Celebrations were held in Armidale in June 2011 to mark the 150th anniversary of what is known today as Armidale City Public School.
During July, this column has explored the background, development and growth of schools in New South Wales, especially the vital issue of their funding. We will now look at the history of early schooling in Armidale.
As we saw last week, in January 1848, a dual system of education with secular schools and denominational schools was established in NSW, each under a separate board. Against the background story told in the last two weeks, we will now see how the Dual School System worked in practice in a place such as the infant Armidale township, which had been established by Commissioner George Macdonald and his detachment of Mounted Police and Border Police who came north in 1839 to establish law and order in New England, from his headquarters in Armidale.
White men with their women and children arrived in the New England district from the 1830s. With their animals, tools, clothing and other possessions, these new settlers also brought memories, hopes, fears and their religion. It was because there were Christians here that travelling clergymen occasionally visited Armidale after the town was established in 1839.
William Grant Broughton, the first and only Anglican Bishop of Australia, visited Armidale in October 1845 and decided that a resident minister was needed in Armidale. In 1846 Bishop Broughton sent the newly-ordained deacon, Reverend Henry Tingcombe, to Armidale, where he was the first resident minister of religion. Tingcombe conducted his first baptisms here on April 12, 1846. He was ordained a priest in Sydney on February 20, 1847.
Given that many of the schools in the colony were run by the Christian churches, it is not surprising that the first school in Armidale began not long after the arrival of Armidale’s first resident clergyman. In accordance with Bishop Broughton’s instructions, Tingcombe opened a school in September 1847, with Thomas Middleton as the master. The school was situated at the intersection of Faulkner and Rusden Streets later the site of the first Parish Hall, which is now a place of business. (A current photo of the site was published in No 57 on July 20).
By 1848 Armidale was the largest town north of the Hunter River. Soon Armidale’s Anglicans were no longer Bishop Broughton’s concern, because new bishops were appointed in 1847 and William Tyrrell, the first Bishop of Newcastle, had jurisdiction of Anglicans in northern NSW. Tingcombe conducted his services in the Anglican schoolhouse until St Peter’s Church was opened in 1850. He served in Armidale until 1854. Details about the life and labours of Henry Tingcombe can be found in an article by Jean Newall in the Armidale and District Historical Society’s Journal (A&DHSJ), No 44, 2001.
Armidale’s second school was opened in 1848 and it was run by Catholic lay people. From 1848 to 1853 the Catholics were served by priests who made circuit tours of northern NSW from their bases in the Hunter Valley. Catholics in northern NSW would remain under the jurisdiction of John Bede Polding (Archbishop of Sydney) until March 1871.
The first Catholic school in Armidale was situated in Dumaresq Street, opposite what is now the Belgrave Cinema. (A current photo of the site was published in No 58 on July 27). The teacher’s residence, at the rear of the school, fronted on to Beardy Street, near what is now the Mandarin Restaurant.
The origins and development of the Catholic schools were explored by Dr Bernard Flood, and the fruit of his painstaking and scholarly labours was published in A&DHSJ, No 46, 2003.
Neither the Catholic school nor the Anglican school was originally a ‘denominational school’ technically, because no application had been made for the teachers to be paid by the Government. The two Armidale schools were private schools – until they secured Government funding, which the Anglican school successfully applied for in 1851 and the Catholics secured in 1853, after Father Tim McCarthy arrived in Armidale as the first resident Catholic priest.
Appointed to Armidale by Archbishop Polding, McCarthy (who had arrived from Ireland in March 1853) had charge of the school in Armidale. The Catholic school’s location shifted eastwards along Dumaresq Street to premises rented from John Trim, before moving to a new purpose-built school, on the site of what is now the Armidale Bowling Club.
The school later moved next door to a new site, on which there is now a motel and a service station. During the 1860s the land and building had belonged to Dean John Lynch, who had succeeded Father McCarthy in Armidale late in 1862.
Meanwhile, efforts were made to establish a National School in Armidale. George William Rusden had the awesome task of coming to Armidale in 1850 on behalf of the National School Board to promote the establishment of the school. What a trip he had! He was kicked by his horse and was unable to walk, and when he arrived in Armidale no meeting could be arranged until after the horse-racing in Armidale.
The idea of a National School in Armidale was condemned by the Anglican clergyman, Henry Tingcombe. Rusden eventually secured a public meeting which was held at the Court House in September 1850. A resolution was passed that a National School be established.
Finding a site was a great problem. One site chosen was on the land which belonged to the Anglican Church and which is now occupied by St Peter’s Cathedral. Tingcombe speedily ensured the proposed National School would have to go elsewhere. The next proposed site was on land across the creek from what is now the Ex-Services’ Club.
Ten years passed without results. Much of the drive for establishing the National School came from the Wesleyan Methodists and the Presbyterians who were unhappy because they had no choice but to send their children to schools run by Catholics or Anglicans.
There were also some influential Anglicans who wanted a National School. For instance, Joseph Scholes, the proprietor of the New England Hotel, was so keen that he offered premises in Marsh Street for the school.
In June 1861 Thomas Donnelly accepted his appointment as the first master. Mrs Donnelly was appointed to help female students with needlework. The National School opened on July 8, 1861. Tenders were soon called for the erection of a new building, at the intersection of Brown and Dangar Streets. Joseph Scholes laid the foundation stone in October 1864.
The new school was opened on May 8, 1865. By the time of its centenary, the school had changed its name and whole new buildings had been erected. The school is known today as Armidale City Public School.
