Page 260 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

283.

NULKABA SCHOOL

STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. 5/17187-1

The history of Nulkaba School is very closely linked with the early
history and origin of Cessnock School. The present 'Village of Nulkaba' was
previously known as the 'Village of Pokolbin' and its name was changed in 1922
when the old Cessnock Branch School was renamed 'Nulkaba School'. The name

"Nulkaba" is the Aboriginal name of "Nulka" meaning ironstone and "Ba" meaning

the place of, and this aptly describes the area which is situated on a small
ironstone ridge. The name "Nulkaba" is thought to have been selected by Mr.
Jas. R. Scott of "Fairview", Nulkaba, via Cessnock. Mr. Scott had been the
Shire President of Cessnock Shire Council and from 1922 to 1926, had been
President of the Cessnock Branch of the Nulkaba Parents and Citizens Association.

The early Cessnock School on the banks of Black Creek, behind what
is now the Cessnock Hotel, in the 1870's was considered by both the Department
of Public Instruction and the local residents as being unsatisfactory in quality
and location. Finally, Inspector J.S. Jones selected a site on the Allandale
Road, adjacent to the 'Village of Pokolbin' for the erection of a new school.
Tenders we~e called for a classroom thirty two (32) feet long by sixteen (16)
feet wide, with a separate teacher's residence of four (4) rooms. The final
selected contractor was R. Cooke of East Maitland with a tender price of £745.0.0
($1,491.00). The building was completed and occupied on 1st October 1877.
During July 1881, Mr. F.J. Woodbury built a weathershed. However, this weather-
shed built from 'spotted gum' timber soon deteriorated and a new weathershed,
built from, ironbark, was erected by William Brown · in f'-1.arch 1887, on a more
convenient site in the playground.

With the advent of the coal industry and a quick growth of mining
villages around the new mines in Cessnock, the school population jumped from
48 to 69 pupils within the year 1904. As school numbers increased, additional
accommodat.ion was made available by increasing the length by ten (10) feet, from
thirty two (32) feet to forty two (42) feet. The Department of Public
Instruction looked in Cessnock for other suitable sites to meet the changing
circumstances. In March i907, a two roomed structure was built at the site
of the present Cessnock-Aberdare Primary School. Head~aster Ern Cameron was
transfe~red from the Allandale Road School to the new Cessnock School which