Prior to the establishment of the Millbrook School in 1879, the people of the Cudlee Creek District (Millbrook, Chain of Ponds and Cudlee Creek) had been campaigning for an official school in the area. There had been unofficial schools established at Millbrook, Chain of Ponds and Cudlee Creek, but these could not cater for the total needs of the district. There was some rivalry between the three townships as to where a new school should be built, as the Education Department did not support schools being located within four miles (6.5km) of each other.
A public meeting was held at the Millbrook Hotel in September 1876 to recommend to the Education Department a suitable central location for a school to serve the area.

MEETING ON SCHOOL MATTERS AT MILLBROOK. A meeting was held on Saturday evening, September 2, at the Millbrook Hotel, Millbrook, to consider the advisability of urging on the Council of Education the necessity of erecting a schoolroom and master's residence in a central position, Torren's Hill, section No. 6133. [This is the site on Sunning Hill Road where the school was eventually built] There were between 40 and 50 persons present. Mr. John Tippett was voted to the chair. The Chairman said twelve months ago the Council of Education had recommended, in a report to the House of Assembly that a school should be erected at Millbrook, but since then nothing had been done. About this time a meeting was held at the Morning Star, at which Mr. Hannaford, M.P., and Mr. Mooregreen, teacher of Cudlee Creek School, were present. The latter gentleman drew attention to the regulation of the council, which provided that, except in special cases, two schools should not be erected within four miles of each other. These gentlemen suggested that a plan of the district should be prepared showing the proposed site, and the residences of the children who would attend. A committee was then formed to do this; and all their efforts were concentrated on getting one central school, as it was thought that the regulation referred to would prevent two schools being built in the neighbourhood. A deputation waited on the Council of Education [12thJune 1876] and on the Minister of Education, and were told that an official party would visit Millbrook and view the sites mentioned, and that the deputation would receive timely notice of their coming. He (the chairman) was sorry to say that the Minister and the President of the Council of Education, did come, for not one single member of the deputation was aware of their visit until just before they left; and thus the deputation had had no opportunity of pointing out what they considered requisite. The committee then found that in the meantime active steps had been taken to secure the erection of school premises at Cudlee Creek. Hence this meeting had been called to express an opinion as to the best and most central site, for the committee felt sure that if a school were erected at Cudlee Creek there would never be one at Millbrook. He referred to the fact that Mrs. and Miss Adey had been teaching the school at Millbrook for the past 22 years, but they had accommodation for only 30 children, and there were between 50 and 60 children on the west side alone who should be attending school. Hence there was a great necessity for new premises. He read a letter from the Minister of Education, wishing to be excused on account of having only just then returned from his northern journey, and stating that full consideration would be given to the claims of Millbrook, though it must be remembered that there were many other places in need of school accommodation. Mr. Mooregreen also wrote, asking to be excused on account of having taken charge of the correspondence relating to getting a school built at Cudlee Creek. Mr. Oliver Philp proposed the first resolution. "ln consequence of there being a large number of children of a school-going age in the neighbourhood who could attend school on this proposed site (Torrens Hill), this meeting considers it absolutely necessary that a schoolroom and master's residence should be erected at once," He thought that the older districts of the colony had as much claim for schoolhouses as the younger, and that as they had no school accommodation, a portion of the education grant should be spent in the neighbourhood. They advocated a central position for the new school. They did not want to favour any place, they did not care where it was so long as it would serve the interests of the people at Millbrook, Chain of Ponds, Prairie, Cudlee Creek, and Holland's, Creek. And they believed that this site on Torren's Hill would be convenient to all. Indeed, the Millbrook and Morning Star [Chain of Ponds] people were putting themselves to inconvenience that they might secure one good central school with a good master. He did not know why Mr. Hannaford was using his influence in favour of a Cudlee Creek school, for that gentleman knew that the Council would not build two schools, though he told them they would. Mr. Hannaford had bought an old road from the Government for five shillings, and now he proposed that this Cudlee Creek school should be built on this five shilling's worth of land. (Laughter.) It was reported that Mr. Hanna ford had premised £20, towards a school, if built there, and he supposed he would charge the Council £20 for the site the old road. (Renewed laughter.) The site they proposed was offered gratuitously by Mr. John Tippett, and was not an old road, but a fine property of two acres. (Cheers) These Cudlee Creek people, who had been so active in trying to get the school there, had money, but no children of a school-going age. