Page 330 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

361.

STANFORD MERTHYR SCHOOL

with the Mine Manager, Mr. V. Collins, he considered that the new mine
workings would become regular and permanent. Because of these reasons,
he recommended the establishment of a school and the erection of a
suitable building. In his recommendation, he suggested a structure thirty
(30) feet by sixteen (16) feet by twelve (12) feet high, with a verandah
eight (8) feet wide on three (3) sides of the building and a porch ten (10)
feet by eight (8) feet on the fourth side.

The Department of Public Instruction accepted their inspector's
recommendation and decided to build a school at Stanford Merthyr. The
Department applied to the Lands Board for an area of two (2) acres for a
school site, being Portion No. 74, Parish of Stanford, situated between
Seaham Street, Wickham Street and Maitland Street. This was granted and
finally gazetted on 8th May 1902. The Government Architect was requested
to design a suitable school. H:s plan was a single classroom, forty five
(45) feet long by twenty two (22) feet wide and twelve (12) feet high.
It was to have a hat room fiftee~ (15) feet by eight (8) feet and a verandah
thirty (30) feet by eight (8) fee~. He considered that it should accommodate
one hundred (100) pupils and he estimated its cost of erection at £330.0.0
($660.00). Arrangements were made to call tenders.

The lowest tender submitted was £309.10.0 ($619.00) by Mr. John
Irwin of Maitland. However, in June 1902, Mr. Irwin had to withdraw his
tender. The second lowest quote was £334.0.0 ($668.00) given by Mr. Fred
Brewer of Maitland. When given the opportunity to build the Stanford Merthyr
school, Mr. Brewer accepted. A change of builder had delayed the school's
erection. Inspector Dwyer had visited the Stanford Merthyr school site
on 11th November 1902 and advised his superiors that there was again a hold-
up in construction. It was not until 20th March 1903, that the school was
completed and the contractor lef~ the key at the Stanford Merthyr Post Office.

The school opened on 1st May 1903 with a total of sixty five (65)
pupils, thirty six (36) boys an~ twenty nine (29) girls. The first teacher
was Mr. Henry J. Brown, who had been transferred from Condobolin.