Page 210 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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MISTLETOE FARM SCHOOL

B. Stapleford and C. King, all the families were working farms on the "shares".
Finally, he recommended that a cheap building should be put up on William Girr's
property and if possible, material from the old "Rockview" school should be
used. In a following report a short time later, after Inspector Blumer had
had a second look at th'e Rockview school, he advised his Department that the
Rockview school material was not worth removing.

In January 1913, the Department of Public Instruction decided to
give the area a 'Provisional' school. A single classroom school was built
by C.A. Freeman of Singleton. His tender price had been £115.10.0. ($231.00).
New school furniture was despatched to Singleton Railway Station. The Depart-
ment lists this supply as:-

Two large desks Ten (10) feet long

Two large forms Ten (10) feet long

Two small desks Ten (10) feet long

Two small forms Ten (10) feet long

One table

One Austrian chair

Twenty-four hat and coat hooks

One table board Twenty-four (24) inches by sixteen (16)

inches

Two table boards - Each eighteen (18) inches by fifteen (15)

inches.

The first teacher was Ivey Henry, who conuuenced at the school on
1st October 1913. All early teachers advised their Department that parents
were constantly at 'loggerheads' and that local feuds were bitter.

The third teacher, Fredrick B. Muir, was dismissed in mid 1917
because of a drunkenness charge. After his dismissal, the Department of
Education was served with an account for £2.5.0. ($4.50) from Mr. Ball, the
Licensee of tre Albion Hotel, Singleton. Mr. Ball stated that the amount
was for accommodation for Mr. F.B. Muir, who had left the Mistletoe School
Flag as . a deposit. Mr. Ball declined to hand over the flag until the Depart-