Page 143 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

150.

E L LAL0 NG S C H 0 0 L

Inspectors made further annual school examinations to the Ellalong
National School on 13th July 1860, 11th October 1861 and 2nd October 1862.

On 12th June 1863, the National Board of Education took tne
necessary steps to acquire land for a permanent school site and it followed
the recommendation made by Rev. C. Spenc~r on 16th October 1858. The
acquisition was gazetted on 12th June 1863. As is snown later in this
history, it would appear that this particular site was never utilised
as a school site. After the Ellalong Public School was destroyed by fire
on 4th March ~908, the Department of Public Instruction evidently reviewed
its land holdings and acquisitions in Ellalong. As a result, the Deeds
of this particular holding were surrendered back to the Lands Department
on 28th June 1909. However, the Education Department did not revoke its
full title completely until 3rd March 1949.

The Ellalong National School appea~s to have closed with the
resignation of teacher James Craig in December 1863.

Meanwhile the Church of England Denominational School at Ellalong
appeared to have been operated spasmodically between 1853 and 1863. An
early reference to this Denominational School indicates that in 1859,
the teacher may have been Christopher Bryant.

On 21st January 1864, Rev. John Greaves objected by letter to
the Department of Public Instruction to the re-establishment of the National
School. He pointed out that in early January 1864, the Church of England
had acquired a new schoolhouse at a cost of £120.0.0 (.$240.00) of which
the Denominational Board of Education had provided £60.0.0 ($120.00).
He also stated that the current attendance was between thirty (30) to
thirty three (33) pupils.

In May 1864, W. Johnston, the Schools' Inspector from the Department
of Public Instruction staff, wrote to Alexander Norrie, Secretary of the
Ellalong Local National School Board, asking several questions:-

1. Is there a suitable building available for use as
the National School?