of Claremont
. It is a large two storey limestone
building set in extensive grounds, with a distinctive square crenellated tower, and was entered in the Register of the National Estate in 1987.
. After becoming the Central Board of Education, it was superseded by the Education Department in 1893, which classified schools, graded teachers, defined teachers' positions, implemented a salary
scale for teachers, abolished school fees, provided for co-educational schools, and made attendance compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14. At this time, the Education Department had "external study" for student teachers, where they taught in the classroom
while studying for examinations set by the Department.
In 1902, the College was opened and students could gain qualifications through studying there. It was the only place one could do this until the 1950s when the Churchlands and Graylands
colleges opened. The function of teacher education did not pass into the university sector until the 1980s.
The College's last Director was Thomas Ryan (1924-2002), who completed his teacher training at the College and graduated in 1947. He was appointed Vice-Principal of the College in 1972, a position he held until his appointment as Director of the College in 1980.
The campus served for 16 years as a campus of Edith Cowan University
following that institution's formation in 1989, and following its acquisition by the University of Western Australia
, it is home to the Confucius Institute, University of Western Australia Press
and Taylor's College/
and author Rica Erickson
, naturalist
Harry Butler
, Labor politician
Kim Beazley senior
and economist
and public servant Nugget Coombs and artist/musician Rolf Harris .
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
. The building is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the western Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suburb of Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
. It is a large two storey limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
building set in extensive grounds, with a distinctive square crenellated tower, and was entered in the Register of the National Estate in 1987.
Background
In 1847 the General Board of Education was established to oversee school development in the Swan River ColonySwan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
. After becoming the Central Board of Education, it was superseded by the Education Department in 1893, which classified schools, graded teachers, defined teachers' positions, implemented a salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
scale for teachers, abolished school fees, provided for co-educational schools, and made attendance compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14. At this time, the Education Department had "external study" for student teachers, where they taught in the classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
while studying for examinations set by the Department.
In 1902, the College was opened and students could gain qualifications through studying there. It was the only place one could do this until the 1950s when the Churchlands and Graylands
Graylands Teachers College
Graylands Teachers College was a primary teacher education institution, established in Graylands in Western Australia in 1955. It became the second teachers' college, after Claremont Teachers College, to be established in the state, with three others subsequently opened...
colleges opened. The function of teacher education did not pass into the university sector until the 1980s.
The College's last Director was Thomas Ryan (1924-2002), who completed his teacher training at the College and graduated in 1947. He was appointed Vice-Principal of the College in 1972, a position he held until his appointment as Director of the College in 1980.
The campus served for 16 years as a campus of Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
following that institution's formation in 1989, and following its acquisition by the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, it is home to the Confucius Institute, University of Western Australia Press
University of Western Australia Press
UWA Publishing, formerly known as the University of Western Australia Press, is a Western Australian publisher established in 1935. It produces a range of non-fiction and fiction titles, introducing cookbooks into its list in 2008.-History:...
and Taylor's College/
Notable graduates
Notable graduates include historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author Rica Erickson
Rica Erickson
Frederica Lucy "Rica" Erickson AM, née Sandilands, was an Australian naturalist, botanical artist, historian, author and teacher. Without any formal scientific training, she wrote extensively on botany and birds, as well as genealogy and general history...
, naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Harry Butler
Harry Butler
William Henry "Harry" Butler CBE is an Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. He is a populariser of science and natural history for both child and adult audiences and, as conservation consultant to the Barrow Island oilfield and many other projects, has played a major role in...
, Labor politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Kim Beazley senior
Kim Edward Beazley
Kim Edward Beazley, AO , known as Kim Beazley during his career, Australian politician, was Minister for Education in the government of Gough Whitlam and a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years, from 1945 to 1977.Beazley, the youngest of seven children, was born in...
and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and public servant Nugget Coombs and artist/musician Rolf Harris .