History
The following year there were 22 children and Mrs Carlene Smith was employed as her assistant.
Over the years, Mrs Bannister’s daughter, two of her grandson’s and one great grandson have attended Norwood. In 1964 the preschool was purchased by Mrs Smith who then became the director
​
Norwood Kindergarten became a Community Based Preschool in 1976 with an active parent Management Committee. Mrs Karin Watts joined the staff in 1984 and became Director in 1988 when Mrs Smith retired.
The community of Norwood currently provides quality early education for around 50 students per year, 25 students per day.
Over the years the parents, staff and community have actively fundraised to provide playground and indoor equipment, storage sheds, building improvements, learning areas, and volunteered their time to establish and landscape its beautiful gardens.
To this day, Norwoood continues to lease the premises from Hornsby Shire Council.
History
From 1914 Hornsby Primary School and Kindergarten (Norwood College) operated in Dural Street, Hornsby.
This was the earliest known example of a purpose-built kindergarten/preparatory school found in Sydney.
The school was attended by an 8-year-old Dorothy Banister (nee Gillan) who liked the name and later used it when she founded Norwood Kindergarten in 1959.
​
Mrs Bannister, who had trained as an early childhood teacher at Waverley, adapted her own home at Mount Colah to accommodate a preschool for 8 children, which included her own daughter.
Mills Park which is on Crown Land, was the site of an old Quarry. It was first developed by council for sporting facilities in 1944 and was leased by Hornsby Women’s Bowls Club, various playgroups and several community clubs over the years.
The preschool moved from Mount Colah to its current location at 2A Chelmsford Road, Asquith (Mills Park Hall) in 1990.
In 1996 Mrs Beverley Gowenlock joined Norwood as Co-Director.
