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Mt Kembla Public School History
American Creek - Violet Hill - Mount Kembla Public School
A School for American Creek - Violet Hill National School
The community that began to grow in the valley on the north side of Mt Kembla was in the 1840s known as American Creek after the creek that ran through it. By the late 1850's the land had been cleared and cultivated, farmers established their diaries, orchards and crops and their families were growing. The area was said to have about 70 school aged children with no local school to attend. In 1857 a community meeting was held at William Stafford's residence to investigate establishing a National School at American Creek. Henry Gordon, Mr Mulholland, Mr Wilkinson addressed the meeting and 20 pounds were raised on the spot to put towards a school building and teachers residence.
Lot 6 at the end of today's William James Drive had been granted by the government as a site for the school on the application of Henry Gorodon who was himself a teacher. "An opinion seemed prevalent amongst those present, that the piece of ground near the Creek, which on the application of Mr. Gordon, was granted by Government for the site of a National School, was inconvenient". Henry Gordon JP and William Stafford each put forward half an acre of their lands fronting the public road as possible sites the school (Illawarra Mercury 14.5.1857). The Board of National Education would foot two thirds of the cost of buildings while the community was expected to pay for the remaining third. By October the community had raised ninety seven pounds with all the contributors listed in the local paper. Most of the subscribers pledged one or two pounds, James Sleevan 3.3 pounds, Herny Osborn 5 pounds, but Henry Gordon, William Stafford and John Garrett put in an astonishing 12 pounds each (Illawarra Mercury 26.10.1857​).
William and Elizabeth Stafford's land was chosen as the school site as it was considered more centrally located. They sold a portion of their 30 acre Lot 129 to The Board of National Education on the 22nd of June 1858 for 15 pounds. Both the original single room school building and teachers cottage of weatherboard, slab and shingle construction were erected by Robert Longmore for a total cost of 375 pounds.
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The original teacher's residence is thought to be the small building on the left directly behind the original weatherboard school building in centre of image,
circa 1890, detail of Mt Kembla Saddle Kerry and Co Photographers from the collections of the PowerHouse Museum
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The school was named Violet Hill School at the request of Henry Gordon JP, instead of American Creek School, after the hill on which it was built where native violets grew. The school was officially opened by its first teacher, Mr John McCredie, on the 11th of February 1859. Mr McCredie taught 33 pupils on average that first year with a total of 48 enrolled children. Towards the end of the first year the Board sent an inspector who reported the following:
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"The school room and its appointments are suitable, though there is some deficiency of apparatus.
The pupils are neither regular nor punctual. They appear to be well disposed though greatly oppressed with bashfulness. A large portion had never attended school previously to entering this.
Only the ordinary subjects have yet been introduced. The choice of lessons appears to be judicious, and the methods are characterized by considerable tact and skill."
William Wilkins superintendent of the Board of National Education November 1859
Miss Emily Basher attended Violet Hill school from 1875-1889, she recalled at the school centenary in 1959 carrying her drinking water to school in a bottle, sitting on backless forms at long desks, and writing on a slate. Every Monday morning she would give her Headmaster Mr George Blakers threepence for her school fee (South Coast Times 27.8.1959).
Over the years that followed many changes occurred, the most significant was the industrialization of this once agricultural community with the opening of first, the Pioneer Kerosene works in 1865, followed by the Mt Kembla Colliery in 1883. These changes saw a large influx of immigrants and their children requiring accommodation and schooling. The weatherboard school house and teachers residence were soon filled to capacity. The families were often poor and through strikes and depressions with the mine running intermittently, they had trouble paying their school fees that were used towards improvements and to supplement the teacher's basic department salary. In spite of this after much agitation Mt Kembla finally received the school house and headmaster's residence that stand to this day.
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Time line of changes:
1860 - Henry Gordon sent the board specifications for a kitchen, verandah and fence around the school ground costed at £130.
1860 September - Only the three rail hardwood fence is erected.
1864 November - The school teacher Mr Harrison notifies he has papered the walls and painted the door and undertaken minor repairs at his own expense, hoping the board will attach a kitchen and verandah to the font of the teacher's residence.
1866 - Spouting provided around the school building.
