Villers-Bretonneux
Victoria Primary School
Sixteen kilometres to the east of Amiens, along the D 1029 towards Peronne, is the small town of Villers-Bretonneux.
On entering the town you will pass the Adelaide Cemetery on your left. At the top of the hill turn right following the signs for centre ville and come passed the war memorial and town hall (note the kangaroos on its walls). A little further on turn right into Rue Victoria. The primary school and museum is on your left. There are parking spaces but they are limited. It may well prove easier to park on the main square and walk the few hundred metres.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 49.86606 | 2.51719 | Map |
The memorial plaque on the wall of the school
The museum
The Museum is housed in the roof of the school and entrance is via the doors on the left of the building. A lift is available for those who need it.
There is a small gift shop and you can also obtain quite a lot of information here about other areas of interest in the Somme.
| Opening Times | Horaires |
|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Closed/Fermé |
| Every Day | Tous les jours |
| 09:30 to 18:00 hours | 9h30 à 18h00 |
| Open Public Holidays except 25th December and 1st January |
Ouvert les jours fériés sauf le 25/12 et le 01/01 |
| Entrance Fee | Tarifs |
| 6€ Adult 3€ Child/enfant (11-18) 3€ Student/etudiants |
|
Robin Cuttle from Robinvale
Robin Cuttle’s uniform is on display
The small town of Robinvale lies all but five hundred kilometres to the north west of Melbourne in Victoria. It’s founder, Herbert Cuttle named it after his twenty-two year-old son Lieutenant Robin Cuttle MC (49 Squadron RAF) who had been killed in a dog fight over the Somme near Villers-Bretonneux on 9 May 1918.
His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.
Most of the troops who liberated Villers-Bretonneux in 1918 had come from the State of Victoria and as Robinvale and Villers-Bretonneux were of comparable sizes they decided to twin themselves in 1984.
The uniform on display was donated by the family.
The School
The school itself is usually off limits to visitors.
Photographing the children is discouraged.
To the right of the entrance to the museum you will see a plaque on the wall of the School which commemorates the fact that the school was rebuilt with the aid of funding from money donated by school children from Victoria as well as the Victorian State itself.
The Monument in the parking area at the front of the school traces the rebuilding of the school from the original visit in 1921 through the laying of the foundation stone and on to the inauguration of the new school on ANZAC Day in 1927.
Over the playground which has a number of Aborginal artworks is a large banner with the inscription: Do Not Forget Australia.
This is repeated on a plaque in the assembly hall : N’oublions jamais l’Australie — Let Us Never Forget Australia – in the school hall. The wood carvings on the pillars in the hall depict Australian flora and fauna.
The anomaly being that French schools do not have an assembly period.