PERTH TECHNICAL SCHOOL
Perth Technical School operated out of its newly constructed purpose-built facility at 137 St Georges Terrace, adjacent to the historic Old Perth Boys School at 139 St Georges Terrace in the Perth city centre.
- The 1910 Building: Designed by Chief Architect Hillson Beasley, the substantial new Gothic-style building next door had recently opened (around 1910) to accommodate surging student numbers after years of operating out of the cramped 1854 Old Perth Boys School building.
- Motto: The building proudly featured the motto “Truth, Beauty and Utility” emblazoned above its front entryway.
Curriculum and Operations
- Courses: By 1915, the school offered an extensive practical and theoretical curriculum including engineering, chemistry, assaying, plumbing, carpentry, blacksmithing, fitting and turning, pharmacy, commercial studies, surveying, and art and design.
- Apprenticeships: It provided crucial technical and trade classes for apprentices alongside general occupational training.
- University Transition: While it previously offered university-level courses under a license from the University of Adelaide, this role shifted following the establishment of the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1914, allowing the Perth Technical School to focus more sharply on vocational, diploma, and technical education. (It was later renamed Perth Technical College in 1929)
TECHNICAL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL OF MINES.
ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS. FIRST LIST OF RESULTS.
Appended are the results of the greater portion of the annual examinations in connection with the Technical Schools of Western Australia
Signwriting and Decorating. W. Harrison, (Perth Technical School). [1]
TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. ANNUAL EXAMINATIONS.
Signwriting and Decorating: second class. Practice-only: W. Harrison. [2]
[1] West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), Monday 8 January 1912, page 3
[2] West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), Tuesday 31 December 1912, page 4