1869 - A £45 tender to repair and paint the school was accepted from A Herd and P Gavine.
1873 - Mr Huffer recommended that guttering, a verandah and underground tank be provided to the school.
1874 - Tenders for improvements sought (Illawarra Mercury 28.7.1874)
1875 - Guttering and a verandah provided by P. Gavine for £43 but not the tank
1876 - Tenders for a tank and guttering to the school house were sought (Illawarra Mercury 28.3.1876)
1878 - Tenders for improvements and repairs were sought (Illawarra Mercury 17.6.1878). The roof was shingled and a slab kitchen built for £75.
1881 - Tenders for a weathershed were sought (Illawarra Mercury 4.11.1881).
1884 - Tenders for additions and repairs were sought (Illawarra Mercury 19.8.1884). A tender for additions and repairs was accepted from P Gavine for £106 (Sydney Morning Herald 18.10.1884).
1884 - Name changed to Mt Kembla Public School
With the advent of shale and coal mining in Mt Kembla the school population grew to well over 100 students.
1885 - Another school room was added in November to accommodate 40 students along with improvements to the ventilation of the large school room.
1886 - William Wiley writes that it "The public school now used is an old weatherboard building provided many years ago before Mount Kembla Coal Mine was opened. It has certainly been patched to enlarge it, but at the present time is far too small and inconveniently situated... I believe a new building near Graham's store would most essentially suit the requirements".
In response the inspector Mr Murray stated that the school was in very fair repair and that "The enrollment is 125 , the ordinary attendance 88 (and) sometimes 100 are present. The school accommodations is insufficient and the ventilation is very bad. All the windows are of the same kind - double sash - the lower half of each is now a fixture and the upper half is an arc opening allowing an air space of from 6 or 8 inches from the top but nothing in the middle. These American are openings might suit fairly well for school rooms where the ceilings are lofty and the windows are high up but they are unsuitable for low ceiled buildings and where much air space is necessary, such as this school room.... a class room is required and three ventilators put into the present school room."
1888 - Mr E Vickery writes to the Department in favour of a new school "The school house at present used is a poor weatherboard cottage situated a mile away, along a steep road, from the bulk of the children. It is deficient in height. light. ventilation and accommodation."
Inresponse Inspector Dawson remarked that "in spite of its difficulties there is no better building at Mount Kembla" than the school.
1890 - J H Ronaldson, the manager of Mt Kembla Colliery, asked to be allowed to use the old school desks and forms which were about to be replaced by new furniture to be used in the new reading room which had just been built in Kembla Heights. Headmaster Mr Hamilton supported this request and it was granted.
1891 - A cottage was rented for £12 a year from the Mt Kembla Coal and Oil company possibly for use as an extra class room.
1894 - The local member for the Illawarra, Archibald Cambell wrote "The school buildings now doing duty at Mount Kembla re of the most wretched character. It is the only important school in the whole of the district without proper buildings - though one of the oldest public school in the colony.... the present dilapidated structures have done duty for pretty well two generations".
In response the inspector recommended a new school to be erected. Plans were drawn up in 1894 and submitted 1895.
1895 - The tender of A D Scouller of Sydney to build the new school and headmaster's residence for £1499 was accepted.
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New Mt Kembla School Building and Headmaster's Residence
The new teacher's residence on the far left, new double story stone and brick building centre, circa 1900
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1896 April - The new buildings were finally finished, delays were caused by weather and difficulty in acquiring materials.
1896 July - Celebration of the opening of Two Story brick and stone school building.
1896 October - The old school building was removed and a new fence erected by J P Gibson for £89.
1899 - Mr Hamilton requested the appointment of another pupil-teacher as enrolment had reached 181 students with daily attendance frequently above 160. Request approved.
1900 - Part of the playground was levelled by S Williams for £60.
1901 - For 190 students: 77 in first class, 20 in second class, 66 in third class, and 27 in 4th class (not equivalent to today's classes). Teaching staff consisted of a headmaster, a female teaching assistant (who taught 1st class) and two pupil teachers.
1902 - Mt Kembla Mine disaster occurred, a wall in the old school building cracked from the blast.
