Page 191 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

214.

L AGUNA S C H0 0 L

Department that it meet two-thirds of the cost of construction which he
estimated at £220.0.0. ($440.00). The building was of ironbark slabs
and roofed with ironbark shingles.

The school opened on ·lst Ja~uary 1873, with Mr. Albert Moore
as teacher, and there were 40 pupils. The Council of Education appointed
the following to the local Laguna Public School Board:-

James Brooks Police Magistrate
Henry Brown Storekeeper
Matthew Thompson Grazier
Isaac Crump Farmer

The Council set the school fees at fourpence ($0.04c.) per family per
week. The following furniture was supplied by the Council of Education:-

Four desks
Eight forms
Two blackboards and easels.

In 1874, a detached slab kitchen, twenty two (22) feet by ten
(10) feet, was added. At the same time, wooden verandahs, six (6) feet
wide, standing on blocks, were added to the north and east sides of the
building. The verandahs had corrugated iron roofs.

The school enrolments in 1874 had dropped to ~7 children.
In January 1878, these numbers had increased to 45 pupils. The teacher,
George Browne, complained to the Department about the overcrowded accommo-
dation and the poorly ventilated conditions. Inspector Bradley made
an investigation in October 1879 and recommended to his Department that
a new school classroom to accommodate 55 pupils be constructed. During
1880, with a further increase in nu~bers, the specifications were altered
to provide for a new school to be er~cted in stone, and to have two class-
rooms - one to house 60 pupils; the second, 30 pupils. The tender of
£1,148.0.0. ($2,296.00) from James Pritchard of West Maitland was accepted