Doncaster township looking east c1900, taken from the Doncaster Tower. Shire Hall, school, ES&A ƒBank, and houses in the distance. In the grounds of the Shire Hall is a heap of left-over bricks, a privy, water hole, shed, and a picket fence along Council street The large tree in the school ground has been topped DP0005
ES&A Bank (formerly the Doncaster Primary School) in Doncaster Road. Shows the new front on bank built in 1910, and picket fences. Building on right of the bank is the Church of Christ manse. DP0035
Doncaster Township 1960. Shops on the south side of Doncaster Road opposite the council chambers. The two nearest shops were then occupied by W.A.D. Electrics and D. A. Cahill, estate agent. At the left of the photograph is the front door of the ES&A Bank. DP0142
The Forgotten Cottage.
Many people tend to forget that Pastor Schramm's old school house is still standing, now the centre section of the ES&A Bank building. There had been a demand for the Lutheran School on Waldau Hill to be moved to a more central position. An application for a grant to build a school had been made to the Board of Education. In its historical research, the Doncaster School recently discovered that this application was withdrawn. Max Schramm wished to erect a school building on his own land out of his own resources.The simply designed brick building that Schramm erected had charm and character. On the steep gable roof, a tower held the school bell. At the front was a small porch and at the rear a creeper covered verandah ran the length of the building, with one end closed in to provide a small bedroom. Inside on the left, the schoolroom took up the larger part. Opening off this was the Schramm familyís combined kitchen and living room. Steep steps led up to a garrett room,
In 1874, Max Schramm, who had previously built the stone cottage on adjoining land, sold his school house to the Department of Education for the sum of (pound) 350.
The ES&A Bank, who had purchased the premises in 1890, renovated and extended the building an 1910. A banking chamber was built onto the front and a weatherboard residence at the rear. These extensions did not hide the quality and proportion of the original building. The charm of the old school house still shows.
Soon Doncaster Road will be widened and this building, which was so architecturally satisfying, will have to be demolished.
Irvine Green writing in 1968 11 DTHS Newsletter
100 Years Ago - Doncaster School - Doncaster Bank
Both the Doncaster School Building and the E.S.A. Doncaster Bank are 100 years old this year.In 1886, a large brick school with a slate roof was built for the Doncaster School. The school originated from Schramm's denominational school in the Waldau church.
In 1864, Schramm erected a new brick building in Doncaster Road for the school which then became Common School 197. The Education Department purchased this from Schramm in 1876 and it became Doncaster State School No. 197. In 1886, the building was too small for the increased population and, on November 1st 1886, the school was moved into the present building. The solid brick building is still much as it was when new. The only exterior change has been a room added on the east which, although part of the original plan, was not added until later.
The population of Doncaster increased in the 1950's and new classrooms were added behind the old school building.
Now that there are less children at the school, the old building is no longer in use. Plans are being made to convert Doncaster old school to become Doncaster's first theatre.
Doncaster's first bank opened on the 24th March 1886 when the E. S. A. Chartered Bank opened an agency in the large front room of Tom Petty's house, "Bay View". This room, where banking transactions took place, had been the drawing room, where Alfred Hummel once held elegant parties during the 1870's. Tom Petty bought the house the year before, when Hummel left Doncaster.
In 1890, the E.S.A. bank moved into Schramm's original Common School building as their bank. They added a timber extension on the front for the banking chamber and rooms at the rear for a residence.
For nearly eighty years the branch used this building, then in 1970 the present large modern bank was built across the road and Schramm's old school house was demolished. The E.S.A. bank was taken over by the A.N.Z . bank.
1986 06 DTHS Newsletter
Residents of the Bank House
After residing in Warrnambool for the past two years, Mr and Mrs G. E. Neate and their daughter Elizabeth left last week for their new home, the E.S. and A. Bank, at Doncaster.1933 'JOTTINGS FROM THE COUNTRY', Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), 2 February, p. 40. , viewed 23 Jun 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149611996
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