Rowville Preschool, Wellington Road (1969 - 1993)

Try to imagine great grassy paddocks, narrow main roads, one little basic store, a Pub (which was really up-market and had a helipad for those with private helicopters) and that was Rowville in the 1960s. Rowville was an outer rural suburb way out east.

Development first came with the Stamford Estate north of the hotel and the Seebeck Estate. It attracted hardy settlers with no mains water - so it was tanks; no made roads - so it was gumboots all winter long and some low lying blocks could not have septic tanks - so it was "hello" to the night man.

The Twin Views Estate off Taylors Lane had one acre blocks and was settled in the 1960-1970s. By 1968 pressure came from young parents who wanted a Baby Health Centre and Pre-School so after much discussion and changing of minds the block in Wellington Road was purchased from the Manley family and the Health Centre and Kindergarten opened on the 7th February 1970. Many hardworking parents helped the centre to grow with good management and purchase of equipment.

The buildings over the years have been used for meetings, election days and by community groups. The Alan Clayton Wing was named after an early treasurer who worked hard for the building of the new wing. He tragically died of cancer before the building was opened. The Bernie Seebeck Wing was named to honour the grand old man of Rowville. Bernie Seebeck was a councillor for the Shire of Ferntree Gully and later the City of Knox for a total of thirty five years and still lives not far from the kindergarten.

In 1975 the pressure of numbers made the building of the new wing necessary. At the time the State Government subsidised three-year-old groups and the Alan Clayton Wing opened in April 1976 with three groups of 15 three-year-olds and one group of 20 four-year-olds. As time went on and many more four-year-olds needed kindergarten education, the four-year-olds became two groups of 20. Altogether the kindergarten has had one hundred and ten families attending each year since 1979.

Toddler groups met in the Alan Clayton Wing for many years, providing social contact for parents and 18-month-olds and children. When yet more four-year-olds needed to attend, a fifth group of 20 alternated between both wings and the toddlers went back to the Health Centre. Government funding of the trained Toddler Teacher was withdrawn and the group became parent-run. The Maternal and Child Health nurse supervises these groups.

In 1993 Government changes to subsidies made the small room uneconomical and Council decided to close it for one year and then review its future use. We know change will come but look forward to positive outcomes.

Margaret Stubbs, the secretary of the first committee, recalled that the first President was John King who later handed over to Max Tresise. Other committee members were Irma Arndt, Gary Norman, John Brien, Maureen Finnigan and Norm Walker.

The committee was very active in fund-raising, with wine and cheese nights at the home of John and Gwen Brien, functions such as the Scottish dancing night at the kinder and of course the election day stalls, when batches of scones and cakes were sold hot from the kindergarten oven.

Progressive dinners were popular too. Margaret recalled with a laugh one where the first course was at the home of Don and Maureen Finnegan in Fourth Avenue where several cars became bogged in what was called a road in those days in Rowville.

STAFF AT ROWVILLE PRE-SCHOOL 1969 - 1993

Charmian Wright

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