Page 125 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

132.

CONGEWAI SCHOOL
(ORIGINAL NAME EGLINFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL)

that the costs should be £57.0.0 ($114.00). The successful contractor was
J.T. Chapman of Cessnock. Whilst he was erecting the school, Mr. Chapman
offered to ceil the classroom for an extra £3.0.0 ($6.00) and the Department
accepted his offer. The school was completed and ready for occupation on
23rd May 1888. Mary Hubbard was the first teacher.

On 11th February 1889, when the Eglinford School enrolment had
reached twenty six (26) pupils, with a daily average attendance of twenty
one (21 ), the school was raised in status from a 'provisional' to a 'public'
school.

The schoolground of two (2) acres was officially resumed on 18th
January 1889. The release to the Department of Public Instruction is recorded
as Vol. No. 396, Book 437. The land was Portion No. 82 and part of T. Crawford's
original grant of three thousand (3,000) acres and known as "Eglington Estate".
The resumption was published in Government Gazette dated 9th February 1889 and
in the Maitland Mercury's issue of the same date. The then owner of the land,
Mr. R. Crawford, was paid £55.0.0 ($110.00) compensation and his tenant,
Mr. Jacob Ling, an amount of £20.0.0 ($40.00).

Mr. C. Oman, on 5th A~ril 1889, was engaged to erect seventy two
(72) rods of fencing around the schoolground's two acre site. A stipulation
was that the posts were to be of ironbark timber, nine (9) inches by three (3)
inches. For this work, Mr. Oman was paid £10.10.Q ($21 .00).

On 14th February 1890, Mr. R. Greenwood made.an application orr behalf
of the parents and the school children for the erection of a weathershed. This
request was refused on receipt of an adverse report by the school inspector.
In his report, the Inspector had described Mr. Greenwood as being a 'bush
lawyer'.