The School Since 1935

An Ex-Students' Association was formed in 1935 and has since ceased to exist. This was a social organisation which joined in with the Parents and Citizens Association on some projects such as the purchase and presentation of pictures to the school. Ray Rumble was still secretary of the Parents and Citizens Association, and also president of the Carlingford District Progress Association, and in both capacities he lobbied the Department for various purposes. In 1935 Rumble asked the Department for permission to establish a tuckshop in order to raise funds. Mallett pointed out that fund-raising was severely restricted because 40% of the pupils came from institutions and 15% were secondary pupils from outside Carlingford, whose parents were out of touch with the school. The Department at this stage, however, would only allow tuckshops in separate secondary schools.

Being the only school within the metropolitan area offering an agricultural study programme, students were drawn from as far afield as Blacktown, Guildford, Stanmore and Hornsby.

George Wright took over as headmaster in 1936, and he appears to have devoted more attention to the rather neglected primary section of the school than it had had for many years. The rural course continued to receive much emphasis, however, and in 1936 the school acquired its first horse, a quiet "10 year-old gelding of the active draught type" which cost 25 pounds. Wright also started swimming classes at Lake Parramatta each Wednesday afternoon.

In 1936 the school celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the opening of the new school. It was a major event, with two main activities. Arbor Day was celebrated in July, with 50 flowering shrubs being planted along Rickard Street and within the school grounds. The Governor, the Acting Minister for Education, the Director of Education and the Mayor were among the dignitaries present, and there were 11 speeches interspersed with songs by the school choir and an inspection of the shrubs. In November there was a reunion of old pupils and, to quote Wright's report:

"This function was attended by a great gathering of old pupils, present-day pupils and citizens.

Chief features of the day were:

(a) A roll-call of old pupils (b) The cutting of a fifty-pound Jubilee cake (c) A parade of Junior Air League Cadets, Major Shand taking the salute (d) A flight of a party of old pupils from Mascot to Carlingford (e) Issue of the Jubilee Journal."

During 1938 and early 1939 a great deal of renovation work was carried out at Carlingford, at a total cost of 1,500 pounds. The refurbishing of the old building had been deferred since 1934, and by 1937 Wright and the Parents and Citizens Association were very anxious to persuade the Department to carry it out. New fencing and asphalt were required, as well as a feed shed and a machinery shed plus a shed and enclosure for the horse were built.

Unfortunately, documentation for the 1940's period in the schools' history is non-existant. However, some of the comments made in the Memories section of the booklet should convey some impression of the times.

The attention of the Department was called to the need for major repair and renovation work of the two storey secondary school building in September 1954. Apparently it had not been painted since it was built and was a little the worse for wear and tear. However, this rejuvenation had to wait, presumably for the ever elusive funds.

At this time (1954), the Infants' Department occupied the original large classroom built in 1886 and the 1902 extensions, one portable classroom and the ever useful St. Paul's Church Hall. At the end of the year, the present library building was erected as a temporary structure. Its two classrooms were to help alleviate pupil accommodation pressures within the school. However, the Department's failure to recommend further classroom construction resulted in much pressure on classroom resources until the building of the kindergarten rooms in 1958 and the removal of the secondary department in the early 1960's.

The re-location of the Secondary Department was mooted in September 1954 by the Principal, Henry Frater. In a memorandum to the Department, Frater wrote,

" --- It would appear that population growth in this area will continue for some time. Perhaps the best solution of the problem of accommodation in the long run would be the proposed development of the school site near Baker Street and Felton Road as an Agricultural or Intermediate High School, removing the Secondary Department from this site, thus providing accommodation for primary and infants' children for many years to come".