1907 - The front fence was repaired, an addition of a servant's bedroom, wash house and extra water tank for the headmaster's residence were completed by H Williams and J Pulter for £415.
1909 - Flame tree planted by Jack Morriss, Mr Hamilton Headmaster (reported in 1959 newspaper)
1911 - Weather-shed for the boys was completed by H Williams.
1913 - P & C Association donated a piano to the school.
1915 - Corporal Shipp a Mt Kembla school teacher killed at Gallipoli.
1915 July - a separate weather shed was constructed for the boys
1916 March - H Williams tender for £160 to enclose the ground floor of the school for additional school rooms and remove a detached school building (the last remaining classroom from the old weatherboard school removed ) was accepted.
1916 May - Tender for girls weather-shed was accepted from H Knight for £59.14.3.
1916 - Main water was laid at the school and residence at a cost of £26.17.4.
1925 - A complete remodel of the school took place to provide four classrooms, each holding 48 pupils. The residence repainted to prevent erosion of defective bricks.
1930 - An electric light was installed at the headmaster's residence for a cost of £18.5.0 by W McPhee.
1930s - School tennis courts constructed (information from Grace Barrett)
1936 - Electric lights were installed in the school at Parents and Citizens Association request for their meetings.
1937 - The old piano was disposed of and new piano purchased for £25.
1939 May - the old stone steps from the driveway to the bricked in doorway (a relic of the old weather shed room) were removed and the complete school building was painted at a cost of £239.
1945 - Two acres on the west side of the school grounds belonging to the coal mine was acquired by resumption. This area was known by locals as "over the fence".
1940s - An air raid shelter was built to the west of the school building
1959 - The school celebrated its centenary on September 12th with a visit from the Minister for Education, Mr R J Heffron, who gave the children a holiday for the following Friday to celebrate. Jack Morriss planted another Illawarra flame tree has he had done 50 years earlier.
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1906 image of Mt Kembla Public School double story building
courtesy of Neil Bott, detail from the Government Printing Office
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Date Appointed:
February 1859
September 1860
February 1864
May 1865
January 1871
February 1886
January 1888
April 1905
February 1910
May 1911
January 1915
June 1924
January 1928
November 1935
February 1966
January 1969
January 1973
January 1986
January 1989
January 1990
January 1992
January 1997
January 2010
January 2016
January 2017
July 2019
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Headmasters:
John McCredie
Samuel King Miller
G. D. Harrison
Mrs Margaret Burke
William Cox
Frederick Rutland
Samuel Pitt
Leslie Riddle
David Cowie
Fred Bridgement
John Watson
Stuart Dewar
Peter Houweling
Raelene Redfern
Lesley Matthews (12 months)
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The 1973 new double story school building next to the old in 1982, Image courtesy of Illawarra Images.
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Headmaster's list 1859-1959, timeline of changes and teaches names sourced from:
An Historical account prepared from Mitchell Library, Government Archives and Department of Education sources by the Division of Research and Planning, NSW Department of Education June 1959; Mt Kembla Public School 1859-2009 Celebrating 150 years; TROVE historical newspapers; and Kembla Jottings Facebook Page
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1973 - The new double story school building was built on the site of the original Violet Hill weather board building along with a quadrangle/basket ball area that later became the COLA. Cost of the new school building was $98,479, built by Building Construction and Maintenance Branch of the Public Works Department. The new building was officially opened Saturday 6th of October by Mr Ian Yong, director of Education.
1974 - A rain-forest study trail was established on the southern boundary of the school and maintained by senior students.
1980-83 - Fire stairs added to outside of old school building.
1990 - The headmaster's residence was used as a community play group & school canteen for a time.
1995 - The headmaster's residence was converted to the school office.
2001 - The covered outdoor learning area (COLA) was built over the quadrangle and a stage installed.
2006? - The Year 6 area was established in south western corner of playground.
2015 - Roadworks to widen the footpath and replace the retaining wall at the front of the school were completed.
2017 - The roof was replaced in the headmaster's residence building/office.
