State School No. 2923 opened on the 1st of May in 1889. It had 116 students and two teachers (including the head teacher) on the roll in 1890. The
headmaster John Williams lived opposite the school site and had previously been the headmaster of Sagoe Common School No. 463 where Blackburn students had studied prior to No. 2923's opening. A brick building was opened in 1902 with musical performances by schoolchildren to accommodate the growing population. Further expansions were made in 1912–13 with an acre to the east bought from orchadist Auguste. Zerbe and an acre and thirty
perches from merchant "A.H. Hirch". Post
World War I, the school motto "Always Ready" was coined. This features on the school uniform and in the logo of the school. Then head teacher Franz Stielow planted the first school garden during this decade, with gardening now a specialist (taught by subject dedicated teacher) in modern times. Blackburn Primary School's first official parent organisation 'the mother's club' was formed during the 1902 by Miss. M. J. Edmonson, a teacher at the school. The club held fundraisers and events supporting the school. A
Drum and Fife Band created in 1929 by head teacher Harold G. Bretherton who was a returned serviceman, was the school's first instrumental music ensemble. The band was one out of 13 in
Victoria. In 1944 the grounds were expanded again. One acre on the corner between Surrey and Whitehorse road was purchased from local councilor Roy Smith 1449 pounds and a plot of land to the north from "Mrs. F. Platt" for 345 pounds. Mrs. Platt's land later became the
oval area. The 1940s-1960s saw car traffic increase in Melbourne. This became a concern for Blackburn State School's parents, especially on the large thoroughfare Whitehorse road. Police were instated at the Whitehorse road crossing after 11 year old Heather Gale was struck and died in 1958. This is now the location of an overpass. In 1964, Laburnum, Blackburn Lake and Springvale State Schools opened, greatly reducing the school population. A plan of the school buildings from this year showed reassignments of the emptied classrooms for art and crafts, science, a library and a film room. 1969 saw State Schools such as Blackburn become Primary Schools as post-primary education became more commonplace. In 1978 Blackburn Primary School hosted refugee children living in the Eastbridge Hostel in
Nunawading for an English language learning program but they were moved to St Joseph's Catholic School in
Surrey Hills. The school's
centenary in 1989 sparked refurbishment of the school bell This bell had previously swung from a
gum tree in the early years of the school. A school history was also written by Lynne Dickson. The historical school house, a single storied brick building received a local heritage overlay in 1994. Major construction was completed throughout the school in the 2010s, described by the local newspaper as a "rebuild". == Demographics ==