Teaching staff records were not kept with much accuracy until the early 1890’s. Most of the Waanyarra School’s teachers roll was compiled from correspondence between the School the Board of Advice and the Education Department of Victoria. These letters are stored at the Public Records Office, Laverton, Victoria.
Other names not included in the Laverton records have been found by research and personal interviews.
For information on the ‘Penny School’ please refer to Richard Shiell’s research ‘Gibbs’ Ruins’.

Roll of Teachers

HARPER, Williams Head Teacher Sept.1857 Dec. 1857
HEMING, Samuel Head Teacher 1862 1868
MUDGE, Mr. Head Teacher - 1870
MUDGE, Mrs. Work Mistress 1870
BIRRELL, David Watson Head Teacher Jan. 1871 1904
BIRRELL, Elizabeth Mrs. Work Mistress Jan. 1871 1904
BOAN, Alice Miss Pupil Teacher 1878 -
GOURLEY, Clara Miss Pupil Teacher 1885
FYFE, Miss Temp. Head Teacher 1904 -
CLARK, George Head Teacher 1904 1908
LOWRIE, Eva Pupil Teacher 1904 -
DESANTIS, Olive Pupil Teacher 1904
SLATTERY, Miss Sewing Mistress 1904 -
STRANGE, T. G. Mr Head Teacher 1908 1912
CRELLIN, Mr. Head Teacher 1912 1915
WAT-R, R. W. Mr Head Teacher 1915 1916
BOOL, Vera Miss Head Teacher 1916 1928
BAKER, Miss Eva Sewing Mistress 1918 -
BAKER, Fanny Miss Pupil Teacher 1918 -
CROCKER,MR. Head Teacher 1928 Nov. 1928
HORTLE, Alice Miss Head Teacher 1928 1929
HARVEY, Mary Miss Head Teacher 1930 1931
RYE, Frank Mr. Head Teacher 1931 1932
HARRISON, N. E. Mr. Temp. Head Teacher 1932 1934
STARR, Eisie Miss Head Teacher 1934 1936
MITCHELL, Edith Miss Head Teacher 1936 1940
GREEN, M.R. Miss Head Teacher 1940 1942

Victoria was the first colony to institute free, compulsory and secular schooling. But this was not achieved without argument, debate and conflict between Church leaders, politicians and colonial dissenters. By 1872 Jones’ Creek School had become one of the many secular schools in Victoria.
The first school at Jones’ Creek was at Secret Hill. Its structure was like many other school buildings on the goldfields. The roof was made of shingles and the internal walls were lined with boards up to a height of about four feet. The remainder of the walls was constructed of lathe and plaster, with a ceiling lined with calico. The outside walls were made of slabs.
William Harper was the first Head Teacher at Jones’ Creek School No. 339 the annual attendance being sixteen, eleven boys and five girls. The school was established by the Church of England on the 28th September, 1857.
At the end of that year Mr. Harper took charge of a school he had organised at Tarnagulla.
It is not clear what happened after Mr. Harper left the Jones’ Creek School. One source stated that in the winter of 1859 the School was closed. But by May, 1862 subscriptions were collected for repairs to the School.
By 1864 the School was operating under the care of Head Teacher, Mr. Samuel Heming with 38 children in attendance.

On the 10th December, 1867 a picnic and programme of events was organised by Messrs. Bragg and Page of the Jones’ Creek School Committee. The occasion was to mark the visit of H.R-H. The Duke of
Edinburgh.
The picnic was held at Jones’ Creek cricket ground. ‘The children were regaled with buns, tea and cake. Sports consisted of running, jumping, hurdle races and football.’ The school committee thanked G. Thomson Esq. and Mrs. Thomson for the children’s prizes, Mrs. Hackendare for ’the splendid currant cakes’ and Mrs. Corkingdale for ’the large quantity of currant buns’.

Mr. and Mrs. Mudge took over the positions of Head Teacher and Work Mistress after Samuel Heming resigned in 1870.
Mr. Mudge arranged a picnic for his pupils at the Recreation Reserve. Mr. Boan of the ’White Swan Hotel’ and Mr Burns, the Jones’Creek Post Master, collected for the picnic.
The picnic, which was attended by 50 people, was held on Monday, 18th April, 1870. Buns, apples, grapes, lollies, plum cake and tea were given out. Visitors enjoyed sandwiches of beef tongue and fowl.
There were swings, and cricket was played. Prizes for the boys’ flat and hurdle race were ’money and two pretty pocket inkstands’, which were presented by Mr. Boan. ‘Money and two pretty brooches’ were the prizes for the girls’ races. The day ended with ‘dancing on the green to violin music provided by Mr. Green of Tarnagulla’.

