STURT WOOD - HISTORY

Sturt was established in 1941 by Winifred West, a visionary educator who believed that training the hands was vital to training the mind. Sturt in 1941 was one building, with classes in spinning, weaving, and handicrafts being taught to the local community. Children came on Saturday mornings, and adults came during the week.

photographs by David Moore

Woodwork classes also commenced in 1941, in a tiny shed with one teacher and two boys. O. E. Southerden taught for many years and in 1947, was succeeded by his son Jack Southerden, to satisfy the growing demand for woodwork classes. With the formation in 1948 of the Sturt Association, this new support network enabled the next building at Sturt to be constructed which is part of the Wood School complex today. Teaching continued with Harry Lloyd, John O’Neil and in 1960, Tony Fulford was appointed as teacher, to remain on the staff until 1987.

In 1965, a second facility for woodwork was constructed, enabling the production of high quality furniture and designed items in wood, alongside the teaching of woodwork. Craftsmen working from this building included Toby Muir Wilson, Norman Stocks and Peter Adams.

The Sturt School for Wood was the realization of a dream for Alan and Doreen Wale. (Alan had taught Peter Adams at Beecroft and knew about Sturt through this contact). Since migrating from England in 1963, Alan had always dreamed of running some kind of small institution where woodworkers could be professionally trained in a practical way at a high level. While working full time as a teacher at Knox Grammar in Sydney, Alan’s determination and drive were evident early on with his creation of the Cheltenham Craft Centre in 1970, a community workshop established to teach adults. In 1978, Alan joined with Les Miller and Leon Sadubin in the organisation of Woodcraft ‘78, which later transformed into the Woodworkers’ Group of NSW. Through contacts like these, Alan Wale saw the need for a high quality, project-based course in fine woodworking. In 1984 he commenced discussions with Winifred West Schools about the establishment of such a course and after intensive planning, promoting, building, renovating and a lot of hard work, the Sturt School for Wood opened with ten students in January 1985.

Originally, the concept was to run a two-year course. However, this proved to be financially prohibitive for students, and in 1986 and 87, student numbers declined. In 1988, it was decided to change the course to a one-year full time course. With this decision, and eleven students enrolled, the Wood School’s future journey was firmly consolidated and heading for a promising future.

In 1988, a large exhibition of Wood School students’ work was displayed in (the original) Sturt Gallery, instigating the ongoing tradition of the graduates’ exhibitions, which have continued as a focus for each year up to the present day. In 1998, Campbell Hegan was appointed Director of Sturt, establishing a strong basis for future growth and direction, and providing an administrative and supportive framework for the developing Sturt School for Wood.

At the beginning of 1991, just three weeks into the new school year, fire broke out in the Gallery and at one end of the Wood School destroying the office, store room, tools and equipment. With rapid re-building, students were able to resume studies within one week of the fire. During that year, the new Sturt Gallery was built and in December 1991, the Wood School students proudly exhibited their work in the new Gallery, in what was the Golden Year of Sturt celebrating fifty years of growth.

At the conclusion of 1991, Alan Wale retired as Director of the Wood School. This concluded eight years of dedicated, hard work. Alan Wale’s dream has come to fruition, and the Sturt School for Wood, is firmly established as a significant school of woodworking for students from all over Australia.

1992 saw Tom Harrington appointed as Director of the Wood School. He originally trained at the Canberra School of Art under George Ingham and had worked as both a studio furniture maker and a commercial cabinetmaker. Tom Harrington has continued in this role ever since, and has guided the Wood School to become not only a provider of excellent tuition, but also the philosophical heartland and point of inspiration for many graduates who retain strong links with and support for Sturt.

In 1995, the Wood School course was accredited with VETAB NSW to become a Certificate IV in Fine Woodworking, and in 2004, the course was accredited with CRICOS (allowing entry for international students). In the summer of 2003-4, the new machinery room was built.

The Sturt School for Wood remains unique in Australia as the only one-year full time course available in the study of fine woodworking.