When Sebastopol Primary School first opened its classrooms in 1873, hundreds of children of goldminers, local business owners and land owners laughed and shouted together on the playground and learned together in large classes inside.
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The looming double-story brick building educated the children of Sebastopol for more than 100 years before a new Sebastopol Primary School was built just up the road 45 years ago.
The school's current crop of pupils have been eagerly exploring the history of their school in the lead-up to its 150th anniversary celebrations next week.
A hundred and fifty years ago it had more than 750 pupils, and grew in its early years to more than 1000, but by the 1940s numbers had fallen to around 80 and now there are just under 90 pupils at the school.
Principal Michelle Wilson said it had been wonderful hearing from past pupils and staff, many of whom have supplied photographs and other memorabilia to be displayed during the celebrations.
"It's been lovely because there's been lots of phone calls and ... it's starting to become a more familiar story," she said.
A former school footballer, a member of the 1955 premiership team, provided Ms Wilson with a photograph and since then the school has been able to find old football and netball jerseys from that era.
Another former staff member who had her first teaching job at the school, then returned about 40 years later as principal, has also contributed old photo albums.
"It's been a lovely time to reminisce," Ms Wilson said.
There will be many memories shared at the school next week when it hosts open days on Friday May 19 and Saturday May 20 to celebrate the 150th anniversary.
Past and present students, families and staff have been invited to visit the school to view displays including photos dating to the late 1800s, visit the classrooms, take part in school assembly, enjoy the school art show which has a historical theme, listen to the choir and more.
There will even be a historic roll call with past students and staff from various decades and years asked to assemble for photos.
A time capsule from the late 1990s will also be unearthed and a new one buried for another 50 years, and on Saturday the Sebastopol Historical Society will launch a new book.
Ms Wilson said while many things about Sebastopol Primary School had changed since the early days, some had stayed the same.
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"Lots of things haven't changed. Kids still like playing on monkey bar, still like taking photos, we still have a choir and the kids still play sport," she said.
"But many things have changed. The way we learn now, classes are smaller, technology, sometimes we have more than one adult in the class, and the school is a lot smaller than it was."
The school will be open from 12.30pm to 4pm on Friday with a special assembly at 2.10pm, and on Saturday from 11am to 3pm.
To mark the school's 150th anniversary, and as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival, the Sebastopol Historical exhibition will stage an exhibition "Living as we learn - 150 years of state education in Sebastopol" at its headquarters, the old Sebastopol State School at 185 Yarrowee St, on Saturday May 20 and Sunday May 21, and Saturday May 27 and Sunday May 28, from 10am to 4pm.
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