St Kilda Primary School opened in January 1875. When it first opened it had 604 students with 12 teachers. In 1913, the school (then amalgamated with another primary school nearby), had over 1,269 students. It now is much less crowded with about 330 pupils.

Our most distinguished fomer student was Sidney Nolan (1917-92), one of the most famous Australian artists. Indeed, one of his famous paintings is of the school, with the school's number (1479). Test cricketer Keith Miller, and former Australian Governor General are also believed to have been pupils at our school.

In 1919, an influenza epidemic led to the school being requisitioned as a temporary hospital for 600 patients.

Much has been written about the history of the school and its buildings. The original building was the outcome of an architectural competition in July 1873 which led to our main building design.

The site of the school is part of the triangular St Kilda Market Reserve.  It now comprises the Town Hall (1890), Holy Trinity Anglican Church and its hall, the Uniting (former Wesleyan) Church (1877), an electrical substation, as well as the school buildings and playground. The architects of the Uniting Church, Crouch and Wilson, apparently designed its tower to closely reflect the earlier tower of our school, which had been built  three years earlier.

In 1901, our school was renovated and the tiered platforms removed from the classrooms.  Internal toilets were installed in cloakrooms. New classrooms were added in 1907 and in the following year, external windows enlarged by inserting concrete lintels, classrooms were divided with glass screens and  the porches were sealed up. 

In 1914 a new, red brick Federation style pavilion-shaped infants’ building was erected, designed under Chief Architect E. Evan Smith. Over 1966-67, a new, well-graded sports oval, canteen and seven new classrooms were opened. In 1969-70, a library and multi-purpose room complex was built, then innovatively financed by a co-operative society.

During the 1980s, the school grounds were extensively landscaped and in 1989, the Children’s Courtyard between the 1875 and 1914 buildings was created.  Its bricks record names of the pupils that year.

Our Real Life Learning Centre was opened at the start of the school year in 2007 with  92 excited Year 5 / 6 students and 4 teachers.  Work to convert the old timber LTC using locally raised funds meant that students were provided with a contemporary flexible learning space with up to date ICT resources.

In October 2007 further enhancements included the construction of a veranda and, conversion of the old canteen into a multi purpose community room further facilitating implementation of programs that reflect newly developed middle years pedagogy.   This work and the gated entrance on Dickens Street was completed using a $150,000 Commonwealth Infrastructure Grant.

Better Schools Today State Government funding in 2008 meant that we could build a big enough hall for community activities involving all students. We call this the new Kings Hall.

The connecting old Kings hall has turned into a beautiful Performing Arts room, and kitchenette hosting the Before and After School Care Program after hours.

An Art room where the old Library used to be completes our new Performance Complex. All this was made possible through the Federal Government Economic Stimulus Package - Building the Education Revolution, National School Pride grant of $150,000.