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Georges Hall was originally part of Bankstown, George Bass (1771-1803) and
Matthew Flinders (1774-1829) sailed the Tom Thumb up the Georges River as
far as this suburb's boundary in 1795. In 1798 Bass was given a grant of 40
hectares in the area of the present Hazel Street and Flinders Road,
alongside Prospect Creek, by Governor Hunter, and Bass Hill, a neighbouring
suburb, honours his name. The grant later reverted to the Crown. Bass's
fellow explorer, Matthew Flinders, received a grant south of Bass's bounded
by Marion Street, Bellevue Avenue,Flinders Road and Prospect Creek. He
bought more land until he had 120 hectares, but he did not farm it.
Captain George Johnston (1764-1823) Lieutenant of the First Fleet, built his
first home, a farmhouse in this area on a grant of 70 hectares dated 1798.
It was situated on Prospect Creek near the present Henry Lawson Drive and
Beatty Parade. He named it George's Hall. His third son, David, became a
grazier on this property, which was a farming area in its early days, and
the suburb takes its name from the Johnston farm. David Johnston was
appointed by Governor Macquarie as superintendent of herds and stock. In
1809 the farmhouse of George's Hall was used as an administration centre,
and when convicts gathered at the centre to have a census taken, a military
guard was posted there.
In 1837 another home was built by the Johnston family. This time it was on
higher ground, in present Lionel Street and well away from the danger of the
Georges River Floods. The Homestead, as they call it, is one of the oldest
houses in the City of Bankstown. Its design was simple but elegant, with
wide verandahs, and the interior of the house featured cedar woodwork. The
National Trust has classified this house, although it is not open for public
inspection. The family is commemorated by Johnston Road.
In
1928 a post office was opened and the area became officially known as
Georges Hall.
Georges Hall Public School commenced in 1942 as a wooden portable building
in Birdwood Road. The school grew in size until 1975 when the school site
was deemed to be dangerous for children because of proposed extension to
Bankstown Aerodrome. Plans were drawn up for the school at our present site
in Pennington Avenue. In October 1976, children settled into the new school
and the Birdwood Road school was to be closed. When the school population
grew it became necessary to use some of the classrooms at Birdwood Road as
well as all the classrooms at our present site.
Since
1986 the school population has fallen enough to allow all classes to be
accommodated here at Pennington Avenue. The school presently has more than
700 students.
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