1910-1930

Some dates and interesting features of the time.

Modernising the School Building

1929 Building Design

The principal in 1929, Mr Collier, wrote

In 1910 Southwell, on behalf of the Parents and Citizens' Association asked the Department for approval to hold a "Continental" in aid of the school in the school grounds. It was a sort of fete which went on into the evening. At this time the Department was very conservative about allowing the use of school facilities and many things that the community uses schools for these days were not permitted. The local newspaper reported the event, and this was to get Southwell into trouble. First the newspaper report:

A Continental in aid of the prize fund of East Goulburn Public School was held in the school grounds on Friday and, not withstanding the threatening state of the weather, which no doubt prevented many from the city being present, was well attended, and proved to be a very successful function. It was under the management of a committee composed of the Parents' School Union... The pleasure of the affair was greatly enhanced by the presence of the band of the Australian Horse, who gave their services gratuitously, and played a fine selection of instrumental music during the evening...
Five members of the Gordon Club gave a fine display of club swinging, which was greatly appreciated. A tug-of-war between ten members of the A.L.H. Band and a like number of Eastgrove residents for a prize of 10/- took place. The first pull of the rope was won by the band, but their opponents beat them in the next two and were accordingly declared the winners...
In various parts of the grounds a number of attractive stalls had been erected, and on these were displayed a number of various articles for sale, and the stallholders with their assistants were kept busily engaged for the greater part of the evening...
The school shelter shed was becomingly fitted up as a refreshment stall, and hem light refreshments were obtainable at a reasonable price.. . A shooting gallery under the superintendence of Messrs Cooper and Southwell did a good business.

The proceedings ended about 10.30 p.m. and a good sum was made towards school funds. But the newspaper report of the Continental was seen by the local Inspector who knew that when Southwell had applied for approval for the Continental the Department had refused to give it. The Inspector therefore asked Southwell on whose authority he had held the Continental. Southwell explained that although he had not been given permission to hold the Continental the Parents and Citizens' Association had appealed strongly to the Minister for Education and it was confidently expected that approval would be given, even if after the event, which was now too late to postpone. Unfortunately the Minister did not sanction the Continental and Southwell was severely censured for his disregard of instructions.

While we may feel sorry for Southwell the story did not end there and has an odd twist. Six years later the Parents and Citizens' Association approached the Minister for Education and asked for the censure to be removed from Southwell's record. The Association explained that the Department's letter declining permission to hold the Continental was received only days before the event. "As all arrangements," it explained, "had been made, donations of various kinds were in hand and the parents and children were looking forward to a successful event, and this was the means used for some years to raise money for books, prizes, etc. the Parents' Association decided to go on, meanwhile Mr Southwell writing the Department." The Association argued that Southwell was not to blame, rather the Department which erred in not giving sufficient time to make other arrangements. To the Minister's credit he reviewed the case and personally commented:

I have perused the papers in connection with this matter, and am satisfied that the censure inflicted upon Mr Southwell in January 1911, should not have been recorded against him in any way at all. The letter in reply to his request for permission to hold a Continental in the school grounds on the 18th November is dated 14th November, and did not specifically debar the use of the premises for the purposes... He did not wilfully disregard the instructions, but used his discretion, feeling a recon-sideration would result in the reversal of the earlier decision. Teachers must be given discretionary power in such matters, and I now desire Mr Southwell to be notified that the censure in question is withdrawn and all record thereof has been removed,

A check on Southwell's record showed that in fact the original censure had not been recorded and there was no need therefore to remove it.

The First World War saw a number of former pupils of Goulburn East Public School involved in hostilities. One in particular, Cecil Leeson, was remembered following his death at Gallipoli. Southwell was allowed to have a portrait of Leeson and small marble memorial hung on the wall of the schoolroom as a tribute from his parents and some of his former classmates.

There were some appreciable changes in the size of the school during Southwell's period. When he took over in 1904 the enrolment was 116 but by 1909 this had tumbled to 75 and did not rise to the 100 mark until 1915 and it was only 130 when he retired in 1929.

Some dates and interesting features of the time.

1922 A decision was made to erect a War Memorial on Rocky Hill.

Also in 1922 the citizens planted the Memorial Drive with trees for the soldiers who served in W.W. I from Eastgrove.

