Prehistory, Woodend Estate and the beginning of Woodend Primary School.
Woodend is an historic Reynella name. Originally it was the name of Charles Tanks property near Hallett Cove. John Lemon farmed the subject land and called it Woodend The land was purchased in 1896 for 1809 pounds by John Lemon’s grandfather Jesse Lemon. It has been worked as a grazing and farming property until as recently as 1967.

In 1896, the land that would eventually become the Woodend housing estate, was bought by Jesse Lemon for one thousand eight hundred and nine pounds. His grandson, John Lemon farmed this land and called it Woodend after the name of Charles Tank’s historic property near Hallet Cove. It had been worked as a grazing and farming property until 1967. Descendants of the Lemon’s were and are inaugural students at Woodend School.

The Woodend housing estate began in 1985 when the Hickinbotham Group purchased 56 acres from the Land Commission with a further 150 acres purchased a year later. In 1986 the first of many discussions were held between the Hickinbotham Group and the Education Department about the need for a new school and kindergarten. After vigorous lobbying by families and residents the kindergarten and shopping centre was established in 1992 with the school opening on May 21st 1995.

When the school opened in 1995, staff members were Principal Sue Wollard; Chris Lever, yr 2/3; Vicki Gregory, Reception; Jenny Cullen, R/1; Mignonne Herriman, school secretary; and Lyne George, teacher librarian. It was a very small school with 52 students. The original front of the school was located on the Edward Beck Drive entrance to the current kitchen building. It consisted of a very small entry foyer with small counter to the left, which was for the front office staff to interact with visitors. That counter was closed up in 2003 and a secure learning support room was created. There was a large room between this front office and the library. That room was originally the SSO work room. In 2002 that room became the school’s first computer room. In 2003 more internal walls were removed to create a much bigger computer room. In 2009 lots of new building improvements occurred in the school and the computer room was relocated (to the Atrium for almost two years before moving to the plaza building in 2010) and this room became part of the library, to store all the teacher and curriculum resources.

Between 1995 and 2002 from the entry foyer, the principal’s office and (1997) the Deputy’s Principal’s office were down a corridor to the right. Opposite them was the sick room. At the end of the corridor was the staffroom. During 2002 the staffroom was moved to the newly refurbished shopping centre building, where it is now, and the growing school curriculum resources were moved to where the staffroom and sickroom had been. This area was then modified considerably in 2009 by removing many internal walls. The kitchen was build, for the school to become a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden School.