Page 329 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

·,r 360.

STANFORD MERTHYR SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. - 5/17666-1

i\s early as 1891, the New South Wales Mines Department in its
Annual Report, records the interest of a small group of investors in the
Mineral Leases No's. 6 and 7, Parish of Stanford. Four men who had been
engaged to prove the coal and seam, had driven two small tunnels called
"Stanford Greta". Little real effort however, was made over the next 6
(six) or 7 (seven) years. On 16th September 1898, Mr. Azariah Thomas,
Manager of the East Greta Coal Mining Company, gave notice to the Department
of Mines, that his Company had given some attention to this area and that
furthering operations were about to resume at the Stanford Greta Tunnels
with Mr. Thomas Innis acting as Manager.

On 1st August 1900, two major coal companies made an offer to
the shareholders of the small Stanford Greta Company that they take over
the leases. Because this small Company was finding difficulty in financing
its provi:ig work, it sole! its leases to the two larger groups. The eastern
and norther:i section, an area of one thousand five hundred (1,500) acres,
was taken over by the East Greta Coal Mining Com pan~' ar.d re-named "Stanford
Merthyr Colliery''. The western and southern portion, scme three thousand
(3,000) acres, was purchased by J. and A. Brown and re-na:ned "Pelaw Main
Colliery".

Ihese new coal developments soon attracted miners and entrepreneurs
to the area. Some early agitation was commenced for the establishment of
a school. The main promoters for such a school were Vic~or B. Collins,
a mine manager and two miners, Edward Davies and Walter Jones. As the result
of their requests to the Department of Public Instruction, Inspector T.
Dwyer was directed to make an investigation.

In his report to his superiors, dated 30th December 1901, Inspector
Dwyer advisej that he had examined the mining developmen~ at Gillieston
(East Gre:a), Heddon Greta and the new pits at Stanford ~erthyr and Pelaw
Main. At S~anford MerthJr in particular he found h~me b~ildin~being erected
all around the new pit. He had ascertained that there were thirty (30)
children. sizteen (16) boys and fourteen (14) girls. Fr~r:i his discussion