Page 124 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

131.

CONGEWAI SCHOOL
(ORIGINAL NAME EGLINFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL)

STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. - 5115795-1

A letter from Henry Alfred Smith of Congewai to the State
National Board of Education dated 1st March 1859, informed the Department
that he, Smith, had recently opened a private school at Congewai. The
letter does not indicate the loc~tion of the school or how many pupils
attended. H. Smith sought to become an appointed teacher at a salary
of £40.0.0 ($80.00) per annum and requested 'Grant Aid' to his school.
In the absence of evidence or documentation of support from the local
residents, the National Board of Education appears to have just merely
'filed' this letter.

In August 1886, a petition was forwarded to the Department
of Public Instruction seeking the establishment of a school on the
Eglington Estate. (Note: the spelling Eglington not Eglinford). This
was to be on land owned by R. Crawford. The school was sought as being
a more central place between Ellalong and Brown Muir. The petition was
against moving the Brown Muir School, which had a daily average attendance
of eighteen (18) pupils. The petition also indicated that the site suggested
could be purchased for £6.0.0 ($12.00) and the petitioners estimated that
a school could be built for £120.0.0 ($240.00).

Inspector T. Dwyer made an investigation and he reported to
Chief Inspector J. Maynard early in 1888, that there were eleven (11 l
families in the area who had thirty (30) children of school age between
5 years and 13 years. The suggested site was some five (5) miles from
Brown Muir and three and a half (3~) miles from Ellalong. Inspector
Dwyer recommended the establishment of a Provisional School.

The Department of Public Instruction agreed and sought tenders
for the construction of a school classroom. It was to be of weatherboard,
seventeen (17) feet by fourteen (14) feet and nine (9) feet high. It was
to be lined but npt ceiled. It was to have a corrugated iron roof, lavat-
ories and the room was to be furnished, The Department had estimated