History

John and Forrest Woodbury established Woodbury Boston Primary School in 1980. Their aim and dream was to provide a kind, environmentally whole education for children in the Albany region and beyond.

John Woodbury was the founding principal of the school. He is West Australian born and raised, and trained as a teacher in the 1960s. John worked in government primary schools and a private high school in Perth before moving to Albany with his family in 1975.

John is a passionate soul, who delights in sailing, guitar playing, and spending time with his grand-children. Since 2004, when he 'retired' from the role as school manager, John has been the owner and operator of Albany Whale Tours, where he spends his days on his catamaran Sail-A-Way, imparting his passion for Albany and the environment to tourists and locals alike. John also makes his sailing expertise and accreditation available to the primary school at its annual sailing camp.

Forrest Woodbury was born in Sri Lanka, and moved to Perth as a child. She also trained as a teacher, and worked in government high schools before moving to Albany. Forrest was a full partner in the founding and running of the school, and was the office manager for 25 years. (For many of those 25 years - the 'office' was the Woodbury's kitchen table!)

Forrest is a wonderful jazz singer, and her soulful renditions, accompanied by the Will Upson Trio, formed the basis of one of the school's fund-raising events, the annual 'Jazz Afternoon', for several years. Forrest is also a talented artist and artisan, with her most recent avenue for expression being the fabulous and elaborate bags she makes and sells locally.

John and Forrest still own the land on which Woodbury Boston Primary School is situated, and live on a property adjacent to the school. They have three children and four beautiful grandsons, two of whom also live on the family property and attend the school.

And what of the Boston? Albany draftsman Larry Boston was a partner in the project when the school was established. Larry's contribution is visible in the design of the magnificent school buildings. Larry remains a supporter of the school; however his active involvement ended many years ago.

A brief history

In the late 1970s, John and Forrest realised, especially after discussions with other parents in the region, that Albany was lacking in any alternative to the mainstream government and Catholic primary schools. With the support of a small number of enthusiastic parents, they founded the school in 1980. The school started with just eight students, and was housed in a neighbouring un-used farmhouse. After a couple of years, the school moved into an existing building on its current site (now the office and kitchen). In 1984 a purpose-built classroom was erected using grant funds received from the Commonwealth Government, with further classrooms being added over the following years.

The word slowly spread about the great things Woodbury Boston was doing for children, and the numbers slowly but steadily grew. In 1988 the school was featured in a series of stories on alternative education, on the Midday Show with Ray Martin. This feature generated a huge amount of interest, and the student numbers swelled, getting as high as 100+ students in the mid 1990s.

In recent years the student numbers have hovered between 40 - 60.