Page 312 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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exception. In a letter to the Department of Public Instruction dated 3rd
March 1894, the teacher advised that he had had no pupils for the previous
three (3) weeks due to the vintage. Again, in February 1895 and February
1897, the school was empty for short periods, except for the teacher, the
reason once more being the vintage season.

A verandah fourteen (14) feet by six (6) feet with a board floor
was constructed by John Deasy. The addition was completed on 25th June 1897
and for this work Mr. Deasy was paid £7.14.0 ($15.40). An application made
on 22nd September 1897 for the school ground to be fenced was denied. The
teacher, Walter Lennard, was more successful on 19th August 1898, with his
application for a clock; for this purchase he was reimbursed 7/6d. ($0.75¢).
Perhaps this encouraged his request on 22nd November 1898, for a support fQr
the backs of the children, who sat in the last row. John Deasy was paid £1 .O.O
($2.00) for supplying and nailing a board one foot deep,across the inside
of the seventeen (17) feet wi de rear wall.

On 3rd March 1699, a group of the local residents requested that
the Rockview School should be shifted to a more central site. The signatories
of this petition were:-

Edward Ty~ell
William Elliott
John Deasy
James Lamb~in
John White
Albert Joass
Theobald Cobby

The Department of Public Instruction agreed. The school was moved
about two (2) miles south to the boundary cf John Deasy's land. Mr. Deasy
had made a gift of two (2) acres of land to the Department. Mr. James Griffen,
builder of Branxton, was engaged to remove ~he old school and re-erect on
the new site, he was pai d £10.0.0 ($20.00) for his work, which was ccm ~ leted
in just ave~ one month on 26th April 1899.