Wickham School of Arts

The Wickham School of Arts stands as a reminder of a proud past, though its future as part of the Honeysuckle precinct remains uncertain.

When a group of forward-thinking locals came together in December 1880, their vision was simple: to create a School of Arts for the people of Wickham.

Thanks to the generosity of landowner Albert Augustus (A.A) Dangar, who donated a prime block of land, and the community’s enthusiastic fundraising efforts, their dream quickly gained momentum.

Newcastle architect, Peter Bennett was enlisted to draw up plans, and within two years the foundation stone was laid in a ceremony officiated by the Mayor of Wickham, followed by a celebratory ball in the Protestant Hall the same night.

Media from the time reports how newspapers and coins of the day were placed under the Foundation Stone in the form of a time capsule.

What began as a modest one-storey design grew into something grander, thanks to the community’s support and donations.

By September 1882, the Wickham School of Arts was nearing completion, a grand building constructed under separate contracts, all carefully overseen by Bennett himself.

When the doors officially opened on 14 December 1882, the occasion was marked with speeches, fanfare, and yet another grand ball.

Inside, the School of Arts became a vibrant community hub: home to a reading room, library, classrooms, a lodge room for Friendly Societies, and a superb dance floor. Billiard tables came ater, and in 1890, a ladies’ reading room was added, a forward-thinking move for its time.

Beyond books and billiards, the School of Arts became a venue for lectures, concerts, magic lantern shows, and all manner of entertainment designed to bring people together.

Among those who passed through its doors was none other than poet Henry Lawson, who later recalled spending time at the School of Arts in his memoir while working at Wickham’s Hudson Brothers railway workshops, seeking to “learn before it was too late.”

Over the years, the building welcomed many notable figures. Renowned actress Essie Jenyns performed there, and Lady Windeyer, known for her work in establishing free kindergartens, opened a kindergarten within its walls in 1909.

The building’s role shifted over time.

It became a men’s hostel in 1938, later housing the Newcastle Police and Citizens Boys Club from 1952 until their move to Broadmeadow in 1965.

At various times, it even played host to yoga classes and school concerts before City of Newcastle purchased it in 1999, recognising its heritage significance and ensuring its preservation under the National Trust’s classification.

Today, the Wickham School of Arts is owned by the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation and stands as a reminder of a proud past, though its future remains uncertain.

While this significant and beautiful old building currently sits empty on Honeysuckle Drive, it surely seems destined to light up with a life of creativity and community once more as this part of Newcastle continues to thrive.

The original story was supplied and written by Lesley Gent and is available to read at hunterlivinghistories.com 

“What began as a modest one-storey design grew into something grander…”