Happy 25th Birthday Pepper Street!

The Pepper Street Arts Centre is celebrating 25 years this week! The Arts Centre is a valuable community space that promotes local artists and hosts workshops for budding creators to develop new skills.

The Arts Centre building is a little bit older than 25, in fact, it is 138 years old!

Built in 1882, the site was originally the Magill village primary school and accommodated 150 pupils. By 1924, the school was overcrowded and some classes were moved to the Brougham Street community hall. Two years later, a new classroom was constructed on the corner of Penfold Road and Adelaide Street.

Junior students continued to attend classes in the ‘old’ school building until 1963. The site was then used by the Art Faculty of Wattle Park Teachers’ College and later by the Kent Town Special School. In 1988, Burnside Council purchased the building and launched the Arts Centre in 1995.

Photograph: Magill Primary School 1882