Page 83 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

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CE S SN0 C K SCH0 0 L

present, that every effort be made to raise £40.0.0
($80.00) or £50.0.0 ($100.00) towards the erection
of school buildings on the central site already
surveyed for school purposes".

Following this meeting, Mr. Thomas Henry replaced Mr. Charles Howard
as the teacher.

For the rest of this particular year, there were certain
sectarian conflicts and hostilities. The school enrolment dropped
by half in October 1873 and the drive for funds was a failure. Three
members of the Local School Board withdrew their services. In February
1874 Mr. T. Henry sought a transfer to a new school being opened at
West Maitland.

Mr. Thomas Fox followed Mr. Henry. He was a probationary
teacher who attended a training school at Maitland. In his first
week at the school, Mr. Fox only had 16 pupils.

On 17th May 1875, Mr. James Lappan returned to the Cessnoc~
School. In July 1875, Mr. Lappan wr.ote to the Inspector, advising
that a private school, which had opened during 1874 had closed and
the pupils were returning to his school. He asked what action should
be taken to have a larger school built.

In September 1875, the Secretary of the Local Cessnock School
Board, M. Picton, reported to the Inspector that at a recent public
meeting, Cessnock residents recommended that the school should be
built on a Crown Grant site between the Roman Catholic and Church
of England churches, but that people were not in a position to contribute
anything towards the erection of the building.

In November 1875, Inspector Jones recornrnende-::! the erection
of a weatherboard, shingle-roofed schoolhouse to accom~odate eighty
(80) pupils and also a residence of four (4) rooms and a kitchen.