Early
schools in the Hawkesbury district
For the
first decade or so there were no dedicated schools in the Hawkesbury
district and if any learning took place it would have been in the privacy of
the home.
John
Harris, a missionary set up one of the first schools in the Hawkesbury in a
rented building from 1803. In 1805 the Government employed persons to
produce "Bricks for building a large School House and Offices with
Gardens etc. for a House of Public Institution for Male Youth of this
Colony" [1]
this was located in what is now known as Bridge Street in Windsor and John
Harris transferred his school into the new building in 1805.
Other
early schools included :-
- In 1807 James Kenny established a
school in Wilberforce. Governor Macquarie organised a two storey brick
building which was built by John Brabyn. This building which was erected
about 1819-1820, still survives.
- In 1810 local families from
Portland Head (Ebenezer) erected a school building which was operated by
John Youl
- In 1813 a large two storey
building was built in Richmond (near the present cemetery opposite St.
Peter's) and Matthew Hughes was the teacher from 1813 to 1839.
- In 1814 a school was established
by Matthew Thompson. The rented building was eventually purchased and
renovated by William Cox in 1820. This building was used as both school
house and chapel until a brick building was erected in 1835.
- With the establishment of a
school at Sackville in 1823 all the main towns in the Hawkesbury had
some type of amenities.
School House adjacent to St. John's Church of
England, Wilberforce NSW taken in 1937
Source
: Hawkesbury City Council Library Service
Denominational
and Private schools in the Hawkesbury
These
early government assisted schools were established to provide very basic
literacy skills with some religious instruction. These schools eventually
became Parochial school managed by the Church of England.
Other religious denominations such as the Catholics, Wesleyans and
Presbyterians established their own church schools in various centres in the
Hawkesbury. Some of these schools included :
- A Catholic School commenced in Windsor in 1835 and run by James &
Esther Cassidy
- St. Gregory's Roman Catholic School began in Kurrajong in 1834
- the Presbyterian school in Windsor established by George Walker
(father of William Walker) from about 1837
- A Wesleyan girls school in Windsor which commenced in 1839
- As well
as the denominational schools there were numerous private schools
established throughout the Hawkesbury district during the 19th century.
Some of the private schools included the following :
- 1827-1834 Hawkesbury Private school run by T. W. Fenton
- Everton College was established by the Rev Charles Garnsey from the
1860s in Bridge Street, Windsor. Following Garnsey's appointment as minister
to St. Matthew's Church of England in 1867, Mr. J. Hole took over and
it was then known as Hole's Academy.
- St. Katherine's, a ladies school was run by Mrs C. J. Nealds in
Bridge Street, Windsor from about 1872 to 1882.
- Bernard Keenan conducted a private school in the Oddfellows Hall
from about 1872. He eventually constructed a large boarding school at
South Windsor which was known as Windsor Grammar School.
- Rev. H. Plume established Barker College at Kurrajong Heights in
1890.
Class at Currency Creek School now Glossodia, 1918
Source :
Hawkesbury City Council Library Service
Early
days of Windsor:
by James Steele, pp. 117 - 129 (Sydney;
Tyrells, 1916 Reprinted Library of Australian History, 1975)
Macquarie
Country: by D.
G. Bowd, pp.182 - 186 (Sydney; Library of Australian History, 1969 repr 1994)
Kurrajong,
an early history:
by Vivienne Webb, pp.47-53 (Sydney; the author, 1980)
Public
education in the Hawkesbury
Public
education in the Hawkesbury commenced in the Hawkesbury district in 1860
when the National School was established in Richmond. Following the Public School Act, 1867 Windsor
residents began campaigning for a public school. The foundation stone was
eventually laid by Henry Parkes in 1869 and the school opened in 1870. With
the Public Instruction Act, 1880 a
specific government department was responsible for the introduction of
compulsory education in NSW. Funding was also withdrawn from denominational
schools therefore with the introduction of public schools, a number of the
denominational and private schools closed down.
Richmond Public School in the 1950s
Source :
Hawkesbury City Council Library Service
The
following list is extracted from Government
Schools of New South Wales 1848-1998: 150 Years published by New
South Wales Department of Education and Training, 1998.
Please refer to this publication for further information concerning
the history of government schools in New South Wales.
