Page 26 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

21.

ABERMAIN NO. 2 SHAFT SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES PAPERS - 5/14600 - 2

As had almost become custom, the commencement of mining operations
in any area attracted quite a number of employees to live close to the
new mining development. Transport to and from even the newly established
towns or villages, like Cessnock, Neath, Abermain, Weston and Kurri, with
the new workings at Aberrnain No. 2 Colliery, was very difficult. It was
either a long walk or a trip by some horse-drawn vehicle, with the problems
of yarding the horse during the hours of employment. Many found it more
convenient to camp ' in tents or rough 'humpys', and to travel back to their
homes for weekends. Even these conditions were found to be expensive
to the lowly paid labourers and it was not very long before these miners
brought their families to live in roughly constructed buildings surrounding
the new · mining development. Traders and suppliers plied their goods in
horse-drawn vehicles to this small village.

Most camps or 'houses' had been built on the colliery land at
the area beyond what is now Pokolbin Street, Kearsley. This village had
been loosely tagged 'Eddenville'. Perhaps like Brunkerville, which had
been named after Mr. J. Brunl<er, Member of Parliament for Maitland,
"Eddenville" was intended as a tribute to Mr. Alf Edden, another local
member of Parliament.

Families in residence meant that there was a need for schooling.
On 1st · May 1911, arrangements were made with W~J. Mitchell to convey in
a horse-bus twelve (12) children from Abermain Shaft to the Public School
at Cessnock. The rate of five pence per child conveyed each day was set
for this transportation. Towards the end of the year as numbers grew
in the village, some agitation and political pressure for the establishment
of a school at Abermain No. 2 Shaft was evoked.

On 19th December 1911, a meeting of the residents of this
little mining village was held to discuss the 'school situati0n 1 •
Following the meeting, Mr. Austin ~ells, as the secretary of the