The Ghosts of Stanley Grammar School – Part 1: History
Old Stanley Grammar School, Watervale c. 1975 [SLSA: B 31688]
The construction of the Stanley Grammar School began in1863. The school was built by its founder, Joseph Cole. Cole founded his schoolin 1858, teaching from the Watervale Bible Christian Chapel. A new publicschool opened in Watervale in 1859 that Cole also taught at.
Cole purchased land between the school and Commercial Street on which he builta four-room private school building. In 1867, the school officially adoptedStanley Grammar School as its name. The school operated as a boarding house forboys, who were schooled there, with girls allowed access to schooling duringthe day. The school had a 30-acre recreation area that featured a gymnasium.
In 1871, the school was extended, with asecond story, new ground floor rooms and further dormitories. Lessons taughtincluded practical mathematics, Logarithms, chemistry, assaying, surveying,linear and perspective drawing, brokerage, bookkeeping, typewriting, drawingtheodolite and chain surveying, music, and field subjects.
Miss Susan Roach was the assistant teacher of Mr Cole. Inevery room was a list of rules and regulations of the school, which were sacrosanct,and woe to those who disobeyed. Coles taught his students to read parliamentarynewspapers so that they could be informed about politics when it became their timeto vote. He also encouraged his students to uphold moral standards when studentswent home to their own districts; that a man would be judged by their actions,conduct and manner.Many of his students went on to be important people in South Australia,including; Sir David Gordon, Dr William Torr, Sir John Duncan, Sir FrederickYoung, H C Mengeson, J Harmer, Dr W Jethro Brown and Emile Sobels.
Mr A.H. Wehrmannrecalled in The Recorder newspaper in 1949, that two school mottos were hung inthe classroom. The first, ‘Let the boy learn so he may be able to teach,’ and thesecond, ‘Learning is wealth to the poor and an ornament to the rich.’
Stanley Grammar School 1880 [SLSA: B 12274]
The building lay empty for 30 years, Cole’s daughter, Jessie,lived in the family house built next door until her death in 1949. After herpassing the family belongings and property were sold at auction.
the building has been utilised by the Girl Guides, by artists, by numerousowners who wanted to restore it, but it fell into disrepair. One potentialbuyer wanted to demolish it and use the stone in other projects. In the 1980s,it was The Three Roses Restaurant. The building was sold to Adelaideheart surgeon, Dr John Knight, who restored it to its former beauty. The propertywas sold to Denise and Frank Kluss in 2007, who now offer the site as a deluxe boutiqueaccommodation.
Next week: The Ghosts of Stanley Grammar School – Part 2: FamilyHistory
Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2024.
'OldStanley Grammar School at Watervale', Northern Argus, (28 April1949), p. 1.
'EarlyTeaching In Watervale', Chronicle, (29 April 1948), p. 32.
Lantana,‘History,’ Stanley Grammar Country House, (2023), https://www.oldstanleygrammar.com.au/....
'MR.OSBORNE'S MEMORIES', Recorder, (10 October 1949), p. 3.
'OldStanley Grammar School at Watervale', Northern Argus, (28 April1949), p. 1.
