ROCKY HALL PUBLIC SCHOOL
Application for a Provincial School at Rocky
Hall was made in 1876 and was granted. The
school was opened in 1877.
A vested site of 2 acres was obtained by
Government Grant dated 17th January 1879.
The school was raised to Public School status
in 1882. Another site of 2 acres (the present
site) was obtained by resumption dated 20th
May 1887, and a further 4 acres were added
to it by resumption dated 15th February 1892.
The original site was sold to J. Boland on
27th February 1902. The school was made a
Half-Time school with Burragate in June 1925
and was made a Provisional school in January
1926.
The information below is compiled, by kind permission, from: 'A History of Wyndham Fourth Edition 2003'
The first route used by early settlers to
travel from the Monaro to the Coast passed
through Rocky Hall. Over the period 1830-40
a few people began to run cattle in the valley.
As the track through Rocky Hall was improved,
it became a busy thoroughfare with a general
store, a pub and an inn to provide accommodation,
and blacksmith shops to shoe horses and repair
vehicles. The population increased until
about 1890, by which time the majority of
land had been selected and settled.
During the 1880s and 90s, the agricultural
emphasis changed from beef production to
dairying. Cheese and butter were made on
farms until the butter factory commenced
production in 1896. The butter factory was
one of the very early co-operative dairy
companies.
Prior to the building of the present school,
early education in Rocky Hall was conducted
by private teachers in various farm buildings.
A Miss L. E. Beck is mentioned between 1866/1876
as teacher of the school, which was located
in the corner of the Boyd Paddock. Later
on the Department leased a building to the
left of the Orchard Road - this being a construction
12' x 15' x 7' high. The tin roof proved
too hot in summer and the walls were too
draughty in winter. There were at this time,
50 children of school age with an average
attendance of 20.
In 1883, a night school was started for adults
by renting rooms at the hotel in which to
teach. Mr. N. Hutchinson was the appointed
teacher at this time, and later a Mr. Kearney
took his place.
A 2 acre site was surveyed not far from Basin
Creek, but the school was eventually built
on its present site in 1887 with Rocky Hall
now a flourishing community. The stone foundation
was constructed by Charles Ralphs. One of
his daughters married a local farmer and
three families of descendants still live
in Rocky Hall.
Pine trees were planted inside the perimeter
of the school grounds and soon become a prominent
landmark. A number of the trees were stone
pines which bear edible nuts.
Many a happy playtime was spent searching
for and eating pine nuts. Unfortunately,
as the trees neared their eightieth year,
it was becoming obvious they had passed their
prime. To remove the danger to the public
the pines were cut down in the beginning
of 1965.
In the early 1900s, pupils and members of
the community excavated a tennis court in
the school grounds. Further excavation and
upgrading of the court has occurred since
then. The courts have long been a focal point
in the community, with tennis being an important
social activity.
A gradual decline in the population began
during World War I. During that period the
pub closed. The butter factory ceased production
in 1926 and afterwards cream was transported
to the Pambula Butter Factory.
The Parents and Citizens Association made
important contributions to the School by
organising fundraising dances. The nine long
wooden desks in the schoolroom had to be
unbolted and stored in the weather shed to
provide space for a dance floor. The P&C
purchased a piano, which was used for many
functions. At the end of each school year
a break-up dance was held. The 50th anniversary
of the opening of the school was celebrated
at a dance held in the schoolroom in August
1937.
After World War 11, the population further
declined as people resettled in cities where
they found jobs. As people moved away, land
holdings became larger and many of the dairies
converted to beef, cattle and sheep in the
1950s and 60s.
During the late 1950s the number of pupils
dropped to a level which put the future of
the school in doubt. The P&C fought strongly
to keep the school open. The number of pupils
rose again as younger children began school.
Until the mid 60s the majority of teenagers
completed their secondary education by correspondence
work while still attending Rocky Hall Public
School. In 1966, the teacher at Rocky Hall
began taking High School students to meet
the bus at Wyndham. The next year the bus
run was extended to Rocky Hall and travelling
to Bega High School each day was a possibility.
The number of pupils dropped in the 1970s
and by the end of 1974 there was not sufficient
for the school to remain open and its doors
closed. In 1975, Rocky Hall Progress Association
applied for and obtained a Permissive Occupancy
Agreement from the Education Department to
use the school building and grounds as a
Community Centre.
From 1976-1981 Bob and Heather Meek used
the schoolroom and residence as a Field Study
Centre.
In 1982, the Dept. of Education advised that,
as the building was not being used as an
educational facility it would be sold. The
Progress Association applied to the Minister
for Education, enclosing a petition signed
by all the residents in the area, to stop
the building from being sold and to keep
it as a Community Centre. This application
was not successful so the committee decided
to approach the local member, Mr. John Akister,
personally. At this stage, the building was
being used as a meeting venue and for playgroup,
yoga and tennis. It was also used for ceramic,
photography and natural dye workshops.
In 1983, to assist in endeavours to retain
the building, an agreement was made with
the Bournda Field Studies Centre to use the
community centre as an annex to their centre.
During this year, Mr. Akister made representations
to the Minister for Education on behalf of
the Rocky Hall Progress Association.
In 1984, as a result of the Progress Association
and Mr. Akister's persistence the property
was declared Crown Land with the Rocky Hall
Progress Association as Trustees. An application
for a government grant was also successful
and the project, funded by the Ministry of
Education, involved the restoration of the
building and tennis court.
In 1987 an application to start a pre-school
was successful and pre-school commenced that
year.
From 1998 to the present day, the Community
Centre has been used for the main part as
a pre-school, but also for tennis, meetings,
children's parties, seminars and workshops.
It has also been used for overnight accommodation
during school holidays and for emergency
accommodation.
This Historic Public School House building
has, is and will always remain a most important
asset to the community and surrounding Rocky
Hall districts.
Wendy Whitby
February 16, 1900
Wyndham
Mr. H.G. Elphick (public school teacher)
and family have removed from Rocky Hall to
Wyndham for a short stay, on account of Mrs.
Munro having typhoid fever at the school
residence at Rocky Hall, necessitating the
closing of the school for a few weeks.
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| Rocky Hall Primary School 1928 Photo courtesy Dale Hummer (nee Whitby) |
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| Rocky Hall Primary School Pupils 1928 Photo courtesy Dale Hummer (nee Whitby) |
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| Today the local Community Centre. Photo K. Clery |
July 13, 1894
*.. Mr. Augustus Scanlan 8 years in charge
of Rocky Hall Public School.
'Magnet' June 1929.
* Mr. C. P. Brown - school teacher at Towamba
* Mr. McMullan - school teacher at Pericoe
* Mr. Cornford - school teacher at Burragate
'Magnet' November 1929
Teachers: Mr. Luff - Rocky Hall
Mr. Cornford - Burragate
Mr. Browne - Towamba Mr. Tyson - Kiah
Mr. Bissell - Wyndham
LIST OF TEACHERS
Name - Date Appointed
No record 1877 - 1882
Nicholas Hutchinson - October 1882
John Kearney - April 1885
Augustus Scanlan - September 1886
Henry Kiphick - July 1894
Ruben West - July 1918
Edward Hinman - May 1921
William Luff - June 1925
John Byrne - January 1937
John Cranford - January 1939
Lionel Lang - February 1948
James Rutherford - January 1950
William Sayer - January 1956
Compiled by Unknown
