Cranbourne State Primary School Plantation Site

From 1923, school forest plantations began and by 1929 there were 241 participating schools covering 3,000 acres in total. Cranbourne Primary School had its own plantation located on Sladen Street (next to the Bear House Restaurant). The children would go there regularly to weed and to continue planting. You can still see some of the trees today.

The routine of caring for the plantation continued for many years. Children would also be taken for nature walks around the racecourse bushland and further down, along Cranbourne Clyde Road and into one of the commercial sandpits.

Pam Ridgway describes the familiar scenario where a few kids spoilt the others’ fun on such occasions:
"We used to observe bird nests and other items of interest and we would later check the progress of baby birds. On a couple of occasions boys robbed nests, causing the rest of us sadness. No sympathy for the culprits getting the strap."