Wallacia was gazetted as a public school on 7 October 1927.
What’s in a name?
The suburb of Wallacia is named for Robert Wallace who rented 810 hectares from the large landholder Sir Charles Nicholson. Wallace’s house became the unofficial post office for the area from 1885. When a school was built in 1897, it was known as the Wallace school.
In 1905, an official Post Office was built, with the post service naming the area Boondah, because there was already a Post Office called Wallace Town near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. The post office was concerned there would be confusion with two similarly named towns.
The locals objected to the name Boondah, and Wallacia was suggested as a compromise. It became official in 1906.
A newspaper report from the Nepean Times dated 11 November 1905 points out that “Boondah” is an Aboriginal word for a native apple tree. The newspaper correspondent pointed out “the ‘funny’ name Boondah… is utterly misapplied, there not being a single specimen of that tree within ‘coo-ee’ of the post office”.
See something missing?
You know your suburb better than anyone. If you think an important part of your suburb’s history is missing, whether recent or distant, reach out to the Local Studies Team through our online Local and Family History enquiry form. We are always looking for new ways to bring the vibrant history of Liverpool to life!