Page 337 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

368.

SWEETMANS CREEK SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. - 5/17733-1

An effort was made by a teacher, Charles Edge, in November 1877
to start a school at Sweetmans Creek without Government approval, but the
local residents looked for Government financial assistance. Like their
neighbouring areas of Ellalong, Millfield and Wollombi, residents of Sweetmans
Creek also sought the establishment of a 'provisional' school at their
location. The main correspondent appears to have been Jacob Lumby. On 18th
February 1878, he forwarded a letter of request, together with a petition,
to the Department of Public Instruction. The petition gives this information,
family name, names and number of children of school age, the family religion
and distance from their requested school:-

NAME POSSIBLE FAMILY DISTANCE FROM
PUPILS RELIGION REQUESTED
SCHOOL
BOYS GIRLS CC;urch of England
C!1urch of England
Jacob Lum by 3 Church of England u1 mile
John Charles Duncombe Church of England
John Clark (Snr.) 2 C'.!urch of England 1 mile
John Clark (Jnr.) C!iurch of England
Willia'll Mitchell 2 Church of England 2
William Sweetman Roman Catholic
Andrew Morton 3 ii.cman Catholic H miles
Charles Mc Donald (Snr.) 3 Reman Catholic
John Ball 3 mile
Charles Mc Donald (Jnr.)
u1 mile

1 mile

2

1i miles

mile

2 2 miles

2 miles

TOTAL 6 19 = 25 Children

Inspector J.D. Bradley made an investigation in March 1878 and in
a report to his superiors dated 1st April 1878, advised that he expected
there would be eighteen (18) pupils av3ilable at Sweetmans Creek. He considered
"that a sufficiently good slab building 2nd school furnit•Jre could be erected
for about £50.0.0 ($100.00)". He recs~~ended that a school should be estab-
lished provided the residents built tr.e sc !-1.:ol house. Further, if this
condition was met, the Council of Educ3ti on should give £25.0.0 ($50.00) to