Waldorf from the beginning

When I started to write this article about the beginnings of the Perth Waldorf School, I intended to focus on the erection of the fence around the property. In order to recall dates and sequence of events, I looked through the School newsletters from the 80s. Barbara and I have kept all of the newsletters since our first involvement (the name “Pabulum” appeared later in School history).

In our files I found the very first School newsletter dating from July ‘82 (see images below). This was just a couple of months after Barbara and I arrived in Perth with our first child, Christopher, having emigrated from Ireland. The newsletter was posted to our temporary address in Rivervale and shows our intent from the beginning to have our children educated in the Waldorf way. The Steiner philosophy resonated with us as young parents, and still does to this day, with all three of our children having completed their education at the Bibra Lake School.

My first employment was in South Australia, where Christopher started at the Mount Barker school Kindergarten. In April ’86 we returned to WA, to a new employment, during the recession “we had to have” (only named as such long after the reality unfolded). With us was our second son, Ciaran.

Before arriving in WA, we had made arrangements to immediately join the Perth Waldorf School, which was housed in a hall in the Clontarf College in Waterford (“Castledare”).

Plans to purchase land for a school were underway and before long the purchase was complete, at what was then known as Prospect Road in Bibra Lake. Much could be said about the people involved in fund raising, but that would need to be a separate story, told by others who were more closely involved. The main provider was the Rural and Industries Bank (R&I) who provided finance and loans for land and buildings, but parents and friends played a vital part in meeting the multitude of costs arising as the School grew.

When I first visited the site, there was a cleared track into the bush, the track which is now the main entry road. About 50 metres along the track on the east side there was an area where some of the larger bushes and trees had been cut down and piled up. This was the site of the building that is now the rammed earth Kindergarten. This image of the partially cleared site is still a vivid memory. In some ways it was a shock to realise that much of this bushland would need to be cleared to make space for the School buildings.

An important part in establishing ownership of the land was erecting a fence around the surveyed boundary. A fencing contractor was hired to install the posts and provide the materials. Parents and friends joined in busy bees to help pull the chain mesh and attach to the poles. Sounds straightforward, but maintaining an even tension across the full height of the mesh is far trickier than anyone would imagine – until you experience trying to do this!

Progress was slow but eventually the fence surrounded the whole property. The gate was installed at the main entry where it still stands today on Gwilliam Drive. If Stephen Jennings had had his way the road would be called Progress Drive, but he lost that particular battle with Cockburn Council.

Now that the School was the owner of land, help was needed to organise construction of the buildings. I joined the Building Committee which included Stephen Jennings, Brendan Donlin, John Nossiter, Francis Barber and Martin Visser. There were others but these were the people that I dealt with the most through my involvement.

In December ‘86, Marc Baxter, a Sydney architect experienced in Anthroposophical principles, helped the Building Committee chose a local Perth architect to develop the building design. Hames Sharley, director Lynley Lutton and architect Rachael Seal were chosen to design a “cottage-type” structure with rammed earth walls.

In early April ’87 there was a working bee to help clear and lay the main entry road.

A building contractor also had to be found, and after much consternation agreeing details with the builder, a contract was awarded. The Builder’s Licence was issued to Tom Cambell by Cockburn Shire Council on 7 September 1987. The hope was that the building would be ready for use by the first term of 1988, but it was the second term before children’s voices filled the new rooms.

The Building Committee were actively involved in helping with the construction, and trying to control or minimise costs by using salvaged materials, a contribution that I think the builder did not always appreciate! For example, the jarrah floorboards were salvaged from a disused church in Armadale. Much work was done by parents and friends preparing the grounds around the building.

In putting these notes together, I re-read the School newsletters from the 80s, and through this was reminded of the number of people – parents, friends and teachers - who contributed in a myriad of ways to the establishment of the School – all volunteers, contributing time and money to make it happen.

Brendan Trappe

April 2024