Bell rings as semi-converted school house goes up for sale

Feeling nostalgic about your school years? Relive those memories in this uniquely converted former school site, which comes with a hidden time capsule, two self-contained residences and potential for tourist accommodation.

The old Tarpeena Primary School, at 12 Edward St, Tarpeena, opened in 1905 and, during its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, had more than 100 students enrolled each year.

The school closed in 2011, after enrolments dropped to just 11 students, and was bought last year by vendors Peter Hoare and Mandy Daly, who set about transforming the country school, just a 15-minute drive from Mount Gambier, into a comfortable home.

A large double brick building – once four classrooms, a staffroom and school office and reception area – has been converted to a four-bedroom residence, complete with an open plan kitchen, dining room and family room and a separate rumpus room.

There’s also a woodfired combustion heater and a spiral staircase that provides access to a mezzanine loft, which contains an original mural from the old school days and a large arched window that floods the space with natural light.

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The old Tarpeena Primary School has been listed for sale with price hopes of $1.125m to $1.145m.

The school still features an outdoor basketball court.

The old kindy mural also still exists.

One of the old classrooms, meanwhile, has been converted into a bedroom.

Across from this main residence, the old kindy building has been converted to a two-bedroom self-contained unit, with a kitchen, two toilets, a shower and two covered balconies.

Throughout the 1.05ha property, remnants of the old school remain, including the original flagpole and an outdoor area that still bears the markings of the school basketball court.

Ms Daly said there was also a time capsule, believed to have been from the 1988 Australian Bicentenary celebrations, although its exact whereabouts remained a mystery, with former students having forgotten where it was buried.

She said converting the school into a home had been a daunting process but she and Mr Hoare had been rapt with the results.

“I love quirky things and this was like a blank canvas,’’ Ms Daly said.

“Because this is the later school (buildings, built in 1982), and not the old (original) school, it doesn’t have a lot of character, apart from the mural, but we could see it had so much potential.

“The loft with the big semicircle window is such a stunning thing to look at – when we first came in we would sit and watch the thunderstorms and it was just unbelievable.’’

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Tarpeena primary school, class of 1951.

An old time capsule is buried somewhere on the grounds.

Other rooms, like this old classroom, has remained untouched.

The home’s main living area.

Personal circumstances have now prompted Mr Hoare and Ms Daly to list the property for

sale, with a price guide of $1.125m to $1.145m.

Mr Hoare said there was plenty of opportunity for buyers to put their own stamp on the school buildings and spacious grounds.

He said ensuites could be added to convert the main home into a series of rentable bedsitters and, subject to council approval, there was enough space on the property to subdivide or operate a small caravan park and camping facility.

“There’s a free camp next door (at the Tarpeena Memorial Park) and there’s always people there but there’s no shower or toilet so if someone was to incorporate those things here then I think they would be on a winner,’’ Mr Hoare said.

He said the property, which is on the market with Malseed Real Estate, would also suit multigenerational families and those looking for plenty of space.

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