Page 59 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

66.

B R 0 WN MU I R S C H 0 0 L

On 28th March 1882, James Crawford wrote on behalf of his fellow
residents, advising the Department of Public Instruction that the residents
had now constructed a school on the Brown Muir Estate. The Department
evidently agreed then that a 'Provisional' school should be opened. It
arranged a lease with James Crawford, dated 15th May 1882, in which for a
'peppercorn' rental, it covered a piece of land about two (2) acres upon
which the Brown Muir Provisional School had been erected. The first teacher,
William Griffiths from Lambton, appears to have taken over on 24th May, 1882.

Inspector Morris made his annual examination on 19th October 1882.
He found that there were twenty-one (21 J pupils present out of a total
enrolment of twenty-one (21 J. The daily average attendance over the
previous month had been twenty (20) pupils. Inspector Morris recommended
that Brown Muir School should be raised to the status of a 'Public School'.
The Department elevated Brown Muir to a Public School from 1st April 1883.

James Crawford, on 23rd August 1884, agreed to build a new floor
in the schoolhouse and also to weatherboard the .building, provided the
Department of Public Instruction retained the school at these premises for
the next three (3) years. Perhaps the improve~ents required changed Mr.
Crawford's views and his generosity of the 'peppercorn' rental for the
school and its site, for on 1st April 1888, he made an agreement with the
Department of Public Instruction to lease the school and site for one year
for a rental of £12.0.0 ($24.00) per annum.

On 1st March 1889, Brown Muir School was closed for the day to
allow the school to have a 'Picnic Day'. The file records do not show any
s~ecial reason or significance of the day for holding of the picnic.

School enrolments at Brown Muir commenced to dwindle and by
January 1898, there were only eight (8) pupils on the roll. This caused
t(;e Department to reduce the status of the school to that of a 'Half-Time'
school as trom 10th February 1898. The teacher was shared week about with
Sawyers Gully School.