Page 291 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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QUORROBOLONG SCHOOL

STATE ARCHIVES FILE NOS. 5/17418-3
5/17419-1

The actual date of the establishment of a school at Ouorrobolong is
not definite. The records of the Education Department show that the first
teacher was Margaret Daunt. In a letter from her to the Department of Public
Instruction dated 13th December 1877, she sought an annuity or a pension and
gave the following details:-

1. : She was 64 years old.

2. She had been a teacher for the previous 36 years.

3. In 1864 she had erected, at her own expense, a
schoolhouse at Ouorrobolong.

4. In 1868 this schoolhouse had become a 'Provisional'
1 school with the Council of Education.

5. In the period from August 1863 until December 1877,
163 pupils - 84 boys and 79 girls - had been taught
at her Ouorrobolong ,School.

However, the Council denied her request. The refusal did not seem to dimini~h
the enthusiasm of Margaret Daunt for her chosen career of school teaching as
she continued at her Quorrobolong School until the end of the 1883 school year,
at which time she was seventy (70) years old.

On 11th October 1883, Miss Annie McCormach transferred from Goulburn
to take over .from the re.tiring Mrs. Daunt. The schoolhouse was rented at a

I

fee of £12.0.0. ($24.00) per annum. On 25th March 1884, Miss McCormach was
replaced by a very young teacher, Laura Joh~ston, who was only seventeen (17)
years old when she took charge of the Quorrcbolong School. On 9th September
1884, Laura Johnston mar~ied Arthur Willia~ Daunt, son of Mrs. Margaret Daunt.

In :this period of Education history, teachers' salaries were based
to some extent on the number of pupils atte;.ding the school. On 25th June 1885,