- Agnes Banks:ps
2.1875-1.1908, 8.1923-12.1970 Yarramundi until 8.1923
- Australian Farm:see
Leets Vale
- Bell:ht
Mt Wilson 2.1894-4.1896, 6.1899-3.1901, prov 4.1939-8.1955, ps
9.1955-12.1973
- Bilpin:prov
2.1927-4.1941, 1.1945-5.1952, ps
6.1952-present
- Blaxlands Ridge:prov
8.1892-7.1905, ps 7.1905-12.1977
- Bligh Park:ps
1.1991-present
- Breadsall
see
Colo Heights
- Brewongle Field Studies
Centre:1.1980-present
- Bullridge/Bull Ridge
see Kurrajong East
- Castlereagh:ps
5.1858-12.1930, 1.1857-present, Castlereagh
Lower from 1.1957-4.1983
- Castlereagh Upper:ps
3.1879-12.1975
- Cattai:prov
2.1886-6.1888, ps 7.1888-present, Maroota
(1) until 12.1908
- Colo Central [No.l]:ht
Colo Upper 8.1868-7.1883, prov
1.1884-5.1889, ht Colo Central (2) 9.1889-5.1892, hh 7.1892-10.1894, ht
Colo Upper 11.1894-3.1904, prov 4.1904-12.1915 ps 1.1916- 7.1934, Wheeny
Creek (1) until 5.1889, Colo Central (1) until 5.1892, Colo Middle until
1889
- Colo
Central [No.2]:ht Colo
Central 9.1889-5.1892
- Colo Heights:prov
5.1939-11.1957, ps 11.1957-present, Breadsall
until 5.1947
- Colo High:hs
1.1978-present
- Colo Middle: see
Colo Central [No. 1]
- Colo Upper:ht
Colo Central 8.1868-7.1883, prov 1.1884-3.1884, ps 4.1884-9.1891, hh
7.1892-10.1894, ht Colo Central 11.1894-3.1904, ht Wheeny Creek (2)
4.1904-6.1907, ps 7.1907-5.1947
- Comleroy Road:ps
7.1880-present
- Cornwallis:prov
1.1886-6.1886, ps 7.1886-3.1896
- Ebenezer:prov
6.1874-8.1887, ps 8.1887-present, Portland
Head until 1887
- Forrester:
see Maraylya
- Freemans Reach:ps
1.1867-9.1872, 7.1877-present
- Freemans Reach Evening:eps
1902 only
- Gentlemans Halt:prov
11.1883-3.1885, ps 4.1885-6.1901
- Glossodia:ps
4.1898-present, Previously known as Currency
Creek until 9.1923
- Grono Park:ps
7.1871-12.1875
- Grose Vale:prov
8.1871-9.1875, ps 10.1875-12.1976, Kurrajong
(1) until 1875, Kurrajong South until 5.1929
- Grose View:ps
1.1977-present (formed from Grose Wold
& Grose Vale)
- Grose Wold:prov
7.1902-4.1928, 1.1964-12.1976
- Gunderman:prov
5.1946-11.1957, ps 11.1957-12.1978
- Halfmoon Reach Upper:prov
4.1898-6.1905
- Hawkesbury High:hs
1.1983-present
- Hawkesbury Lower (1):ps
1866-11.1871, ht Wisemans Ferry 11.1871-5.1872
- Hawkesbury Lower (2):prov
3.1871-12.1884, ht Laughtondale 1.1885-10.1890, prov 10.1890-9.1894,
ps 10.1894-6.1903, ht Mill Creek 7.1903-7.1909
- Hobartville:ps
1.1971-present
- Howes Valley:prov
10.1872-1880, ps 1880-5.1895, ht Springfield (3) 6.1895-6.1907, prov
1.1910-3.1936
- Kurmond:ps
7.1920-present, Longleat until 2.1926
- Kurrajong (1):
see
Grose Vale
- Kurrajong (2):ps
9.1929-present
- Kurrajong East:prov
3.1878-9.1898, ps 10.1898 - present, Buttsworth
Swamp until 2.1891, Bull Ridge until 10.1899, Morgan until 9.1901, Bull
Ridge until 1.1922
- Kurrajong North:ps
10.1878-present
- Kurrajong South:
see
Grose Vale
- Laughtondale:ht
Hawkesbury Lower (2) 1.1885-10.1890, ps 10.1890-12.1943
- Leets Vale:pt
Wisemans Ferry 5.1874-4.1881, ps 4.1881-5.1894, ht Maroota (2)
7.1894-4.1896, ps 5.1896-9.1925, ht Maroota (2) 6.1926-6.1934, ps
7.1946-5.1954, Australian Farm until
2.1915
- Londonderry:prov
2.1934-6.1935, ps 7.1935-present, Londonderry
Road until 11.1964
