Hornsby South History
The land on which Hornsby South Public school is built has and will always belong to the Dharug and Guringai People.
The name ‘Hornsby South School’ goes back a lot more than 60 years, for that is what Normanhurst Public School was once known as. As more houses were built in Hornsby, more and more families with young children came to live here, especially after the Second World War. In the 1940s local parents petitioned the Department of Education for a school. Approval was given for the establishment of an Infants' school at Hornsby South in September 1950 and the site for the school was purchased. The land was part of a property owned by a Mr and Mrs Booth, which stretched from Clarke Road to Hall Road. The old house that once stood on the corner of Hall Road and Neutral Road was their homestead.
The first teacher and principal, Miss Joyce Allen, was appointed in April 1952. The first 16 children were enrolled on 4 June, 1952. By the end of the month numbers had risen to 44 and by the end of the year there were 68 children at Hornsby South Infants, 41 in Kindergarten, 23 in first grade and 3 in second grade.
In 1960 five acres had been resumed on the other side of Clarke Road where Hornsby South Public School now stands. This land had once been a dairy farm owned by Mr and Mrs James. Our mural located in the front playground pays tribute to our history.
