Page 231 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

254.

MU L B R I NG S C H 0 0 L

is made:- Teacher's salary paid to
"Sugarloaf School J.H. Oakes, from 1st October
1849 to 31st December 1850 -
£56.13.4. ($113.34)".

Further in the 1850 Annual Report under Appendix "G", headed "Pupil Enrolments"

shows:-

"Sugarloaf Fifteen (15) toys and fifteen (15) girls".

The Department of Public Instruction 1852 Annual Report under
Appendix "B", headed "Schools and Attendances" records:-

"No. 41 - Sugarloaf - Thirty one (31) boys and twenty
two (22) girls. Open for full
year".

Also in the 1852 Annual Report under Appendix "J" entitled "List of Teachers",
appears this entry:-

"J.H. Oakes Annual salary £40.0.0. ($80.00)
Sugarloaf Sc~ool, appointed 1st
October 1849".

From these Department of Public Instruction Annual Reports, it would
seem that an official National Public School was opened at Sugarloaf (now
Mulbring) on 1st October 1849. Further, that the first teacher was J.H.
Oakes who conunenced his school with an enrolment of thirty (JO) pupHs, fifteen
(15) boys and fifteen (15) girls. This school appears to have been very popular
and quickly grew to a school of fi f ty thr ee (5J) pupils. The first school
appears to have been located on the le~: hand side of the road from Cessnock
between the creek and the Methodist. Ce !~.E:t.ery. The dedication was g;:i zetted
on 29th July 1850.