Page 206 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

229.

MI L L F I E L D S C H 0 0 L

about thirty-five (35) yards south-east of the old buildings. Some new
furniture consisting of four large desks and forms and four small desks and
forms, were also supplied. Each desk and form was six (6) feet eight (8)
inches long.

The school residence was also renewed on 17th May 1917, by
Mr. J.J. Ryan of Cessnock for his contract price of £230.0.0. ($460.00).
The building was a three roomed dwelling with front and back verandahs.
The cottage had a gabled villa front and a bull-nosed iron covered front
verandah. It was connected with a covered way to . a semi-detached unit
consisting of a kitchen, laundry and bathroom. The old residence and
school building was allowed to stand until 1928 when the then school teacher
Mr. E. Conn, rendered this report to the Department:-

"A building ant-eaten, evil smelling, filthy in
the extreme, a mere shell."

By 1927, with the advent of new collieries at Maitland Main and the
Millfield Collieries, school enrolments rose to sixty-five (651 pupils .
When a lady assistant teacher was provided, a class was conducted in all
weathers on the school verandah. The Education Department decided to carry
out alterations at Millfield to both the school and the residence. An
additional classroom twelve (12) feet by eighteen (18) feet was built on the
northern end. This room had access to the verandah by a door on the west
side. A 600 gallon water storage tank was installed. The ugly old Inn
buildings were demolished and reCToved. The back verandah was enclosed and
additional water tanks were added to the residence. The successful tenderer
was William Williams with a contract price of £746.11.8. ($1,493.18) for the
complete project.

The Department of Education in 1929, refused to allcw the Millfield
Church of England Committee to build a Church Hall in the playground at the
school. One . wonders if the controversy with the Rev. B. Sha~ in 1870 gave
the Department of Education a long memory.