Pupils do their bit to ensure former school will be remembered

Young people raise more than £500 for plaque to be installed at site of former Perth Academy

One of Perth’s most distinctive buildings is to be recognised with a commemorative plaque, following a successful fundraising campaign by city teenagers.

The building at the centre of Rose Terrace housed Perth Academy for more than a century, but this is unrecorded for passers-by and last year history pupils at the school, now located at Murray Place, launched a crowdfunding campaign to change this.

They have now raised more than £500 and the plaque will be installed on the A-listed building, home to Perth Academy from 1807 until 1932, during a dedication ceremony next month.

A war memorial sits on the same street and it was this which sparked pupils and teachers to pay tribute to the building’s time as a school, which included the years of the First World War.

The former school bears some evidence of its previous life as the image of Britannia can be seen on top of the old clock – and is still prominent on the school badge.

Perth Civic Trust has been working with the school to have the plaque installed.

David MacLehose, chairman of the trust, said: “We are keen to see plaques go up on all important buildings in Perth.

“The old Academy is the centrepiece of Rose Terrace and more people should know about its history.

“We took schoolchildren for a guided tour of Perth and it was amazing how interested they were to hear about buildings like this, but a lot of people are not aware of the city’s history so plaques will go a long way to resolving that.”

An online fundraising campaign raised £535, smashing the target of £450 to buy and inscribe the plaque.

The plaque, to be made by Write on Signs & Display and erected by Meldrum Contractors, will read: “This A-listed building designed by architect Sir Robert Reid was the site of Perth Academy from 1807 until 1932 when the Academy moved to Viewlands.

“This plaque is dedicated to pupils and staff who fought and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War 1914-1918.”

Former pupils and staff of Perth Academy are invited to watch the dedication at 6pm on June 27, before the school’s end of year prizegiving at Perth Concert Hall.

The old Academy is the centrepiece of Rose Terrace and more people should know about its history. DAVID MACLEHOSE OF PERTH CIVIC TRUST

Picture: Kim Cessford. From left: S5 history pupils Heather Beer, Rachel Fallon and Corey Coutts with teacher Laura Hobson at the former Perth Academy building.