Page 58 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

65.

BROWN MUIR SCHOOL
STATE ARCHIVES FILE NO. - 5/15130

Brown Muir area, like other Wollombi Brook regions in the 1880's,
pressed for the establishment of a school to give their children education.
Perhaps it resulted from the promptings of Inspector J. Jones, who in the
mid 1870's, sought groups or areas interested in having schools built or
established. Whatever the stimulus, a petition was sent on 9th October 1880
to the Department of Public Instruction, seeking the establishment of a
'Provisional School' at Brown Muir, as there were so.me twenty (20) children
of school age in the area. The principal correspondent on behalf of the
local residents was R.P. Crawford.

The petition listed the following information:-

NAME POSSIBLE PUPILS FAMILY DIS-::'.:1.NCE
RELIGION E C ·1 A
BOYS GIRLS sc::ooL

R.P. Crawford 3 3 Church of England 10 miles
Benjamin Jackson 2 Church of England 12 miles
James Crawford 2 10 miles
Augustus Chick 2 Ch;.irch of England
Henry Parry 2 Church of England 5 miles
Church of England 11 miles
? Manwarren Church of England 7 miles
R. Crawford 2 Cl1urch of England 10 miles

TOTAL 12 8

Apparently, some investigation was made by a Depart~ental Inspector,
who made a report to his superiors. The Under-Secretary of the Department on
4th December 1880, wrote to Mr. Cra•r1f..:-r::: advising that "fellowing an examination
by the Department's officer and the Department's understandir.g, the applicants
cannot erect the necessary buildings required by the 'Ac:', t~e Department
intended to stand-over this case until :he residents were able to do so".