Page 130 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

137.

CRAWFORDVILLE SCHOOL

The development of Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery, or Paxton Pit
as it was more commonly known, resulted in a boom of real estate sales
and land sub-divisions. These land sales promoters in the early 1920's
advertised that the Paxton region would soon surpass Cessnock.

One of these developments was portion of the early Crawford grant,
in an area that was closer to Millfield. A lithograph of the Crawford Village
auction sale shows that the area was sold on the site on 2nd May 1925. The
joint auctioneers were J.L. White and Steel of Newcastle and W.N. Dann of
Cessnock. The site and area had been surveyed by Norman Bennett. The
vendor's solicitors were advertised as being Norrie and Norrie of Maitland.

Perhaps to attract prospective buyers to the land sales, Messrs.
G.J. and H. Crawford, on 8th June 1928, made a donation of four blocks
within the sub-division to the Education Department as a school site.
These were Lot No's. 67 to 70 inclusive and were an area of some three (3)
roods and one (1) perch. Three other blocks were obtained by private
purchase also on 8th June 1928. These blocks were:-

(A) Lot 43 Bought from Maurice Dougherty for £85.0.0
(Bl Lot 49 Bought from Stanley Rees for £75.0.0
(C) Lot 50 Bought from David Rees for £75.0.0

The lots were between Bennett Street and Crawford Avenue and bordered by
Frederick Street.

At the sale on 27th July 1928, the Education Department also
purchased Lot No's. 44,48,65,66,71 and 72. These are shown on Plan No.
D.P. 13687. The school grounds area was thereby increased to a total of one
(1) acre, two (2) roods and thirty-two (32) perches.

Mr. F. O'Connor, Secretary of the Crawford Village Progress
Association, had been corresponding with the Education Department seeking
. the establishment of a school in the Crawford Village area. The Education
Department evidently was influenced by the claims of a bright future for