St Marys Public School 1893-1897

Mr Lewis Henry became the next Principal teacher. When Alice Anne Guild was employed on probation as a pupil teacher on 13 October 1893 the school had, 1 Principal teacher (male), 1 Assistant teacher (female) and 2 Pupil Teachers (1 male, 1 female) and one probationary pupil teacher.

1895 was not a good year for academic achievement for the school. Inspector Skillman’s report on the school was only tolerable to fair. Of 43 pupils examined for Exemption Certificate only 19 passed the prescribed test. The teachers, Mr Henry, Miss Pearce and Miss May Guild were all given please explain letters. Mr Henry was informed that at the next school inspection, much better results would be looked for and that all the fourth class pupils and all the children who have attended 440 days in third class should be able to gain certificates of exemption. By 14 December 1896 Lewis Henry was requesting an appointment to Ryde.

The Commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee was celebrated on Monday 21 June 1897 and the forms from the Public School were used during the proceedings. The schoolhouse had tenders called for a washhouse and a bathroom to be built. There was a letter from J W Holliman asking for advice from the Crown Solicitor about the case of Miss Theresa Hanley.

Miss Theresa Hanley, Assistant teacher, Public School, St Marys, was granted leave of absence for nine months, without pay, in April 1895, to enable her to visit her relatives in Ireland. The leave was extended from time to time, and expired on 31 December 1896. On 30 March 1897 a letter was received from Miss Theresa Hanley, addressed from Roscommon, Ireland, stating that she was compelled through ill health to resign her position and applied for a retiring allowance. They also received a medical certificate from an Irish Practitioner. The Public Service Board did not want to pay her a retiring allowance as she had not applied for it while still in service and they were not satisfied with the medical certificate.

Mr Lewis Henry left in 1897 and went on to become a District Inspector.

All information came from NSW Archives Files 5/17577.2 St Marys.