The average attendance at Jones’ Creek School was 16 when Mr. and Mrs. Birrell took charge in January, 1871. The Birrells continued at Jones’ Creek No. 339, teaching in the inadequate premises rented from the church of England Trustees until 1877.
The 1871 School picnic was held at Thomas Leech’s paddock at Grassy Flat on the 17th March, with Mr. Birrell supervising the games.

The children who attended the picnic were given grapes by Mr. Leech.
The cricket ground was chosen as the venue for the 1872 picnic. Mr. Birrell marched his pupils to the picnic spot where, on their arrival, they were given fruit supplied by their parents.
Cricket and football were played and there were races. Lunch was served at the booth. In the afternoon adults danced to violin music and the children received fruit and lollies. Jones’ Creek School correspondent, Mr. Leech, congratulated the company on the spirit of cordiality and good feeling which had made the occasion enjoyable. The National Anthem concluded the proceedings.

Mr. Thomas Leech was elected to the School Board for the Tarnagulla Riding of the Bet-Bet Shire in June of 1872.
In December, 1873 the District Inspector of Schools was Mr. Bolam. He recommended the erection of a new school’as 339 Jones’ Creek was too small and not centrally situated’. Mr. Bolam recommended a site of 1.25 miles from the present school.
The inhabitants of Waanyarra supported Mr. Bolam and his request to the Board of Education.

LETTER TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
from Waanyarra residents (c1873)

Dear Sir,
We, the inhabitants of Waanyarra desire to draw your attention to the fact that we are desireable of the means of instruction for our children, having no school in the locality and would earnestly pray that you would use your influence to establish a Common School, there being 54 childrenof school age residing in a radius of four miles, taking the centre from the bridge on the Eddington and Tarnagulla Roads. The nearest school being Eddington 3 miles, Jones’ Creek 4 miles, Laanecoorie 3 miles, Tarnagulla 5 miles and Newbridge 7 miles.
We humbly pray therefore, that our wants may be considered.
Signed on behalf of the inhabitants,
George E. Hiatt,
Edward Carey,
Thomas Lanyon.

Mr. Thomas Archard's tender of £354.5.6 to build the 40 ft. x 20 ft wooden school room at Waanyarra was accepted by the School Committee. In March, 1877 Mr. Archard varnished the ceiling and repaired four ornamental cash vents for the amount of £25. 10.0.
The school was ready to open, but Mr. Birrell was not satisfied with his accommodation at Jones’ Creek. In his letter to the Board of Education he wrote requesting a new teachers’ residence be built, his reasons being:-

“1. The cottage we now live in is the property of the Trustees (Church of England), of the school. It is dilapidated and too small for our family.
2. There is no place in the locality to rent as a teachers’ residence.
3. The new school site is two miles from 339.
4. There is a probability of a night school being established
and it will be important to have a teacher nearby.
5. The new school site is near the road with few people in the area to protect school property.
Signed: David W. Birrell.”

“The new Waanyarra School opening was celebrated on the lst May,1877 with a tea meeting, concert and ball.The scholars,their parents and friends from many miles around were present. The Tarnagulla Glee Club led by Mr. H. Treloar entertained with musical selections.”
(Dunolly Express, 4th May, 1877.)

“Tenders closed on 22nd May, 1877 for the erection of a wooden residence at Jones' Creek school, 1879.”
(Dunolly Express, 8th May, 1877)

In the same newspaper on the 25th May it was reported that the tender of James Faulkner of Dunolly (lowest tender) of £266.7.O had been accepted for the Jones' Creek teachers' residence.
On the 30th April, 1877 Jones' Creek School No. 3 3 9 was struck off. Mr. Birrell and his wife Elizabeth began teaching at the new School and work had commenced on their teachers' residence which would be their home for many years.

"A monster school picnic was organised for the children of the Dunolly District at Bet-Bet on 3rd October, 1874. Mr. Bloomfield, the contractor for the Maryborough to Dunolly railway line, arranged for young ones to have a first ride on the train before the official opening on 6th October.
A total of nearly 900 school pupils and their teachers marched through Dunolly to the station. Bands from Castlemaine and Dunolly and a “really good fife and drum band under the leadership of Mr. Tunstall”, added to the gaiety of the day.
Mr. Birrell from Jones' Creek and his fifty-five pupils travelled to Dunolly “in every conceiveable type of vehicle”, to join other children from outlying areas.
The Mayor, Mr. Daly, gave out oranges and lollies at the picnic where visitors numbered around 1,500, most of whom had never seen a train. The National Anthem was played to finish off the picnic. When the train reached Dunolly just after sun-down there was an immense crowd of parents and onlookers to greet the children."

Extracts above from "The Footsteps Echo" by Lynne Douthat