Page 42 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

37.

BE L L8 I RD S C H 0 0 L

Depending on Mr. Doyle's other commitments, it was not always the
larger 'drag' bus that was utilised. On a number of occasions, despite
the seeming prospect of approaching inclement weather, Mr. Doyle had
not used a covered vehicle and the school children had returned home
rather wet. Finally, a petition from fifty-eight (58) of the then
residents complained strongly that the bus conveyance was most
unsatisfactory, and that a school was urgently required.

Once more, the Education Department directed Inspector Friend
to re-examine pnd again furnish a report. His examination revealed
that there were thirty-one (31) children of school-age in the vicinity,
twenty-two (22) of these were being conveyed by Mr. Doyle's horse-bus
to the Gessnock School. With this additional number of possible
attenders, he recommended that a school should be built at Bellbird.

The Department, without stating that a school would be built,
directed Inspector Friend to search for a possible school site. In
the sub-divisions of Bellbird a sug~ested school site had been provided.
However, Inspector Friend felt that Bellbird township, when it finally
settled, would grow more along the main road from Cessnock to Wollombi
and probably closer to O'Neill's Wine Shop. With this personal judgement,
on 8th December 1910, the inspector selected a site about where present
numbers 371 to 377 inclusive, stand on Wollombi Road Bellbird, or current
residences of Messrs. Martin Mc Namara, Roy Dean and Mrs. Mary Thompson.
Within a week, sixty-five (65) res i dents objected to Inspector Friend's
selected site. The Department acknowledged the petition by seeking
a site elsewhere.

An area of two (2) acres nine and one half (9~) perches, being
Allotment No. 14 Section No. 5 Village of Bellbird was sel~cted. This
was the corner of Mt. View Street and Doyle Street. On 14th March 1911,
Inspector Friend wrote to his Depar:ment suggesting the ereetion
of a 'floored tent' as a temporary ~easure. However, little