Page 34 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

29.

AL L ANDAL E S C H 0 0 L
STATE ARCHIVES PAPERS - 5/14639.

The 'Public Instruction Act' passed on 1st May 1880, made
some very important changes to the 'education system'. One of these
major changes was the introduction of 'compulsory education'. This
in particular encouraged parents, who were interested in seeing that
their children had the opportunity of obtaining schooling and thus
education. One such group was that from the areas of Allandale, Blairduguid,
and the Wilderness. On 13th July 1881, Matthew Palmer, on behalf
of the local residents, forwarded a petition, seeking the establishment
of a school. The petition suggested the name 'Blairduguid' as the
school name. The names of the signatories of that petition are shown
here-under. The list also shows the number of their children of school-
age, the distance from their home to the nearest school and the family
religious denomination.

SIGNATORY NUMBER OF DISTANCE FROM FAMILY'S RELIGION
CHILDREN OF NEAREST SCHOOL
George Mears SCHOOL AGE
Edwin Buck 5 miles Wesleyan Methodist
Edwin Willis 3 children Church of England
William London 3 II 3~ II Wesleyan Methodist
John Boland 5 II Church of England
Michael Drummond 4 II Roman Catholic
Patrick Henry 5" 6 II
James Harman 3 II II II
5 II 3 II
3 II 3 II II II
3 II
3" Wesleyan Methodist
3"

At this particular period, the Oswald School was dwindling in
numbers. This was due partly because of the established schools in
the Lochinvar area and also because of the quic~ growth in the other
side, adjacent to Greta. The Greta growth had 'mushroomed' with
the development of its coal pits. The Education Department was reluctant
to open new schools, even though it appeared there were some thirty (30)
children of school age in this proximity. Finally, to test the