Progressive school Preshil buys former Allans piano factory in Carlton to boost enrolments
The Arlington at Kew will serve as a nursery for Year 8 students, and the new Carlton second campus, known as the Senior Studio, will host students in grades 9-12. It will host first grade students.
The 95-year-old progressive school prides itself on being unorthodox. It was founded in 1931 by Margaret J. Lyttlea “forward-thinking, idiosyncratic educator” who taught classes in his dining room.
According to Lyttle, “Preshil is not a place where children do the things they love, but rather a place where they love what they do”.
Alumni include Australia’s former chief medical officer of health Brendan Murphy, musician Clare Bowditch and actor Gina Riley.
Students do not wear uniforms and learning is generally student-centered. Senior students can vote on which novel they will study for English.
The buildings on the junior campus were designed by renowned Melbourne architect Kevin Borland in the 1960s. His collaboration with students resulted in features such as trapdoors, mezzanines, and small spaces for children to explore and develop their physical, spatial, and creative skills.
The new Carlton campus will have institutions such as the State Library and Melbourne Museum nearby, adding to the school’s preference for flexible pathways over the traditional teaching and learning programme.
“This gives us the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s go to the State Library and check this out, let’s go to the NGV,'” Mackinnon said.
“There is history and learning around us that we can navigate.”
Students will also be able to benefit from Lincoln Square Park across from the school. The park is believed to be Victoria’s first public playground and is shaded by 150-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees.
“Part of what’s important to us is the connection to nature,” Mackinnon said.
“We are against the industrial model in education, so yes, it is somewhat ironic that we chose an old factory for our senior campus.”
Features of the building’s industrial past are still evident, including the piano shaft and red brick exterior.Credit: Chris Hopkins
The five-story red-brick former factory was built in the late 1920s on South Lincoln Square and is part of a historic district that reflects the city’s industrial development during the interwar period.
The building was designed by architect Cedric Ballantyne, who also designed the Athenaeum Club and the Regent Theater on Collins Street.
Features of the building’s industrial past are still evident, such as the sawtooth roof, steel-framed windows and piano shaft.
A late 1920s illustration of the Allan & Co piano factory.Credit: Architect, Builder, Owner and Trader Magazine.
Allan & Co was considered the largest musical repository in the southern hemisphere in the 1870s.
In addition to the pianos it made, the company also sold sheet music and instruments. It became Allans Music, which was later acquired by retailer Brashs.
Preshil will lease the Blackhall property from Carey until the end of 2027.
