Page 37 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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AL L ANDAL E S C H 0 0 L

petition included P. Nugent, ? Irwin, ? Dolan, ? Wells, H.H. Hawkins
and P. Ryan. The petition was turned down.

For some months in the latter half of 1908, the Keinbah Progress
Association, from the region surrounding the Allandale Public School, had
sent many protests to the Education Department, complaining on the condition
of the school. However, these protests achieved little results, sometimes
barely acknowledgements. Early in January 1909, eighteen (18) families
signed a petition, which was forwarded by Andrew Bridge to the Education
Depactment, stating that the school was unsafe and that a new building was
needed and if at least temporary repairs were not made, the parents would
refuse to send their children to this school .

. When, by the end of January 1909 and the start of the new school
year, no repairs had been made, nor any mention of a new school, the parents
were as good as their word and boycotted the s~hool and kept their children
at home. The teacher-in-charge, James R. Melvick, sent a telegram each day
to the Education Department from 1st February 1909 to 12th February 1909,
stating:-

"On duty. No pupils attending. School being
boycotted. James R. Melvick, Teacher".

When the matter was raised by the local representative in Parliament,
plus the large press coverage of the contr9versy, the Minister of Education
announced in Parliament that he had directed the Government architect and
the Education Department to prepare plans and call tenpers for the erection
of . a new school. With such a resounding victory, the boycott was lifted and
school attendance resumed.

The Education Department received the plans from the Works
Department, in which it was suggested that it should be a building
similar to that recently erected at Sweetman~ Creek. This Department