History & tradition

Prize Dahlias and Barefoot Students 

Former student Mr Brian Manning made an unannounced but gratefully received visit to LEPS in May 2014. Having spent his childhood in our local neighbourhood, Mr Manning, now into his 80's, showcased his sharp memory with an entertaining and unique recollection of the early history of LEPS. 

Starting Kindergarten in 1930, Mr Manning recalled the austere times of the depression. Many children never wore shoes and uniforms didn't exist, most students brought bread and butter or marmite sandwiches for lunch and for those who could find a penny, Mr Driver's bus would take them back to Roseville Train Station after school. Between 1930 – 1948, Mr Warren Brown was the LEPS Principal. Mr Manning remembers him as a big man who had a passion for gardening. The Principal proudly entered the school into many of the local 'Flower Shows' and LEPS became renowned for growing prize roses and dahlias. Mr Manning joked that 'the boys did all the hard gardening, but only the girls got the opportunity to accompany Mr Brown to the shows'.

An unexpected visitor

An unexpected visitor turned up at LEPS in August 2011; a former LEPS student, Mr Dick Urlett. He popped in, introduced himself, and was inquisitive as to how his old primary school had grown.

The spritely LEPS alumnus, fondly recalled for me his schooldays of the early 1930's and his time spent learning in what are today the ESL and Mandarin classrooms. The East Lindfield area at that time was yet to be opened up to widespread residential subdivision and was in Mr Urlett's words, "just all bush".

Incredulous stories of infants students being required to collect firewood from the surrounding bushland, to kids stoking the classrooms' open fire and eating lunch unsupervised in what is now the Garigal National Park, are a far cry from modern day 'duty of care' requirements.

Mr Urlett remembered the school having around 60 students divided into 3 composite classes. Concertina-like doors were opened and shut throughout the day to allow large group lessons. A strong learning strategy, Mr Urlett recalled, was that of students in a multi-age class repeating the exact same mathematics lesson year after year after year. He believed this consolidation of process as an extremely effective teaching practice.

Mr Warren Brown had an 18-year period as Headmaster during this time (1930-1948). As a teaching Principal, he had a strong reputation for getting excellent student results and if required would keep children back long after school in order to maintain his proud academic record. Liberal use of the cane was also part and parcel of discipline in those times. Mr Brown was also a very keen gardener and became renowned for the award-winning roses he produced in the area where the tennis court is now situated. The tall radiata pines that grace the LEPS playgrounds were actually grafted and planted by Mr Urlett and other students in gardening lesson time. The sheer size that these little seedlings have matured to, some 80 years later, was staggering for Mr Urlett.