Page 103 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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CESSNOCK HIGH SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES FILE NOS. - 5/15356

- 5/15357

Education had always been a vital aspect of civic responsibility
within the City of Greater Cessnock. As early as 1858, some education
was being given within the new village of Cessnock. Firstly, in a room
in a slab house owned by Joss Rose, then shortly after in a home near
the present Edith Street. In 1866, a slab school was built near the
now Cessnock Hotel site. A new public school was built and opened on
1st October 1877 on a site facing Allandale Road on an area which is
now part of Cessnock Cemetery.

The development of the 'coal industry' transformed the school
requirements at Cessnock. The two new Caledonian Colleries Pits, Aberdare
and Aberdare Extended, soon attracted many miners. They in turn brought
their families to live in huts, tents, 'shacks' and 'humpys', adjacent
to the pit areas. The Education Department foresaw that the coal development
was likely to be maintained and increased. It decided to build a school
on the present Cessnock-Aberdare Primary School site. This school was
constructed and opened in April 1908.

The old school on the Allandale Road, was retained a~d re-named
the Cessnock Branch School. From May 1909, children from another new
Colliery development area at Bellbird, were being conveyed to the Cessnock
Primary School. A new infants school on the primary school ground but
facing Brandis Street, was opened in May 1910. By 1915, there ~ere over
one thousand (1 ,000) pupils enrolled. Additional accommodation was built
and also rented. With the opening of these additional accommodation
areas, Cessnock Primary School was raised to the status of a Su~erior
Public School. This re-classification and new status indicated that
the school combined primary schooling and some lower levels of secondary
education.

To obtain High School education, it became necessary for s~ch
students to have a very long school day and travel by train da!ly :a