TWiSK spoke to School Council President Caroline Thornton to learn how a determined community turned years of disappointment into a major win.
“We’re beyond thrilled,” Thornton said, describing the moment the news landed. “It’s a huge boost for our students and for the wider community. This hall has been a long time coming – and it’s happening.”
In Friday’s announcement, $13.173 million was allocated to upgrade the school oval and build a new, community-accessible hall – set to provide a competition-grade indoor space for sport, assemblies and events. “It’s the kind of facility schools and neighbourhoods rely on,” Thornton said. “It will be used morning, noon and night.”
The announcement caps off an advocacy effort that began in earnest early last year, with a clear-eyed strategy and a lot of legwork.
Thornton said School Council formed a campaign committee in February 2024 after missing out in six State Budgets. “We decided we had to be organised, visible and persistent,” she said. “We knew timing mattered, so we built a plan with 2026 as our key target – and we were ready to keep going right through to the 2026 election if needed.”
One of the committee’s smartest moves was turning the school’s geography into an advantage.
St Kilda Primary sits on the border of four State electorates. While the school is located in Prahran, 32.8% of students live in Caulfield, 31.4% in Prahran, 22.3% in Albert Park and 13.3% in Brighton. “At first we thought it would complicate things,” Thornton said. “Instead, it put us in front of more than 30 State, Federal and local representatives and candidates. We could tell our story again and again – and build real momentum.”
Shortchanged in 2018
The fight dates back to 2018 when the state government decided to demolish the heavily utilised hall to make way for a new classroom building.
Despite the school’s advocacy for a gymnasium on the ground floor of the new building – a feature included in the first 13 versions of the architectural drawings – the Victorian Schools Building Authority removed it in the 14th version, committing instead to a future stage of the school master plan. As the “tenant” the school had little say in this outcome.
The school’s heavily used hall was then demolished in 2020 to make way for a new classroom building – leaving a major shortfall in indoor space.
Thornton said the school had long advocated for a gymnasium. “It was in the plans early on, and then it was shifted to a later stage of the master plan,” she said. “What mattered to us was staying constructive and solution-focused – making sure decision-makers understood how essential a hall is for learning, wellbeing and community life.”
By the end of 2023, the message from families was clear: keep pushing.
“People love this school, and they love St Kilda,” Thornton said. “Once we asked the community to step up, they did – immediately and wholeheartedly.”
The committee’s advocacy drive quickly became hard to ignore.
Families and residents signed petitions, put campaign signs across St Kilda, joined the “Honk for our Hall” rally and amplified the message through local and metro media including Channel 7, Channel 9, TWiSK, the Herald Sun, The Age and The Guardian. “We couldn’t have asked for more,” Thornton said. “Every email, every conversation, every show of support helped.”
For Thornton, the case was always about more than bricks and mortar. With many locals living in apartments and open space at a premium, indoor recreation facilities are stretched. “A community-accessible hall here just makes sense,” she said. “This is an investment in kids, in sport, in wellbeing – and in a neighbourhood that shows up for each other.”
Asked what she’s looking forward to most, Thornton didn’t hesitate. “Seeing students walk into a space that finally matches their energy and potential,” she said. “And then opening the doors after hours so local clubs and families can use it too. It’s going to be a place where the whole community comes together – and we can’t wait.”
TWiSK agrees that this was a masterclass in mobilising community support around an issue. They defined the benefit, reached out for support from all sides of politics, securing support from Greens, Liberals and finally the State Government. Bravo team SKPS! And look out for a genetration of kids that just might have learned a lesson in politics from an early age.