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Ward said in his letter that the Government were short of funds, but he (the speaker) would tell them how £700 or £800 could be saved, and that was by building one good central school instead of two in the extremities of the district, (Cheers.) He wished to say that there were a great many more who had children to send who had not had an opportunity of signing the memorial. Mr. Flinn seconded. Mr. Keleher proposed an amendment. "That the council be asked to erect a school on the site of the present building. He said the majority of children resided at Millbrook (Loud cries of "No.") Some would have to travel five miles to the site suggested in the proposition. ("No, no.") Mr. Sutherland would like to know how many children. Mr. Keleher had between the ages of 5 and 13 years. (Laughter.) Mr. Keleher said he had property in the district. Mr. Oliver Philp said if Mr. Keleher thought a schoolroom was to be erected to increase the value of his property he was very much mistaken. (Cheers.) The amendment not being seconded, the motion was carried, only one dissenting. Mr. W. Scott, chairman of the district council, proposed. " That this meeting pledge themselves to support the erection of a public school and master's residence on Torrens Hill" He thought the site an admirable one, for it would suit all the neighbourhood, and would not clash with the schools at Houghton, Kersbrook, and Gumeracha. He was surprised that Mr. Hannaford should have done so much against them. (Cheers.) Mr. A. Bethune seconded. The site they proposed would suit Cudlee Creek as well as themselves. (Hear, hear.) He was sure two schools could not be supported, for they had had no less than eight teachers at Cudlee Creek in the last 18 years. Besides, the site proposed by Mr. Hannaford would not suit the Cudlee Creek people. (Hear, hear.) The motion was unanimously carried. Mr. W. Caust proposed. " That this meeting form themselves into a deputation to wait upon the Council of Education on Monday, September 4, to urge upon them the desirability of immediate action being taken to erect a school-room and a residence on the site advocated by this meeting." The site they advocated was not the best for them, but as they believed only one school would be erected in that neighbourhood they were anxious to have it in a central position, so that all might participate in the benefits. The Cudlee Creek people had told him that they would rather support the site at Torrens Hill [actually the site where the school was built] than the one Mr. Hannaford proposed. There were not 10 children within a mile of the site at Cudlee Creek, hence they should oppose its adoption. (Cheers.) Mr. Houghlahan seconded. Carried unanimously. The Chairman said he would take that opportunity of contradicting a rumour which, he believed, Mr. Hannaford had floated, that he had given the land so that the school might be close to his property. It was no such thing, for it would be a positive loss to him. (Hear, hear.) But he had done what he had rather than see the school put in a position which was not central. He had been round to the parents, and though he had not seen all, yet there were signatures promising the attendance of 97 children if the school were erected on Torrens Hill. (Cheers.) Votes of thanks were passed to the committee, to the chairman, to Mr. Scott for his attendance, and to the proprietors of the, Advertiser for sending a reporter, and the meeting then closed. (MEETING ON SCHOOL MATTERS AT MILLBROOK. (1876, September 4). The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889), p. 6. Retrieved April 13, 2016,from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31972830)

However there had been other schools at Millbrook earlier;
The following was obtained from The Education Department records and forwarded to Peg and Bill by Mr W.J. Adey in 1979.

"A school at Millbrook seems to have been opened in 1868, with Eleanor Drake as teacher, and 26 children on the roll.
In 1867 a school had been opened at Chain of Ponds, with Eleanor Adey as teacher.
This school was not mentioned in the 1868 list; it seems possible that the Chain of Ponds School was transferred to Millbrook, and, perhaps,
Eleanor Drake was the married name of Eleanor Adey.




Millbrook School closed in 1869 and reopened in 1870 with Agnes Mary Adey as teacher, and 36 pupils attending during the year.
The school was conducted for some years in a “non-vested” building, but in 1878 an official building was erected to accommodate 80 children (althought the school was built to accomadate 80 students there were 105 pupils registered in the first year (1879), with a teacher’s residence at a cost of £977-10-0 (Erection of school £958 [$1916] , fencing £19-10-0 [$39]).

In 1879 John H. Risley was appointed teacher and the number of pupils instructed was 105.
Mr Risley was succeeded in 1894 by Mrs Mary Belcher, who conducted the school until 1912 when John F. Davis was appointed."