School History

Le Fevre Peninsula Primary School in Birkenhead, South Australia, started as a small private school in 1856 and grew into a historic public model school.

Le Fevre’s Peninsula was isolated by the Port River, access was either by ferry or by skirting the river.

Due to this isolation on the Peninsula schools began to develop, as the crossing was dangerous for children and uncertain in rough weather. Children attended school only if and when the parents could afford fees. It was not until the Education act of 1875 that attendance in school in South Australia was made compulsory (between the ages of 7 and 13 and living within 2 miles of a school).

Foundation and Early Years (1856–1877)

• 1856: The first school on the peninsula opened with teacher Mr. John Millard.
• 1862: It became a government grant school.
• 1875: The Education Act turned it into a public school, with Mr. Millard serving as Head Master.

Model School Era (1878–1909)

• 1878: A new building opened on January 25, 1878, as the Lefevre’s Peninsula Model School, which trained future teachers.
• 1885: The name changed back to Le Fevre’s Peninsula Public School.
• 1900: Daily student attendance reached nearly 1,000 children.

High School and Technical Beginnings (1910–1960s)

• 1910: Le Fevre High School started on the primary school grounds as a district high school.
• 1931: The school officially dropped the apostrophe from its name.
• 1940s: Secondary and technical sections split off into separate boys’ and girls’ technical divisions.
• 1959 and 1960: Le Fevre High Boys Technical High School was relocated to its current location on the corner of Hart Street and Swan Terrace, Semaphore South. Some of the buildings utilised by the school in 1959 were already on site as these were a part of the former Police training Academy. The solid construction buildings were completed in 1960 and by 1961 all the students were located on the new site.”
• 1968: Workers demolished the original 1878 building.

Modern Era

• 1975: The infant section became the Junior Primary School
• Present: Located on Shorney Street, the coeducational primary school teaches students from Reception to Year 6 with specialized classes in arts, science, and Indonesian and PE.