When the Hartley Public School opened its doors in 1869, Hartley was a small village developed around the 1837 stone Court House to service the new Police District, catering for the increasing population west of the Mountains and enabling authorities to keep track of assigned convicts. In the early 1840s there were three inns in the village which also functioned as a staging post between the gaols at Bathurst and Sydney when prisoners were being escorted on foot between the two locations.
Hartley School continued to operate, apart from two years during World War 2, finally closing its doors in April 1971 following the significant decision by the then Department of Education to close many small rural schools and ‘bus’ students to larger centres, in this case Lithgow. However the tradition of building removal and re-erection continued when the present Recreation Hall was moved to the school site from Hartley Historic Village on 3rd June 1974 during the realignment of the Great Western Highway through Hartley. It continues the function of the Old Hartley School as a meeting place and focus for the community.
From Educating Hartley by Joan Kent
This cache is located in the grounds of the former Hartley Public School which now serves as a local meeting place.
Park on the grass across the road and enter the school grounds to find this cache. Please close the gates after you and respect the attendees of any functions or meetings that might be taking place.