Principal Ja-San Trimble said this year’s figure of 41 enrolments was the highest number she had seen during her five years at the school.

She said it was the largest number the school’s most experienced teacher, of 16 years, had seen. 

“When I first started , we were at 24 enrolments and even reached 18 at one point – but this year we are at 41 and at the end of last year we were at 37,” she said. 

Ms Trimble said the school’s library and music room had to be transformed into a classroom to ensure there was adequate learning space for students.

She said staffing had also increased. 

“We have had to keep a good staffing ratio. We used to have two full-timers and one part-timer, but now we have all three working full-time,” she said. 

Ms Trimble said the steady growth of Halls Gap had led to an influx of people visiting the town and moving to the area.   

“We have more accommodation places and people are coming and staying for a lot longer,” she said. 

“There is a demand in hospitality, which is creating more employment, and there are more young families moving to Halls Gap.”

Ms Trimble said Halls Gap “went quiet” after bushfires in 2006, but life slowly returned to normal and the popular tourist town was now abuzz. 

“Halls Gap has gained so much more confidence and momentum since then, so our town is growing and so is our small school,” she said. 

Northern Grampians Councillor Jason Hosemans said the Halls Gap demographic was steadily changing.

“More people are taking advantage of the fact that Halls Gap is a beautiful place to live,” he said. 

“Businesses are changing hands and we are getting younger families running these businesses.

“Also professionals from bigger towns and cities are coming up, and now with NBN in the area, are even choosing to work out of Halls Gap online.”