1924 The foundation stone was laid for the War Memorial.

Modernising the School Building
By the late 1920's the school building at Goulburn East, although modern enough when first built, had become obsolete. Southwell decided to see if something could be done about it before he retired and in 1928 requested the Department to level the floors in all three rooms and install dual desks where needed. The Inspector at first agreed: he noted that Goulburn was steadily increasing in population and assumed that Goulburn East must follow suit eventually. He considered the school needed extensive remodelling to bring it up to modern standards. The local clerk of works agreed that reflooring was indispensable as he had fallen through a hole in the floor in the corridor. He also suggested hacking out the 96 squares of coloured glass that made up the windows and replacing them with clear glass to improve the dim lighting in the building. The Minister for Education, during a visit to Goulburn was also impressed by the need to do something about the building. By 1929, after seeing more of the building, the Inspector had changed his mind. Now he believed that only a new building would fit the case. He condemned the existing building as dilapidated, with abominable lighting; the desks were decrepit and see-sawed as pupils used them; the playing grounds were rough and also in need of repair because over the years rain gutters had washed the surface from the high ground.

Goulburn East Public School 1929 Building Design

The Department's senior officers soon set the Inspector straight. The Department's building funds had never been adequate since the beginning of the 1890's depression, and it was unfortunately a case of sometimes they were scarce while at other times they were extremely scarce. In the 1920's they were of the latter variety, although not as bad as they were soon to be as a result of the Great Depression of the 1930's. No new building could be afforded, but there was a possibility that some funds might become available for remodelling, but not just yet. The Inspector therefore submitted a scheme for remodelling which included levelling all the floors, increasing the size of the windows to improve the lighting, and installing dual desks so that the light came from the pupils' left hand side when they were writing. Left hand lighting was good for those who wrote with their right hand but not so considerate for lefthanders; then again it was at a time when lefthanders were "encouraged", sometimes rather drastically, to use their right hand. The Inspector also recommended enlarging the 1889 classroom by another 7 ft to bring it up to a 20 by 24 ft standard sized classroom. Part of the original hat room was planned to be converted to an office for the principal. Otherwise the building would remain the same. Initially funds were not available even for the cheaper remodelling plan. In April 1930, the Member of Parliament for Goulburn raised in the Parliament the question of the accommodation at Goulburn East School. His question without notice was this:

In view of the fact that nearly two years ago the Minister for Education visited Goulburn in connection with Education Depart mental matters, and that as a result of his visit additions were recommended to the East Goulburn School, as well as the erection of a new school at Goulburn, I ask the hon. gentleman whethei', seeing that in the interim the only work done has consisted of the preparation of plans and specifications, he will see that the works in question are started before the end of the current financial year?

David Drummond, the Minister, replied that there was hardly any chance of the work starting before the end of June 1930; but he was aware of the urgency of the work and had included it for action as soon as funds were available.

The principal in 1929, Mr Collier, wrote concerning the changes he envisaged:
(Type of School)          Public

(Name of School)        East Goulburn

(Post Town)                Goulburn

(Class of School)          Fifth

(Date)                         11th July, 1929

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FROM                       Cecil H. Collier, Headmaster East Goulburn

TO                             D.J. Haynes Esq., B.A. INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS                                   Goulburn

SUBJECT                  Repairs needed to Public School at East Goulburn

REFERENCE:         Nil

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Sir,

I have the honour to apply asking for repairs and renovations to be carried out at the Public School at East Goulburn. I beg to state that the school building is in a wretched state of repair and drastic alterations are necessary to bring the buildings up to date.

Among the many things noticed the following am essential.

1. The floor needs reboarding and the galleries removing.
2. The desks are in a decrepit condition. New desks or dual desks are essential.
3. The larger room needs a glass partition to divide it into two rooms.
4. Locks on doors need keys.
5. The playground needs levelling or draining to admit of a better playing area. A place for assembling needs asphalting.
6. The school entrances need improving.
7. The whole building needs painting.
8. The school garden area needs fencing.
9. New wash dishes are needed.
10. A new stock press of the "D" Type needed.
11. The blackboards in the smaller room need rearranging. At present the fireplace in centre of room obscures the vision.
2. At the residence new fire bricks under copper are needed. The paled dividing fence needs repairing and new gate installing.

I wish to point out these defects as it is a difficult matter to organize a school when children have to work under such uncomfortable conditions.

What actually occurred was a total re-designing of the existing buildings