Page 145 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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E L LAL0 NG S C H 0 0 L

National school. Samuel Cadman, a member of the Local Ellalong National
School Board, resigned his office over the controversy.

The Denominational Schools were not as fully recorded each year
as were the National Schools in the Annual Reports of the Department of
Public Instruction. However, some information was given for the years
1864, 1865 and 1867. These details are:-

1864 Teacher - R. Simpson
School enrolment totalled 50 pupils -

29 boys and 21 girls.
Daily average attendance 16 boys and 13 girls.

1865 Teacher - R. Lawrence
School enrolment totalled 45 pupils -

24 boys and 21 girls.
Daily average attendance 14 boys and 11 girls.

1867 Teacher - Mrs. White
School enrolment totalled 20 pupils -

11 boys and 9 girls.
Daily average attendance 13 pupils.

School visited on 19th July 1867.

The Public Schools Act of 1866 laid down the minimum requirement
for the establishment of public schools, provisional schools and the
attendances necessary at denominational schools to be able to qualify
for aid. The National School at Ellalong appears to have remained closed
from December 1863. When, in 1868, the Ellalong Church of England
Denominational School tailed to mainta~n the requisite attendance, the
Ellalong residents made application to convert this Denominational School
to a Provisional School. The Department of Public Instruction agreed.
The Denomi~ational School was rented by the Department and William Wheeler
was appoin:ed as the first teacher in 1868. The school is said to have
been a two-roomed building, that was originally built as a Public House
Inn. It had slab walls and a shingle roof. The Departmental records