Page 19 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

14.

ABERMAIN PRIMARY SCHOOL

STATE ARCHIVE PAPERS - 5/14598 (A) & (B)
- 5/14599
- 5/14600 (A)

Whilst quite a number of interested groups had sought to open
a coal mine at Abermain in the very area that Professor Edgeworth David

.proved the Greta Coal Seam, it was not until Samuel Clift's application

of 10th July 1900, that this was. successful. Actual mining operations
by the Abermain Coal Company commenced on 28th April 1903 and produced
the first train load of coal in November that year.

As was the practice in other mining fields, this commencement
of operations soon attracted miners and their families, who settled in
close proximity to · the colliery. It was not long before this new population
was seeking the establishment of a school to provide education for their
children. On 6th September 1904, F. Brossman, on behalf of an Abermain
Progress Committee, requested a school. On 1st November 1904, Inspector
H.D. Mc Clelland recommended that Portion No. 78 of a section of 32 acres,
recently cut up into blocks, be set aside for a ·school. This was a two
(2) acre site on the ridge, east of John Street, Abermain. The land,
Portion No. 7 of mining lease No. 19 was dedicated in the Government Gazette
dated 25th October 1905, to hold a school capable of accommodating eighty
(80) pupils.

Meantime, arrangements were made by Inspector Mc Clelland to
lease the Catholic Hall between Abermain and Weston for six (6) months
and monthly thereafter as long as needed. The rental was at fifteen
shillings ($1.50) per _week. The Catholic Church used the hall at weekends
for church services and purposes. The school opened on 27th February
1905, the teacher being George Davis and he had an enrolment of thirty-
three (33) pupils. By 12th April 1905, pupil numbers had grown to
fifty-six (56) with an average daily attendance of thirty-seven (37).

From this it was evident that the Abermain School was going
to grow. Tenders for the construction of a new school on the dedicated