Page 246 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

269.

MURRAYS RUN SCHOOL

STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. 5/17013-5

The Murrays Run area, like its nearby regions of Laguna, Wollombi
and Stockyard Creek (Paynes Crossing), had shown a considerable interest in
the 'education' of the young people of its district. Perhaps the influence
of Rev. Charles D. Newman, Church of England Minister at wollombi, had
encouraged the trend. A private school appears to have been established
some time in 1875 with Israel Unsworth as teacher. (NOTE: Location is not
known). The 1875 Annual Report of the Department of Public Instruction does
not show any record or an inspection of such a school.

During early and mid 1876, Inspector J. Jones from the Department
of Public Instruction had arranged for advertisements to be inserted in the
Maitland Mercury newspaper seeking groups or areas "interested in establishing
'Half-time', 'Provisional' or 'Public' schools in their district". Apparently
in reply to such a call, an application and petition from Murrays Run residents
dated 9th December 1876, sought the establishment of a Provisional school with
Mr. I . M. Unsworth as teacher. The main correspondent from the Murrays Run
area was Rev. Charles D. Newman.

The petition listed such information as Family name, Possible numbers
of pupil children, Family religion and Distance of homes from the proposed
school, thus:-

POSSIBLE PUPILS DISTANCE TO
PROPOSED SCHOOL
NAME BOYS GIRLS FAMILY RELIGION

John Goldsmith 2 3 Church of England 1 mile
H~nry Mitchell 1 l Church of England
James Knight Jnr. 2 Roman Catholic 1 mile
Pa trick Cully 1
James Knight Snr. l Roman Catholic 2
Benjamin Mitchell 3 Church of England
Thomas Harris 1 1 Roman Catholic 1 mile
Maryann Smith
2 Church of England 4 miles
TOTAL 1 Roman Catholic
1 3 miles
11
9 1 mile

4 miles

4 miles