Crabbes Creek Public School's 125-year anniversary

Release date: 12 December 2023

Crabbes Creek Public School recently celebrated their 125th anniversary with a school and community gathering, which included fun family activities, speeches and historical artefact displays detailing the school’s rich history. The event brought together current and former students and staff to honour the past and look ahead to the school’s future.

The anniversary celebration was presided over by Crabbes Creek Public School principal Brev Belleville who said, “The day was a great success with several generations coming back to this special place and cheerfully sharing precious memories.” In a display of the power of enduring community at the school, 3 former principals Deborah Love, Keith Moss and Ross Johnson were present; as was a 100-year-old former student; and the Foysters: a family with 4 generations having been students at Crabbes Creek Public School. The Mayor of Tweed Heads, Chris Cherry, also joined the festivities.

Attendees poured over old school photos on display in the recent flood remediated library, proudly presided over by local Crabbes Creek Historian Reg Robinson, where former students reminisced and shared memories of their time at the school.

The day was full of family friendly fun with a raffle and sausage sizzle; the current students charmed the audience with a performance as a choir; followed by community games including potato sack races, wet sponge throwing, bubble blowing and three-legged races. 

A rich school history

Crabbes Creek Public School was built 125 years ago in 1898 after 5 years of dedicated campaigning from locals. It consisted of a small building in the cleared hills of the Tweed. There were just 22 students from mostly farming families. Numerous changes have occurred to the school site over the years, for instance, in July 1906 it became a Public School, with the Department acquiring the site In October 1913. A larger building was built and moved into on 5 June 1917, with the old building moved to Wooyung where it became Wooyung Primary School. By July 1933 a teacher’s residence has been built on the property.

The school has always had to contend with floods in the region. In 1955, the teacher in charge, Bernard Moroney, said, “Floods were always a problem. If it started to rain heavily and the creeks might rise the school had to be closed to enable some students to reach home in safety.” The same issue remains today, with a school rebuild following the 2022 floods completed in October this year.

Today, Crabbes Creek Public School has a second classroom, a library, canteen and bathroom facilities. It is still a tiny historic school with 38 students enrolled in 2023 in a town of 290 people.  

We look forward to future celebrations of Crabbes Creek Public School’s historied impact on the Tweeds Heads community.