- Longleat see
Kurmond
- Longneck Lagoon Field
Studies Centre:4.1978-present
- Lower Portland:prov
1867-1872, ps 1872-4.1996
- Lower Portland Evening:eps
1881 only
- Macdonald Central:
see
Macdonald Valley
- Macdonald Higher:ht
Wallambyne Creek 10.1882-2.1894, ht Ormonde 2.1894-12.1908, ht
Wallambyne Creek 5.1911-10.1911
- Macdonald Lower (1):ps
5.1865-1868, 5.1870-10.1890, ht Webbs Creek 7.1894-11.1900, 5.1901-12.1908
- Macdonald Lower (2):
see
Macdonald Upper (2)
- Macdonald River:
see
Macdonald Valley
& Macdonald Upper (2)
- Macdonald Upper (1):ps
7.1868-7.1871, ht Macdonald Upper (2) 9.1871-1873
- Macdonald Upper (2):ps
12.1868-8.1871, ht Macdonald Upper (1) 9.1871-1873, prov 1873-8.1879,
ps 8.1879-9.1963, Macdonald River (2)
until 8.1871, Macdonald Lower (2) until 1873, Macdonald River (2) until
8.1879
- Macdonald Valley:ps
2.1850-present, Macdonald River (1)
until 1870, Macdonald River Central until 1875, Macdonald Central until
6.1981
- Maraylya:prov
11.1868-1871, 8.1874-5.1880, ps 6.1880-present, North Rocks (1) until
9.1895, Forrester until 10.1920
- Maroota (1):
see
Cattai
- Maroota (2):hh
6.1891-12.1892, ht Webbs Creek 4.1893-5.1894, ht Leets Vale 7.1894-4.1896,
ht Mill Creek 5.1896-8.1900, prov 9.1922-6.1925, ht Leets Vale
6.1926-6.1934, prov 6.1934-8.1952, ps 9.1952-present, Olive
Mount until 8.1900
- Maroota South:prov
5.1941-12.1953, ps 1.1954-12.1977
- Mill Creek:prov
2.1891-4.1896, ht Maroota (2) 5.1896-8.1900, prov 8.1900-7.1903, ht
Hawkesbury Lower (2) 7.1903-7.1909, prov 10.1909-12.1914, ps 1.1915-5.1922
- Morgan: see
Kurrajong East
- Mt Wilson:prov
10.1891-12.1893, ht Bell 2.1894-4.1896, 6.1899-3.1901, prov 4.1936-11.1942,
9.1946-11.1957, ps 11.1957-3.1983
- North Rocks:
see
Maraylya
- Oakville:ps
3.1900-present
- Olive Mount:
see
Maroota (2)
- Ormonde:ht
Macdonald Higher 2.1894-12.1908
- Pitt Town (1):ps
1852 only
- Pitt Town (2):ps
1.1876-present
- Pitt Town Co-Operative
Settlement:ps
4.1894-8.1896
- Pitt Town Evening:eps
1881 only
- Portland Head:
see
Ebenezer
- Putty:hh
4.1884-7.1890, ht Springfield (3) 8.1890-5.1895, prov 6.1895-12.1897, ps
1.1898-8.1946
- Richmond:ps
7.1860-1881, sps 1881-1912, ps 1912-12.1924, dr 1.1925-12.1954, ps
1.1955-present
- Richmond High:hs
1.1955-present
- Richmond North:Ps
6.1871-present
- Richmond North Evening:eps
1881 only
- Riverstone:ps
1.1883-present
- Riverstone High:hs
1.1962-present
- Sackville North:prov
1868-7.1876, ps 1.1878-12.1972, Sackville
Reach until 4.1947
- Sackville Reach:
see
Sackville North
- St Albans:ps
1868-5.1946
- Scheyville Holding Centre:ps
9.1950-12.1965 (migrant camp)
- Spencer:prov
11.1900-7.1902, ps 8.1902-present
- Springfield (3):hh
4.1884-7.1890, ht Putty 8.1890-5.1895, ht Howes Valley 6.1895-6.1907
- Tennyson:prov
1.1895-6.1900, ps 7.1900-3.1951
- Vineyard:prov
6.1872-1880, ps 1880-present, sometimes
known as The Vineyard
- Wallambyne Creek:ht
Macdonald Higher 10.1882-2.1894, prov 3.1894-6.1896, ps 7.1896-4.1909, ht
Macdonald Higher 5.1911-10-1911, prov 5.1923-12-1934, 1.1937-10.1945
- Webbs Creek:prov
1.1891-3.1891, hh 1.1892-3.1893, ht Maroota (2) 4.1893-5.1894, ht Macdonald
Lower (1) 7.1894-11.1900, prov 12.1900-5.1901, ht Macdonald Lower (1)
