The School Opens

Pennant Hills South Public School opened on Monday, 15 January 1883, the first day of the school year. Charles Gow was the only teacher, although his wife taught sewing. After three weeks Gow asked for an assistant teacher;

"May I hope to get help in the school? The enrolment now is 140, and there are several more to come. The average attendance for January 105.6, and it would have been higher but for the wet weather".

Rose Loughran was appointed a temporary assistant late in February, and in April she was replaced by Eliza Trimble, who was to stay until the end of 1885. During this time the enrolment ranged between 150 and 180 and the average attendance between 100 and 120.

In 1883 the school was really new only in name. Gow and his pupils returned after the Christmas holidays to the same schoolroom, and used the same syllabus, books and equipment.

By modern standards, education in the 1880's was a dull affair. Children devoted the overwhelming majority of their time to the'3R's', in which they were drilled until they were word perfect: whether they understood what they learned was less important. The educational philosophy of the nineteenth century was reflected in the design of the large schoolrooms, with their long desks and forms fixed on stepped platforms, in which up to five teachers and 250 pupils might work together.

The Department had no sense of urgency in 1883 about finalising the site and erecting permanent buildings for Pennant Hills South. It was still struggling to replace tents and temporary wooden buildings at schools all over New South Wales and the premises at Pennant Hills South were adequate enough for a while. By July 1884, Pennant Hills South was in a new inspectorate under District Inspector William Mcintyre. In November, McIntyre reported,

"I have inspected the temporary school premises. The schoolroom is much too small and the residence is an inferior, old wooden building. The site purchased for new buildings is a very good one, occupying a beautifully elevated and central position.

"I would recommend that a brick schoolroom to accommodate an ordinary attendance of 150 scholars with a teacher's residence of five rooms and a kitchen, be erected. I estimate the cost at 2,400 pounds."

McIntyre also included a classroom for 50 pupils.

However, for much of 1885, time was spent by the Department in sorting out Williamson's (the owner of the land) newly stated objections to the resumption of his land. In these confusing months it was decided by a group of Department dignitaries that Mrs. Sarah Allen's site would be best after all. So, in November 1885, the original Williamson site was sold at auction back to Williamson for 200 pounds.

Before they knew about the latest change of site, the people of Pennant Hills South held a public meeting on 28 October to complain about the long delay in providing buildings for the school. A few days later 46 of them sent a petition to the Minister pointing out,

"That in consequence of the rapid increase of population, the present School is totally inadequate for existing requirements, and the overcrowded state of the building, and consequent defective ventilation, is seriously affecting the health of the children attending".

They asked that the new buildings be erected without delay. Their indignation when they heard that the site was to be changed again can easily be imagined, and they organised another public meeting. At this meeting some emphasised the site issue while others complained that the arguments about sites had delayed the school building for too long already. Frederick Cox at one point exclaimed, "I don't care where it's built, only let's have it". However, the deputation, including Cox, which saw the Minister in December stressed the site issue. They argued that the Alien site was not central at all, especially in view of the likely growth of population on DevIin's Estate to the east and also near Carlingford railway station. (The station was opened in 1886 and is now Epping.)

The Minister promised to obtain a full report on the distribution of population in the area, and in February 1886 McIntyre duly reported. By this time the block adjoining the Post Office (part of the area which the Council of Education had tried to buy in 1879-80) was under consideration as the alternative to the Alien site.

To confuse matters further, an application for a Public School at Carlingford was received late in February 1886 on behalf of 74 children living to the south-west of Pennant Hills South Public School. However, this application was dismissed on the firm grounds that the farming residents in the area were within the distance limits for Pennant Hills South or Parramatta North Public School.

Finally, the new Minister of Education, Arthur Renwick, resumed about 1 hectare of land opposite Pennant Hills South's leased school premises - in other words, Williamson's south-east corner. This land was now in the possession of a new owner, Jonathan Wooster. However, this did not cause any problem, the land being resumed on 2 July 1886 with the Department paying Wooster 500 pounds plus 14 pounds interest.

At last attention could be given to the construction of new school buildings. Tenders had been held by the Department since mid-1885 and in August 1886 the cheapest was accepted. Unfortunately the tenderer had died, so, once again, tenders were called. The contract was finally awarded to William Taylor of Newtown for 1,990 pounds with an expected June 1887 completion date.