Toongabbie Christian College

PETER HESTER Parent 1981-1992 Teacher 1983-1991 Principal 1983-1991

The first property purchased as the school grew was down the road from the Church, alongside Girraween Creek. Mr Ginger was the owner and the story we heard was that his wife came home one Saturday morning to announce that she had passed a bank auctioning a block of land and house, had bid $35,000, and successfully bought 28 Octavia Street. When we approached Mr Ginger 18 months later, seeking to buy the property for the school, his asking price was $100,000. I was unable to talk him down; his reasoning, “$100,000 has a nice ring to it!” At the far end of the property was an old house which we felt could be used for some short term class accommodation. After an all-day working bee preparing the property we arrived the next day to find the house had been vandalised; wall panels had been smashed and various other nuisance damage done. A short time later, there was a call from the fire brigade to say that the house was on fire. The fire could have been caused by an old black and white TV we had left running in the house to deter repeat vandalism. The fire brigade was able to save part of the house and one back corner remained usable. After further working bees, this became the Primary Department office. The remains of the rest of the house were buried in a large hole dug on the property by a parent. The insurance on the house provided part payment for a two classroom demountable building which was added to the property. These were the first real classrooms for the school. A growing school requires increasing space and the acquisition of additional land was an early challenge involving seven separate negotiations. One of the first blocks available shared only a corner post with the Octavia Street site. The owner of the adjoining block was reluctant to sell the rear of his property which would provide the needed access between the blocks. The Council informed us that we would need a five metre corridor from one block to the next. A very accommodating town planner agreed that we could satisfy this requirement if the adjoining property owner agreed to sell us a quadrant shaped portion at the corner of his land with a five metre radius. Providentially, the reluctant owner changed his mind and sold us the back section of the block and later his whole property. In miraculous ways the Lord provided the land required for each stage of the school and the resources to pay for it. In seeking short-term accommodation while waiting on Government funding and new building construction, we came across an old classroom block at a school near Penrith that was virtually being given away. This well-used building had already had a number of “lives” and we knew this would be its last. How do you get a 25 metre building from Penrith to Toongabbie? We engaged a contractor who assured us he could deliver it in one piece. We paid the agreed price and the building duly arrived on site. After offloading, the driver and his crew came looking for payment, having received nothing from the contractor. They must have finally been successful in chasing what they were owed as we heard nothing further. Whilst old, the building served the school well as the Library, until it was demolished after the completion of Stage 1 of the High School. Living alongside the creek caused some headaches for the Primary Department. Following the addition of permanent buildings in Stage 1, the school experienced two “fifty year” floods in 18 months. Floodwater rose to just under the student desks and much damage was done to office furniture and floor coverings. Fortunately, I had been in the downstairs section of the building and had seen the water come through the vents on the upper side wall before the water from the creek came through the doors. The insurance company therefore classed the damage as due to run-off water rather than flood and paid out on the claim. A lighter side of the flood experience was seeing a couple of parents tying the Principal’s car to a tree to stop it floating off down the creek. I may have preferred to collect the insurance on that as well!

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