5.1901-12.1908, prov 1.1909-11.1922
- Wheeny Creek (1):
see Colo Central [No 1]
- Wheeny Creek (2):ht
Colo Upper 4.1904-6.1907, prov 7.1907-7.1911
- Wilberforce:ps
7.1880-present
- Wilberforce Evening:eps
1898 only
- Windsor:ps
2.1870-8.1890, sps 8.1890-3.1913, ps
3.1913-present
- Windsor Evening:eps
1905 only
- Windsor High:hs
1.1969-present
- Windsor Park:ps
11.1995-present
- Windsor South:ps
1.1957-present
- Wisemans Ferry:ps
2.1865-6.1866, ht Hawkesbury Lower (1) 11.1871-5.1872, ht Leets Vale
5.1874-4.1881, ps 4.1881-present
- Wrights Creek:prov
1867-8.1870
- Yarramundi:
see
Agnes Banks
Abbreviations:
- dr
- District Rural School
- eps
- Evening Public School
- hh
- House to House School
- hs
- High School
- ht
- Half-Time School
- prov
- Provisional School
- ps
- Public School
- sps
- Superior Public School
Other
Educational Institutions in the Hawkesbury
The
Hawkesbury Agricultural College was established in 1891 to instruct and
educate youths in agriculture. A number of sites on Crown land were proposed
but eventually Richmond was chosen. The college officially commenced on 16th
March 1891, with twenty-six students under the leadership of Principal John
Low Thompson. In 1895 the foundation stone for the college was laid and
classes were held on the new campus and accommodation available on site in
1896.
Original
courses at the college were related to agriculture including dairying,
pig-raising, sheep, horticulture management, poultry & crop-growing.
Courses have changed over the years & the first lady student at the
college was a Miss Manning in 1893, completing an apiary course. In 1970 the
became a College of Advanced Education and in 1989 the Hawkesbury
Agricultural College combined with Nepean College of Advanced Education to
form the University of Western Sydney. The network has campuses at
Hawkesbury, Nepean, Macarthur & Quakers Hill.
The
Western Sydney Institute of TAFE - Richmond College was officially opened in
1994 on land adjacent to the University. The university and college have
co-operated together to form the unique educational precinct, sharing
facilities and services. Courses include horticulture & agriculture,
Aviation, Business Services and Computing.
Education
today in the Hawkesbury district
According
to the 1996 Census 28% (15,822) of the residents of the Hawkesbury were
attending some type of educational institution. Of these, the majority
(10,854) were attending Infants, Primary & Secondary institutions.
75% of these were attending government schools while 25% were
attending private schools.
Source
: Hawkesbury Social Plan : Part 1
Hawkesbury Social Atlas / Hawkesbury City Council, 2000 p. 59 and ABS
1996 census
- Some of
the private schools in the district in the year 2000 include :
- Arndell
Anglican College at Oakville
- Bede
Polding College at South Windsor
- Kuyper
Christian School at North Richmond
- Hawkesbury
Independent School at Kurrajong
- Chisholm
Catholic Primary School at Bligh Park
- St.
Matthew's Catholic School at Windsor
- St.
Monica's Catholic School at Richmond
[1]
7th August 1803/Historic Records of Australia, Series 1, vol. 4 p.
311