The school site referred to was the Carlingford District Rural School annexe. This land was resumed by the Department in September 1949 and was intended to be used as a focal point for agricultural education and practise. By 1955, accommodation problems at the main school were approaching a crisis stage. The increase in school enrolments made it necessary to rent the Memorial Hall which was negotiated at a rate of 17/6d per school week. By this time, the school was large enough to warrant separate schools for the secondary and primary sections. As such, in March 1955, the Director of Secondary Education, J. Evans, recommended, "I ... that the transfer of the secondary school at Carlingford from the present site be given favourable consideration". Enrolment figures at the time were - Infants 237, Primary 330 and Secondary approximately 400 - a total of 967 students.

On the 21st August 1956, five of the fifteen or so secondary classes were transferred from Carlingford District Rural School to the annexe site under the name Carlingford Junior Agricultural High School. This allowed two primary classes and one infants' class to re-enter the school from the rented halls and an Opportunity class to move out of the weathershed which served as a classroom.

However, there were still problems to be faced. Myree Wilson the Infants' Headmistress, wrote to the Department in early 1956 stating,

" ... All rooms are in an extremely bad condition. Floors are rough and uneven, paint is peeling off walls, steps are very worn and dangerous, many windows will not open or close properly, doors do not function properly and in windy weather are a menace to the tiny children".

The toilets were described as " ... most unhygienic and extremely inadequate ... " - quite easily understood since there were only 2 seats and 1 trough for 133 boys and 3 seats for 111 girls!

The Mothers' Club, too, were exasperated over the state of the Infants' building, 'built in 1886 ... and apparently nothing has been done to it since'.

This concern combined with the inadequate accommodation circumstances led to repeated calls during the mid-1950's for the establishment of a new Infants' Department. This development and extension was postponed time and again due to the perennial fund shortages. Work was finally begun, however, on new Infants' accommodation in September 1958 and the rooms were occupied in March 1959, costing about 17,000 pounds. These two new kindergarten rooms were divided by a folding partition and had storerooms, hatroom, clinic and toilet facilities. The provision of wood and coke/coal burning stoves for heating was included, as was standard where gas supply was not connected.

View from the lower school, left to right, 1934 building, Infants' toilet block, playground equipment, 1959 Kindergarten building

This building activity also involved the provision of an assembly area in front of the new rooms, the conversion of the Infants' toilets for Primary use and the construction of new Infants' toilets with 'provision for septic/sewerage connection'. The major repair, painting and renovation work required by the whole school was also, finally, undertaken at this time.

Enrolments at the school peaked in 1958. In that year there were 326 Infants', 417 Primary and 605 Secondary students (498 Boys, 107 Girls) - a total of 1348 pupils.

A 1959 proposal to split the Primary school into separate Girls' and Boys' Departments was adopted and seems to have been maintained until the mid-1960's. The Agricultural annexe of the school effectively became a separate secondary school in 1959. In May of that year the school adopted the name of James Ruse Agricultural High School at the suggestion of its founding Principal, James C. Hoskin.

In October 1961, the Director of Secondary Education, J. Evans, recommended,

" ... that no first year pupils be placed at Carlingford Central School in 1962 and that, at the close of 1962, secondary classes at that school be discontinued".

For the first time in 60 years, Carlingford was to have a surplus of classroom accommodation. With the departure of the secondary pupils to appropriate schools, such as the new Cumberland High School, it was possible to house the 8 infants' and 11 primary classes (5 girls' and 6 boys' classes) in the permanent school buildings and two portable rooms. This meant that seven portable or wooden-framed buildings, together with one galvanised iron building (the forge) would no longer be required and could be transferred to other schools.

A survey carried out in 1963 by J. Walker, School Counsellor with the Department, established that there were sufficient children at the Carlingford School and local area schools to warrant the establishment of an Opportunity "A" Class. This was recommended to commence at the beginning of 2nd Term, 1964 and similar classes continue to operate today.

The Infants' Department gradually achieved a separate physical identity as buildings were repositioned. In 1963, for example, the former woodwork room, a double roomed aluminium portable, was converted into two classrooms by the provision of a folding partition and placed in the Infants' grounds.