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Mt Kembla Public School Enrollments:
1859 48
1868 60
1884 120
1885 127
1886 124
1887 172
1888 168
1889 166
1890 127
1891 149
1892 146
1893 122
1894 139
1895 141
1896 148
1897 158
1898 181
1899 162
1900 170
1901 169
1903 161
1904 158
1908 205
1918 163
1945 78
1959 137
1973 108
1984 92
2004 160
2007 157
2009 136
2013 150
2014 162
2015 157
2016 141
2019 115
2020 107
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Some of the Teachers:
1859-60s John McCredie, Samule King Miller, G D Harrison, Mrs Margaret Burke
1870s Mrs Margaret Burke, Mr George Theadore Blakers.
1880s Mr George Theadore Blakers. William Cox, Alexander Hamilton.
1889 Miss Rose Mooney (later Mrs Madden)
1890s Miss Emery, Miss Sutherland, Miss Keller, Miss McEvoy (1895-97) replaced with Miss May L Smith (1897-1900), Miss Beatrice Croft (-1900)
1900s Mr Leslie R Scott (relieving Mr Gregson in 1906), Miss McInnes (1906), Miss K Copas swaps with Miss Lewis of Moruya Public School (1908), Mr Henry (1907), Dave Dudgeon (1905-)
1910s Alfred Ship (1912-1914 died 1915, ANZAC), Mr J L Williams (relieving Mr Burling 1913), Miss Mary Josephine Carmody, Miss Moore, Miss Woods
1920s Miss Collier, Miss Stevens, Miss Spicer, Miss Pedemont, Miss Wilson and Miss Murphy, Mr Bertie Kennedy (acting headmaster June 1924),
1930s Miss Steinhoff, Mr Unsworth, Miss Fredericks (-1936) replaced by Mr A Robertson.
1940s Miss Malone, Mrs Irene Violet Ryan, Miss Nora Delavere (1948-51)
1950s Mr John Zemelman (1954-59), Mrs I Ryan
1960s Mr Ruskin, Mr Osborne, Miss Thompson, Mrs Conlon, Mrs Wendy Richardson (1969-74)
1960s - 1970s Miss Heatherington, Mrs Conlin, Mr Osborne, Mr Byrne,, Mrs Richardson, Miss Benvenuti, Mr Byrnes, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Brenda Wilson, Mr Bourne, Mrs Harris, Miss Betty
1980s Mr Bourne, Mrs Cathy Reade, Mr Kevin Tucker, Mrs Freidman, Mrs Mills, Mrs Harmon (Librarian), Mr Thompson, Mr Glasier, Miss Noelene Wood (1987-2003)
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The enrollment information for 1884-1904 was sourced from Reports of the Minister of Public Instruction, cited in Piggin and Lee's The Mt Kembla Disaster 1992 page 290. Enrollment numbers from 2013-2016 were sourced from the 2016 Mt Kembla Public School Annual Report. Other dates and figures sourced from An Historical account prepared from Mitchell Library, government Archives and Department of Education sources by the Division of Research and Planning, NSW Department of Education June 1959.
This stern looking headmaster,George Blakers taught for 15 years from 1871 to 1886. He was no match for the the new miner's children who arrived in 1884. Newspapers report tensions between his heavy handed disciplinary style to curb the unruly kids, while the parents complained of mistreatment. By 1886 he had enough and exchanged places with Mr William Cox of Broughton Public School. Before leaving he sold "a young cow and a quite pony".
The school was so tight for space with all the new miners children that the headmaster's residence was shared between the Clelland family and also a class room for the infants. Young Duncan on the pony outside the original shingle roofed Headmaster's residence. recalled In 1959 living in a portion of the house and attending school in the same building in the early 1890s. His father was a carpenter and the family later moved to Kembla Heights to work for the coal mine.
Thomas Davidson Burling was Mt Kembla Public School headmaster from May 1911 to Dec 1914. With thanks to descendants and Julie Barrett for sharing this photo.
This stern looking headmaster,George Blakers taught for 15 years from 1871 to 1886. He was no match for the the new miner's children who arrived in 1884. Newspapers report tensions between his heavy handed disciplinary style to curb the unruly kids, while the parents complained of mistreatment. By 1886 he had enough and exchanged places with Mr William Cox of Broughton Public School. Before leaving he sold "a young cow and a quite pony".
Extra Interesting Information!
Page last updated 18.12.2018