Birtwistle Local Studies Library
The first school in the district was set up in St Mary’s Anglican Church, Kelmscott on 1 March 1882.
At Armadale, the Saw children were taught by a series of governesses in a room at the Narrogin Inn, which they owned. Ada Rose Morgan, (née Carrick), former Kelmscott school teacher, also taught the children.
In July 1899, Thomas Saw persuaded Miss L. Boatwright to relocate from Claremont to Armadale and lessons commenced at the Armadale Institute Hall. The school attracted 27 children who attended classes. The Education Department took over responsibility for the school by the end of 1899.
In 1900, on a block in Third Avenue donated by the Saw family, a purpose-built school building was erected. This was because the population of Armadale had grown sufficiently to warrant their own school.
James McKeown was Armadale School’s first headmaster. The second headmaster Edward Schonnell saw the number of students increase to 300 over the 11 years of his service. This put a severe strain on the school’s buildings and resources.
Ada Morgan conducted lessons in the new hall on Admiral Road next to her home. The school was called Narrogin Brook School (renamed Bedfordale after 1903) where 24 children were in attendance.
The Education Department approved the formal establishment of a school in the hall on Admiral Road in 1900, appointing Miss M. Keast as teacher.
Opened on 15 August 1905, Roleystone School was built on the Brookton Highway. It was a tiny wooden building consisting of one classroom and a porch.
The school’s first teacher was J. Hickman with Ethel Polain as monitor. The school's pupils were six Buckingham children and three from the Bettenay family who had relocated from the Kelmscott School.
The school was forced to close in 1910 as it struggled to maintain enough students. However, in 1911, Miss Mary Parker re-established classes in the school and this continued until 1921.
In 1912, a school at East Jandakot was opened. The school was renamed Westfield School. The school closed in 1948.
Illawarra School was set up by the Education Department in 1913. Orchard owner Thomas Price employed a man with a large family and the enrolment quota of 12 pupils was reached which entitled the area to a school..
By 1919, the school had moved to a site near the Brookton Highway and was renamed Karragullen Primary School.