OPENING OF WAURALTEE INSTITUTE.
The residents of the township of Waureltee, which is situated about I8 miles south of Maitland, and three miles west of Mount Rat, on Yorke Peninsula, may well feel proud of the success that attended the opening ceremony of their Institute on Wednesday, December 3, 1884
The farmers not being over busy meant there was a very large crowd present.
The Institute is built in a central position, and just at the corner where six roads meet, and has a very commanding appearance, and is finished in the best and most complete style.
The hall in its present complete and nicely finished state has cost about £520
The size of the hall is 36 by 26. The total amount of subscriptions received, exclusive of the day's takings, was £257 12s, which, with the Government subsidy, opened the building free of debt, and plainly demonstrates what can be done where unity, energy, and a determination to pull together exists. This fact should inspire some of their neighbouring townships, who have been struggling for a long time to get an Institute.
Mr W. H. Hussey, of Maitland, was invited, and ably performed the opening ceremony before about 300 persons. The President having introduced Mr Hussey then handed him the key, and asked him to kindly declare the building open.
DEPUTATION. A PUBLIC SCHOOL AT WAURALTIE.
Friday 28 February 1879
On Thursday morning, February 27, Messrs. J. C. Leonard, and J. J. Bradford, of Wauraltie. introduced by Mr. L. L. Furner, M.P., waited on the minister of Education, Hon. T. King, to urge on him the claims of their district for the erection of a public school. The matter was brought before the department about three months ago, but since then it appears to have been overlooked. Mr. Furner, in introducing the deputation, referred to the fact of the matter having been brought before the old Council of Education, just before that body was abolished, and said that was probably the cause of the case not having been attended to. The necessities of the district in reference to education were very urgent, as there was no school of any kind in the neighbourhood though there was a considerable number of children of a school-going age, he believed about forty. Mr. Leonard said Mr. Furner had correctly stated the facts of the case. After they last waited on the Council of Education the harvest had intervened and the farmers had been unable to attend to the matter. There were about forty children within a radius of three miles from the place where they wanted the school. Port Victoria was the post town, but the settlement where they wanted the school was about seven and a half miles from the Port, where seven roads met. He might call it the village of Wauraltie.
The Minister— Then there are two Wauralties ?
Yes ; it was a pity they were not distinctly named.
The Minister— Then there is really no township there?
No, only the settlers' houses around; there was also a store and blacksmith's shop and a Wesleyan Chapel. Within a radius of 4 or 4.5 miles he felt certain they would have an average attendance of 25 to 30 children, and if the school were built to accommodate 30 he thought it would answer present requirements. There was plenty of good building material at hand, and he believed £400 would build the school and teacher's residence. He would ask that a provisional teacher might be appointed at once, as the children had at present no means of instruction whatever, though the place had been settled for three years, and many of them were getting almost beyond an age to go to school. Mr. Bradford endorsed what Mr. Leonard had said, but thought he had rather under-estimated the number of the children, as more families had come into the neighbourhood. The Minister, in reply, said their request for school accommodation had not been forgotten, but the Government found a difficulty in reference to erecting schools in agricultural settlements, for when they put up a substantial building of brick or stone the settlers often moved away to some other locality. Early in January this year he sent a memo, to the Architect-in-Chief asking him to prepare plans and estimates for a weatherboard schoolhouse, which could be easily put up and taken down to be removed and erected in another place. The Government were about to call for tenders for such buildings, and it their expectations were realized he thought one of these would be suitable for their district. He would like to know if they could accommodate a provisional teacher in the meantime. Mr. Leonard said there was some little difficulty about it, but a farmer in the neighbourhood who had a large family was so anxious for their education that he had promised to accommodate a teacher for three months. The Minister said then he would promise that they should at once have a provisional teacher, and he hoped soon to arrange for the erection of one of the weatherboard schoolhouses which were much in use in Victoria, and were roomy and comfortable The deputation thanked the Minister, and withdrew.