Page 321 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

352.

ROTHBURY NORTH SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. - 5/17524

Like other mining developments, the opening of the Rothbury mine
in 1914, soon attracted a small hamlet of tents, huts and bag houses which
dotted the hillside adjacent to the colliery. Again, as in the other
mining hamlets, the miners and their wives were soon seeking education
facilities for their children. On 16th November 1914, Dennis Hartcher and
Henry Farmer forwarded a letter to the Education Department on behalf of
the people of the new Rothbury village, requesting the establishment of
a new school. The Department did not favour the suggestion .

On 22nd February 1915, the Honourary Secretary of a newly formed
North Rothbury Progress Association, Adin Lavender, added his organization's
support for the establishment of a school. This letter at least influenced
the Department to send an Inspector to review the situation at the village.
Inspector Reay forwarded a report dated 22nd June 1915, in which he stated
thc.t in an interview with the Colliery Manager, Mr. R. Thomas, he was informed
that the Colliery owners, the Merewether Brothers, were prepared to donate
a school site in the sub-division of their private village, Rothbury North.

When no move was made towards a school, the mining villagers forwarded
a letter to the Education Department, again requesting an early provision
of a school. The Minister declined to agree to the request and he directed
the Education Department to find an alternative. The Department recommended
that the prospective school children should be transported by horse-bus
conveyance from Rothbury to Branxton. It offered to provide a subsidy of
five (5) pence ($0.05c) per child for each full day's attendance. This
did not meet the approval of the residents. On Jrd April 1916, at a meeting
of North Rothbury villagers, it was proposed that another petition be prepared.
This was signed by twenty nine (29) separate families and was presented by
R.J. Snape.

The opening of a second mine at Rothbury West encouraged the
Education Department to despatch another Inspector to examine the current
position. In June 1916, Inspector J. Finney reported that North Rothbury
was growing fast. The population had reached about four hundred (400) people.