Narrabri Public School has been given the go ahead for a new administration complex, replacing the 130 year old building familiar to generations of students.
And work is planned to get underway quickly.
“We anticipate the new building will be completed before the end of next year,” said principal Mr Michael Clare. “And it is likely demolition will start very soon.”
A demountable administration building will be erected to house staff while the new complex is built.
The demise of the old school building will be met with regret by many, but it was agreed the old block had reached the end of its life.
Public School principal Mr Clare said a committee comprising members of the school and wider communities had been engaged in assessing the future of the old administration building.
“And it has been an ongoing issue for several years” he said.
The first major structural problems were evident in the early 1990s.
The building is nowadays buttressed and supported, with large cracks throughout the building.
A heritage architect from Sydney undertook a comprehensive study of the building.
The committee considered his report and held ongoing discussions with the Department of Public Works to explore options which ultimately led to the decision to demolish the complex and build for the future.
“The new building will equip the school for the 21st century” Mr Clare said.
“That doesn’t mean it is going to be futuristic.
“It will be designed to be in sympathy with the existing buildings.
“It will be slightly relocated and will be smaller.
“But it won’t be a smaller rehash of what we currently have” he added.
“It is not going to be a heritage replica, but fit in with the current structures, although we haven’t got to that design detail.
“I am presuming the new building will be on one level, and it will house administration offices and a staff room which can be reconfigured into a community meeting space if required.
“We want the new building to be an after school community resource.
“They are aiming to have it completed by the end of next year certainly, but hoping construction will be finished around September.
“A demountable is being built parallel to Doyle Street to accommodate administration needs and that will be ready in early December.”
Demolition is expected to begin soon.