A School near a Police Paddock – Murtoa

i love the bobbies in this week’s Sepia Saturday image with their helmets and one of them  wearing a long coat. I would dearly have loved to have found a matching image in my family album.  Instead I had to settle for the occasional use of the word police in family stories.  Tom Tansey brushed with a policeman on a horse in his fishing escapade, and the newlyweds lost their pack horse when it escaped from a police paddock.

This time a police paddock crops up again in an another vague connection.   When the Tansey family left Geelong to live in the much smaller country town of Murtoa, 273 km to the north west,   the two girls  were enrolled at the local primary school in March 1909.  We were told that they lived 1/8 mile from the school in Cromie St, just across the road from the back of the school, in the second house from  the police paddock on the corner at the rear of the Police Station.

So with this contrived connection what better reason is there for looking at the school the girls were attending.

Murtoa State School c1911

Exercises were part of the curriculum and this photo was taken c 1911.  Vera Tansey who was to grow up and use the Lucy Drake Cook Book is sixth from the left in the front row.

A bit earlier a photo had been taken of some of the girls with some rather intimidating looking  adults.  I’d put this photo c 1909 .  Vera and Hilda Tansey are 3rd and 6th from the left in the front row.

Six months after the girls arriving at the school a new wing was officially opened and I believe this next photo was taken that day.   Not a large number of pupils but enough older boys for a Cadet Corps.

The opening was reported in the newspaper of a nearby town, The Horsham Times on September 14th, 1909

New Murtoa School

The ceremony of opening the new school building at Murtoa took place last Thursday in the presence of a large attendance.. Among those present was the Director of Education (Mr. F. Tate), Dr. Carew Smyth, Mr. Hurley, Inspector of Schools, and Mr. Walters who opened the first school in the Wimnera, 35 years ago. Mr. Sanpson M.P., and ‘ Mr. Hutchinson, M.L.A., were unable to be present on account of Parliamentary duties. Mr. A. Help (?)  presided and made some appropriate remarks, and he was supported by Mr. Geo. Evans, J.P. . Mr. Tate delivered a most instructive address on educational matters, and also dealt in an interesting way with the question of hygiene and sanitation. Dr. Rabl spoke in support of the medical inspection of children.  Afternoon tea was provided by the ladies. ____

More interpretations of Sepia Saturday’s theme this week of bobbies, bellies, bums and brushes can be found in the links at Sepia Saturday