Page 363 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

394.

WOLLOMBI PUBLIC SCHOOL

to regret this action. Meantime, the earlier factional arguments involving
David Dunlop also caused further serious rifts.

It would appear that this first Wollombi National School had commenced
in a Wesleyan Methodist building on the north-eastern side of the Wollombi to
Singleton Road, between Aleppo and Negro Streets. David Dunlop represented
the Wesleyan Methodist Church. On 26th July 1853, Dunlop advised both the
local Wollombi School Board and the State National Schools Board that the
Wesleyan Methodist Church required its premises and therefore requested the
Wollombi National School to vacate the building. Under Appendix "A" of the
Department of Public Instruction 1853 Annual Report headed 'Schools and
Attendances', No. 47 on the list shows:-

"Wollombi 38 pupils on roll - 19 boys and 19 girls.
Daily average attendance totalled 35.
School closed 24th September 1853."

On 15th July 1853, Teac~er John Rubie gave 'Notice of Resignation'
from the Wollombi National School. In his letter Mr. Rubie advised that in
addition to the National School two Denominational Schools were operating in
Wollombi itself - one had nine (9) pupils, the other fourteen (14) pupils.
Whilst Rubie's letter does not name the Denominational schools, it is thought
that they were respectively a 'Presbyterian' and a 'Roman Catholic'. John
Rubie was transferred to the Merriwa National School.

On 7th February 1853, the Government Gazette records a Government
Grant of 1 acre 30 perches, Parish of Wollombi, back of Allotments 1, 2, 3 and
4, Section 5, as a future school site. This area borders the Wollombi Brook
and is some two hundred (200) yards from Cuneen's Bridge.

During 1854, some correspondence was carried out between the State
National Schools Board, the local Wollombi School Board and the Government
Architect Mr. Rober~son, as to the s iz e and style of a proposed National School
building on the Government Grant gazetted. Mr. Robertson examined a plan and
specifications submitted by William Meadows of Wollombi. This building was