Page 172 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

195.

KURRI KURRI SCHOOL

STATE ARCHIVES FILE NOS. - 5/16519 through to
5/16525 inclusive

The East Greta Coal ..Mining Company was the first to develop
a coal area on the South Maitland Field. Professor T.W. Edgeworth had
proved and made a detailed survey of the field in 1886. The Government
Department of Mines encouraged the ever increasing search for suitable areas
for development. Thus, in 1898 a lease had been taken up in what is now
the Kurri area. Two tunnels were known as Stanford Greta Tunnels Nos. 1
and 2. The operating Company had run into financial problems and the
East Greta Coal Mining Company undertook to assist. The operating Company's
area was divided, the East Greta Coal Mining Company taking over the Eastern

section and the Western section being taken over by J. & A. Brown. The

East Greta Coal..Mining Company renamed their tunnel "Stanford Merthyr
Colliery" and the other was called "Pelaw Main Colliery" by J. & A. Brown.
Pelaw Main Colliery ·produced its first train of coal in November 1901;
Stanford Merthyr . Colliery its first train in June 1902. The East Greta Coal
Mining Company had built its railway, and commenced both passenger and goods
train services in June 1902.

As at every other mining development, small villages sprang up
around the coal mines. At Kurri the Government Crown Lands Office also sub-
divided and sold building blocks. Therefore it was not surprising that the
Department of Public Instruction arranged schools in the new developing area.
Schools were opened on 1st May 1903 at both Stanford Merthyr and Pelaw Main
Village. By October 1903 1 206 children from the new Government town of Kurri
were attending either Stanford Merthyr or Pelaw Main Schools. The Department
of Public Instruction Inspector, in making a report to his Department at the
end of 1903, gave the composition of the then Pelaw Main School enrolment,
which had a total of 228 pupils as follows:-

113 Children from Pelaw Main area
91 Children from Kurri Kurri area
18 Children from Weston area
6 Children from Abermain area.