Ringwood Historical Society

Ringwood is known for its Clock Tower.

Conceived as a War Memorial after the Great War, the Clock Tower was built in 1928 on the corner of Whitehorse Road (Main Street) and Warrandyte Road. It was formally unveiled by the Mayor of the newly formed Borough of Ringwood, Cr Mackinlay, and not by military ceremony.

The Clock Tower became an icon and, increasingly, a traffic hazard. With the mooted development of Eastland Shopping Centre nearby, it was decided , after some controversy, to re-erect the Clock Tower at the site of the former Coolstores on the corner of Whitehorse Road and Wantirna Road. It was re-dedicated in December 1967.

The first official school in Ringwood opened in Whitehorse Road Ringwood in 1874. It was a rough timber building, known as Cass’s School, after its Headmaster E.F. Cass.

A more substantial and larger brick school building was erected in 1889 on the north east corner of Main Street and Ringwood Street.

That school quickly became too small and a larger school was erected in Greenwood Avenue in 1922. That school, Ringwood State School, closed in the 1990s and the building now forms part of Maroondah Federation Estate.
Ringwood East State School, near the site of Cass’s School, opened in 1924. Ringwood North State School opened in 1923.

Other primary schools developed after the Second World War to cope with demand from the “baby boom”.
The first high school, Ringwood High School, was established in Bedford Road in 1954. Previously students had to travel to Box Hill High School to further their secondary education.

Norwood High School, Maroondah High School, Heathermont Hish School and Ringwood Technical School followed later.
Winnington Grammar School operated from 1916 to 1961.

Tintern Church of England Girls Grammar School transferred from Hawthorn to Ringwood East in 1950. Yarra Valley Grammar School was established in Kalinda Road Ringwood in 1965.

St Mary’s School (Our Lady of Perpetual Succour) had been established in Bedford Road / Wilana Street since 1932 with Aquinas College being developed in 1961.

The railway line from Melbourne commenced its eastward development in 1861 when it reached Hawthorn. It was extended to Camberwell in April 1882 and the final section, from Camberwell to Lilydale, opened as a whole in December 1882. The line to Ferntree Gully followed thereafter.

Reflecting the priorities of the time, the first main building at the station was a railway goods shed, built in 1887 to serve what would have been predominantly a goods, rather than passenger, railway.

The main station building, which still stands and is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) buildings in Ringwood, was built in 1889 at a cost of 1374 pounds.

The railway line was electrified in 1923.