News Archive

 

A fire at Avondale College in Cooranbong has gutted a disused, two storey weatherboard building built in 1923.

Eight fire brigade crews, including five from the Rural Fire Service, arrived at the college soon after receiving a call from men's residence director Mark McNeill at 1.20 am on July 28. But the fire in the former woodworking building was already well alight. Fire fighters could not save the building but did protect those around it, including men's residence Watson Hall and a shed used by the college for storing outdoor recreation equipment.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known. Police ruled out an electrical fault, and they found no evidence of any occupancy, discounting the theory the fire may have been started by a squatter. They suspect arson.

The college will remove debris from the site once it has obtained clearance from the police and its insurance company.

The college originally used the then single storey building located south of boys' dormitory Haskell Hall to teach woodwork. It lengthened the building in 1938 to allow for the introduction of the building construction course a year later,  and it added a second storey to accommodate the Commercial Department in 1946. The college moved the building before construction of Watson Hall began in 1962.

Need more information? Contact...

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Avondale College
Phone: (02) 4980 2251