Centenary
This year, Lake Munmorah Public School will celebrate its Centenary year.
LMPS Centenary Pavers
All LMPS families past and present have the opportunity to purchase a paver to be engraved as a lasting record of our school's Centenary celebrations.
Simply fill out the form below and return along with full payement by cash, cheque or money order to:
Lake Munmorah Public School
Pacific Highway, Lake Munmorah
NSW, 2259
Orders close Friday 18th August 2023
To view the form, click below:
LMPS Paver Order Form
Open Day
There will be a community open day on Saturday 9th September 2023.
More details to come as they are available.
LMPS History
Building on the site we currently occupy (although it was closer to the highway where our oval is now), the single school room began construction in 1922. The first few dozen students from widely scattered local pioneer families started the school year in 1923.
Families came to the area as the men worked in the local coal mine at Wallarah Colliery, which was located between Crangan Bay, Nords Wharf and Catherine Hill Bay. Most of these families farmed and fished the local lands and waterways when they were not working in the ‘pit’.
Some historically notable families of the time were situated at: Elizabeth Bay (Matt’s Diner end of town) were the Hutchinsons, Hams, Hancocks, and the Campbells. At the other end of what is now Tall Timbers Road, were the Freeman and Bridge families. In Chain Valley Bay North, were the D’Arcys and O’Neills. Between both ends, were the Carters.
Do you have a connection to any of these old families?
(Mrs Treharne does!)
Perhaps you have a more recent connection to LMPS?
Were you (or any of your family members) at school in 1984 or 1993 (the year we moved down into the school as it is today)?
Here’s the Staff photos from those years. Is your old teacher here?
(One of the teachers in the 1993 photo still teaches here! Can you see who it is?)
Here are some pictures of our school, then and now. Here is the original building and accompanying weather-shed. This photo was taken prior to the 1980’s.
The photo below is of a more ‘modern’ LMPS (mid-1980’s) with its decorative arbour entrance and welcoming garden. This walkway into the school was situated very close to where the gate is in the current kiss and drop zone. The old school occupied the area where our oval now is.
Carters Road has always been a dead-end street and was lined with farms, with the exception being LMPS at the top near the highway (until 1989 when St Brendan’s started across the road).
Haven’t we grown in the past 40 years! And what about the area around us now!
Below is an aerial photo of the school currently.
We are asking you to spread the word in the community about our Centenary. If you have a neighbour or friend that used to attend LMPS, please let them know about it.
If you know of someone who has lived in the community for a long time, perhaps they have some news or a story about LMPS they would like to share.
If you would like to contribute a story about LMPS’s history, please email your information and/or story to the school so it can be included in our Centenary celebrations.
School email: lakemunmor-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
In the coming weeks, more information about our planned celebrations in September will be published.
We are very fortunate to have a piece of maritime history at our school. This bell hangs in our school foyer and is from the S.S. Munmorah. She was a collier (a cargo ship designed to carry coal) of 1273 tons, and was built in Leith in Scotland in 1934 for the Wallarah Coal Company. She traded between Newcastle, Sydney and Bellambi (on the South Coast of NSW).
The ship was wrecked on the Bellambi Reef on 17th March, 1949 at approximately 8.00pm. The bell was retrieved from the wreck and for many years, hung in the Bulli Hospital, where it was used as a meal bell. Mr J.S. Veigel of Woonoona, a member of the Bulli Hospital Board took the bell with him when he retired. On 15th August 1962, Mr Veigel presented the bell to the citizens of Lake Munmorah to be housed in the school. It has not been used as a school bell, but a memento of historical significance.
And now…from this Century…were you or anyone from your family here in 2004?
Is your teacher here?
Do you recognise any other staff members here?
