New life for former classrooms after $500k sale

The heritage-listed former Grenfell Intermediate High School, later The Henry Lawson High School and TAFE NSW has sold for $500,000 and now has plans to become New York apartment-style accommodation. The building was sold by two former students of the school, Raine and Horne Young/Grenfell Principal Graeme Schneider and sales agent Sheryl Hinde. The impressive East Street campus was officially opened on 10 October 1930 by The Hon. D.H. Drummond MLA, Minister for Education, as Grenfell Intermediate High School. In 1961, it was renamed Henry Lawson High School after the famous poet and writer, who was born in Grenfell. The renaming of the school followed a successful campaign led by headmaster Harold Goodwin, who also founded the Henry Lawson Festival. When the school relocated to its current South Street campus in 1973, the East Street buildings were utilised by TAFE NSW, continuing to educate and train Grenfell locals for another five decades before being offered for sale. The expansive site includes two heritage-listed buildings recognised for their local historical significance, making it one of Grenfell’s most important civic landmarks. The 5,004-square-metre site is zoned R1 General Residential, allowing a range of residential and community uses, subject to council approval. According to Mr Schneider, the buyer, Panther Developments, plans to retain and repurpose the heritage-listed buildings into New York apartment-style accommodation while preserving their historic character, with scope for additional residential development elsewhere on the site, subject to Council approval. Adding another personal touch to the sale was the successful purchaser, Panther Developments who are a group of ex-students of the school - although only after it relocated to its current 49 South Street Campus - and locals, Mark Crutcher, Greg Oliver and Daniel Cooper. The local connections continued with the auction being conducted by Jesse Davison of AuctionWORKS Sydney whose mother's family originally hailed from Grenfell and still has rural property at nearby Young. For Raine and Horne Young/Grenfell Principal Mr Schneider, who attended the school from 1968 to 1973, marketing the property was much more than another listing. “It’s not often you get to sell a property where you went to school,” he said. "Walking through the buildings brought back plenty of memories. They looked remarkably similar to when I was there.” Mr Schneider laughed that one of the biggest surprises was discovering what had become of the headmaster’s office. “When we were at school, getting sent to the headmaster’s office was the last place you wanted to end up,” he said. “So, it gave us a chuckle to discover that both the old headmaster’s and deputy principal’s offices have since been converted into toilet facilities.” Like many country schools of its era, the East Street campus generated plenty of stories that have become part of Grenfell folklore. Among Mr Schneider’s favourites involved two students determined to avoid Wednesday afternoon sport. "The school legend is that two students climbed into the ceiling above the library so they could dodge sport. “Unfortunately, the teachers decided to hold a staff meeting in the library that afternoon, so they couldn’t get out until the meeting finished.” Another prank still makes Mr Schneider smile. "One of my classmates lay on the ground below a second-storey window and pretended he’d fallen out. “The class started yelling, ‘Teacher, teacher, he’s fallen out the window!’ By the time the teacher raced downstairs, he’d disappeared.” The distinctive green staircases also feature prominently in Mr Schneider’s memories. “On school muck up day some of the senior leaving students, amongst many pranks and jokes, coated the bannisters in honey while the school skeleton from the science lab appeared to roam upstairs cackling hysterically. The teachers weren’t very impressed." The successful auction sale caps another outstanding year for Raine and Horne Young/Grenfell. At the 2025 Raine and Horne State Awards held at another heritage building of note, the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, the office finished second in NSW for Rural Sales gross commission income (GCI), while Ms Hinde was recognised among the network’s leading residential sales agents based on the number of sales. Mr Schneider said the awards reflected the office’s deep commitment to the Young and Grenfell communities. “Sheryl has built an outstanding reputation in Grenfell and garners a lot of listings through hard work, exceptional local knowledge and a genuine commitment to her clients,” he said. Mr Schneider said the office’s success was built on teamwork and strong community relationships. "We’re proud to be a regional agency with local people who understand local communities. “Our rural success comes from combining our local knowledge with the strength of the Raine and Horne Rural brand that is expanding all over NSW," Mr Schneider added.