National and Public Schools Tambaroora

Data was last added to this page on the 08 May 2023

TAMBAROORA NATIONAL / PUBLIC SCHOOL
(Information to be added when found)

The National School System was adopted by the Government in 1848. In 1866 the Public Schools Act was introduced which brought about changes to the Education system, hence the change of name from National to Public School. ⁽⁵⁰²⁾

The Schools

In 1893 Senior Constable Richie offered to the students of the Tambaroora Public School a prize for the best essay that described the Town and area. A fifteen year old girl Selina Anderson was one of those who submitted an essay and was awarded the prize. In her essay she describes various aspects of the Town, one of those was the history of the school and its teachers in Tambaroora, she describes the first school located on Hayes Flat where the cricket pitch was and the first teacher Mr. John Price Morgan, Mr. Morgan had been previously the Publican of the Coal Hole Tavern at Dirt Holes Creek.

The school stayed in this location until the early 1870's as seen in the Holtermann Collection images below.

As a result of the Survey undertaken in 1859 to formalize the layout of the Town, land was gazetted for the school in 1863, this comprised of lots 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Section 12 facing Mudgee Road. The school started sometime after the survey of 1859 as no building is shown occupying the site prior to 1859. The actual position of the school within the Section is still unknown but Ms. Anderson described it as being where the Cricket Ground was.

1863 saw the formation of a committee to oversee the National School Building Fund, Police Magistrate Joseph Cox Esq. P.M. acted as the Chairman, James Cullen, the Secretary to the Local Residents and Jean Renateau Treasurer of the Building Fund. Subscriptions were made towards the construction of the building with the Board of National Education doubling what was contributed by the community.

The School was built at a cost of 360 pounds by the subscriptions from the residents of Tambaroora and the Council of Education.

A Public School Board was appointed on the 3^rd Mar 1868

The School remained in this location up until 1877, prior to this efforts were made by the local community to purchase both the land and building of the Protestant Hall for a new School. They undertook raising funds by various means some of which included Concerts. No doubt representation was made to the Council of Education as to the possibility of purchasing the land and building as on the 5^th Feb 1877 the Council of Education purchased Lot 1 Section 19, the site of the former Protestant Hall. ⁽¹⁸⁴⁾ [Maps: ^(Note) Google Map ⁽⁰⁰⁵⁾ 1892 Map ⁽⁰⁰⁶⁾]

A year later on the 28^th Mar 1878 the Council purchased Lot 6 Section 8 to be used as the Teachers residence from the insolvent estate of Mr. John Webb ⁽¹⁷³⁾. The building on this Lot was of stone construction and the footings can still be seen today. ⁽¹⁷¹⁾ [ Maps: ^(Note) Google Map ⁽⁰⁰⁵⁾ 1892 Map ⁽⁰⁰⁶⁾

The purchase of the Hall may indicate the Protestant Alliance may not have been as successful as had been hoped for, and the Society was left with a Hall with no future. Mr. Morgan was now in a position being left with a Hall on his property with no apparent usage. As the school teacher for the public education system in Tambaroora he may have realised an opportunity existed to make use of the building and offered it for sale to be used as the Public School.

Mr. Morgan left the district in 1878, being transferred to another school, although in 1879 he did purchase Lot 2 Section 19 situated next to the School. His abode at that time was noted as being at Hargraves ⁽⁴⁵¹⁾. The Council of Education once again purchased this Lot from Mr. Morgan on the 19th Feb 1881⁽¹⁸⁴⁾.

The School lands of Lots 1 and 2 Section 19 were sold in 1966 to private interests ⁽¹⁸⁴⁾.

Revocation of School Gazetted Lands on Section 12
The land gazetted in 1863 for Lots 2 to 5 on Section 12 was finally revoked on the 20 Sep 1957.

Teachers
1863 to 1878 - John Price Morgan
1878 to 1884 - Mr. Lewis
1884 to 1892 - Mr. Langlands
1892 to ???? - Walter Stevens

To be Continued