19 June 2020

Have YourSay on Gungahlin's newest primary school

5 June 2018 | My Gungahlin

Help choose the identity for Canberra’s newest primary school opening in North Gungahlin in 2019, by answering three quick polls on:

the new school name
the design of the uniform
the school logo

Check out the ‘Vote’ tab to choose your favourite name, uniform and logo.

The school:

This new modern school facility will cater for 176 preschool and 600 primary school students when it opens for Term 1 2019, providing capacity for quality public education in this high-growth region. Planning will also allow for the accommodation of an additional students and 150 primary school students through expansion if required to cater for future growth.

An important facility for the whole North Gungahlin community, we are seeking the views of local families, teachers, parents of school children, community organisations and the broader Canberra community.

As the first community facility within Taylor, the primary school will educate children from Taylor, Moncrieff and the future stages of Jacka while providing amenities for hire by local community groups and organisations including a school hall, oval and modern meeting rooms.

Your contribution will:

Help develop the overall branding – name, uniform and logo – for Canberra’s newest school.

Help choose the identity for Canberra’s newest primary school opening in North Gungahlin in 2019. Check the Name, Uniform and Logo tabs for detailed information on why the options have been chosen and to help you decide the visual identity for the new school.

About the school:

This new modern school facility will cater for 176 preschool and 600 primary school students when it opens for Term 1 2019, providing capacity for quality public education in this high-growth region. The planning will also allow for the accommodation of an additional 150 primary school students, and potentially a year 7-10 expansion if required to cater for future growth.

The school will be the first community facility provided in Taylor, including two playing fields, and the wider community will be able to hire the school hall, oval and meeting rooms for a range of activities and gatherings.

The new school will also include a resource centre, canteen, out of hours school care facilities, and great outdoor learning and play areas. Like all ACT public schools, the new school will deliver the Australian Curriculum, with specific facilities to enrich learning in the arts, music, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to ensure we are equipping students for the best possible future. The new school will welcome its first students on the first day of the 2019 school year.

The Priority Enrolment Area for the new school includes the suburbs of Moncrieff, Taylor and Casey, which is a shared PEA zone for Gold Creek School. In the meantime, families who move into the suburbs of Moncrieff and Taylor are welcome to enrol their children at Amaroo School until the new P-6 school opens at the start of 2019.

If you would like to know more about enrolling your children please contact the Education Directorate’s Enrolment Coordinator on 6205 5429 and press option 2.

Please read on below for the options for the school name, uniform and logo and how to vote.

The name:

There are three options that have been chosen based on their cultural, historical or geographical significance to the local community.

They are:

George Kinlyside Primary School
Marion Mahony Griffin Primary School
Margaret Hendry Primary School

George Kinlyside

‘Kinlyside’ was gazetted in 1991 as a suburb name in Gungahlin to commemorate local Ginninderra-Hall pioneer George Kendall Kinlyside (1877-1945), a well-known wheelwright, coachbuilder and blacksmith who served the Hall community for many years and was active in the local community in the early 20th Century.

The name has a long association with the Gungahlin district and would help to locate the school given the nature reserve near Taylor is identified as the ‘Kinlyside Nature Reserve’.

Marion Mahony Griffin

Marion Mahony Griffin was an American architect and artist. She was one of the first licensed female architects in the world. During her life, she produced some of the best architectural drawing in America and was instrumental in envisioning the design plans for then new capital city of Australia, Canberra.

Marion’s contribution to Canberra was not as a commissioned architect but as a visionary with an ability to inspire, an attribute also found in the best of teachers.

Margaret Hendry

Dr. Margaret Hendry was a landscape architect; Canberra resident; community service and women’s affairs. She directed her professional career to landscape design and teaching and was a Fellow of both the Australian and UK Institutes of Landscape Architects.

Margaret was a landscape architect for the National Capital Development Commission from 1963-74, the first woman appointed and one of only five in Australia at that time. She played a significant role in shaping the landscape in the National Capital including the Cotter Dam Recreational Reserve, Gungahlin Cemetery, Belconnen Town Centre and many playing fields, housing areas and shopping centres were wholly or partially designed by her.

Why were these options selected?

The Directorate requested options, including Indigenous and female names from the Office of the Surveyor-General and Land Information and the Place Names Committee.

Why isn’t ‘Taylor’ one of the options?

Consideration was given to naming the school ‘Taylor’ after the person of whom the suburb of Taylor is named, Florence Taylor. The name ‘Florence Taylor Primary School was seen as too similar to the existing school, Taylor Primary School (located in Kambah) and Florence Taylor Street in Greenway and may cause issues for the ACT Emergency Service Agency.

The uniform

Concepts have been created for the uniform, with design choices based on gender neutrality, ease of manufacture and distinctiveness from other schools in the area. Please note that designs are conceptual and will be finalised once a uniform supplier is confirmed.

Option 1 – Red/Black

Option 2 Green/Red

Option 3 – Red/Blue

The logo

A series of designs have been created, with each representing a significant area of the school, including themes such as the local plant and animal life, and references to the proposed names. Please note that these designs may not be indicative of the exact look, and should primarily be considered on a conceptual basis, including mood, symbolism and colours.