Similar conversions were proposed about the same time for other rooms of the old secondary school. Suggestions included the provision of a sick-bay, an Oslo-lunch canteen and an assembly hall with a raised stage in the former home science department rooms. Further ideas were concerned with the establishment of a craft room in the old metalwork room near the old forge and the demolition of the secondary boys' toilets and a dilapidated weathershed.

As a result of the Secondary School closure, there were also a number of surplus items which were advertised for sale. These included a gas copper, one Early Kooka gas stove, two sinks with wooden draining boards, one dark oak sideboard and a dark round dining table. Apparently there was no response to the advertisements and it remains. unclear as to the fate of the items.

The metalwork room and home science unit conversions were undertaken in 1965-1966 and the old science room on the second floor of the 1934 building was converted to a primary classroom in the same period. The surplus science equipment, specimens and chemicals were offerred to James Ruse and Cumberland schools.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, ground improvements included re-asphalting, stone landscaping, establishment of a nature corner, re-location of the school bell from near the school residence to its present location near the staff common room and new fencing. Along with these improvements must be noted the dedicated work of Arene Murray in building up the school library's bound as well audio and visual collections. I am sure there are many people who remember and thank her for her encouragement, support and dedication in helping to develop reading and library skills and the appreciation of good books.

In 1969, the Parents and Citizens Association and the Mothers' Club expressed concern over the possible use of the land being bought up by developers, alongside the school. This land, bounded by the school, Marsden, Pennant Hills Roads and Keeler Street was being promoted as ideal for the establishment of a Hotel/Motel complex. The reservations of the parents were based on a concern as to the influence of the sale of alcohol on the nearby school. Increased road traffic dangers to the children were also of concern. After a somewhat protracted exchange between parents, developers, principals and the Department of Education, agreements were reached on land and property exchanges between the Department and the developers. The site was eventually developed as a shopping complex.

An inspection of the 1886-1922 building in 1972 again pointed to the need for major repair work. There was structural cracking, roof and gutter leaks as well as peeling paint. The classrooms in use were heated by kerosene heaters since there was no regular fuel supply for the Kosi-stoves. The inspector's report pointed to an expected increase in road traffic noise once Marsden Road was widened - for which plans had been lodged with the Department of Lands in 1934 and approved in 1946. As a result of these points, a decision had to be made as whether to undertake the extensive maintenance required or to demolish the building.

The Centenary Garden, April 1983

 

 

Upon a further inspection in February 1976 it was, " ... found that the dilapidated state of the building was detrimental to the health of both the pupils and staff". As a result it was, " ... recommended that new classrooms be provided away from the Marsden Road alignment and that most of the existing building be demolished as soon as practicable". The intention was to retain and restore the original wing since it was thought to have both historical and architectural merit.

Eventually however, it was decided to renovate the whole building. This was achieved under the Department's repair and renovation programme about the same time as the adjacent section of Marsden Road was widened, about 1978.

In 1976, major ground improvement was undertaken. This involved landscaping, turfing and installation of infants' playground equipment at a cost of approximately $24, 000.

The most recent changes (1983) in the appearance of the school include the establishment of the Centenary Garden and the building of a fire stairway for the 1934 building. With enrolments a low 240, there is ample accommodation space and a number of composite classes. The school is now classified as a one department school, having the one Head for both Primary and Infants'. The school environment remains unique for a suburban Primary School, with large grassed areas accompanied by well established trees and shrubs, a legacy of the school's Agricultural past and Arbor Day activities. With the departure of the Church of England Girls from the school in the late 1960's and the closure of the Church of England Boys' Home in 1976, Dalmar is now the only old Homes establishment with continuing educational links with Carlingford Public School. Dalmar has been sending pupils to Carlingford since 1922 and now has 20 boys and girls attending. This figure is expected to increase under the proposed developments of the Dalmar site and its functions.

The editorial of the 1936 Jubilee magazine ends,

"The school marches on to its Centenary.

May the second half of this journey be even more successful than the first".

However this may be answered, you will probably agree that it has been an interesting

100 years.

J. Burnswood.

R. T. Garland.