A short history of the first fifty years of Garfield State School, No. 2724

The Cannibal Creek State School, No. 2724, opened in April 1886 and was located in a rented building, on a block of land south of the railway line (1).  In May 1887, the Cannibal Creek Railway Siding was renamed Garfield and the school was renamed two months later in the July (2).   This initial location proved to be too damp and swampy and in 1888, the school moved to higher ground on the north side of the Princes Highway, west of North Garfield Road, into a new building (3). Some of the families who were at the school when it opened were Shipton, Badham, McMurtrie, Reynolds, Watson, Leeson, McNamara, Jefferson, Lawler, Stone, Archer,  Pearson and Boyle (4).

This site, though drier, was too far from the Garfield township for many parents and so a new site was selected closer to the town, on Garfield Road, on the top of the hill between the railway line and the Highway. The school building was re-located and opened there at the start of the school year in 1900 (5).  The teacher at this time was John Joseph Daly, who was at the school from 1897 until July 1914. Mr Daly was a very popular teacher and was married during the time he was at the school. He married Gertrude Grennan at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in St Kilda West on April 13, 1909. His wedding was written up in the Punch newspaper and, as was common in those days, a list of presents received was also published and three  gifts  from the Garfield community were listed - School children, silver butter knife and serviette rings. Garfield Branch A.N.A., handsome brass hanging Iamp. Residents of Garfield, purse of sovereigns (6). 

The school may have been in a more convenient location however some parents were still not happy. The South Bourke & Mornington Journal of November 21, 1900 reported
Much dissatisfaction is expressed at the failure of the Education department to provide sufficient accommodation for the Increasing attendance at the Garfield State School. The structure, which is 23ft. x 13ft., was supposed to accommodate 30 children, but the attendance averages 40, and at times there are as many as 50 children in the building. (7).

Newspapers used to have a Children’s column, edited by an ‘Aunt’ - in the Weekly Times children wrote to Aunt Connie and in The Advocate they wrote to Aunt Patsy. I found three letters which commented on the Garfield school. In 1903, Eva Siedeberg (8), wrote to Aunt Connie and gave this interesting account of her school and its elaborate garden -
My sister and I both go to school at Garfield. Our head teacher is Mr Daly, and Miss Skinner is our sewing mistress. They are both very nice. I am in the fourth class, and Madoline, my sister, is in the fifth. Nearly all of the children have a garden each, and the big boys have a garden between them; they grow vegetables. We have a garden in the shape of Australia, and for the towns are cactus, and for the ranges are violets; the edge of it is made of bark. Mr Daly and the boys have planted a lot of pines and blue-gums, and other sorts of trees. We also have a library in our school.... We had an arbor day at our school not long ago, and each child planted a pine. (9)

Mary Goulding (10) wrote to Aunt Patsy about her life in Garfield in November 1906 and had this to say about the school -
I pass through the township of Garfield every morning on my way to school. Then I go up a steep hill, and on the slope of the other side is the Garfield State school. Mr. Daly is our head teacher, and we like him very much. We were awarded a first class certificate for our school garden. (11) Mary had written previously to Aunt Connie, in July 1906 and she said this - Mr. Daly is our head teacher. He is very kind to us. (12)

This is a photo of the female students at Garfield State School. 

 I wonder if  our letter writers, Eva and Mary are in this photo?

Garfield State School, No. 2724, dated c. 1900-1910.  State Library of Victoria Image H2008.13/15

In 1908, it was recommended that the School move again to be closer to town and the current school site was purchased (13). No doubt young Mary and many of her school mates would have been happy not have to walk up the steep hill every morning. The new building was erected, not without some drama as The Argus of June 17, 1910 reported -
A plumber named Robert Websack, was working on the gable roof of the new State school at Garfield, when a loose sheet of iron caused him to lose his hold. He grabbed the spouting but it gave way and he fell to the ground, distance of fully 20 ft., landing on his back between a heap of bricks and pile of timber. In his fall he clutched a ladder and this together with another ladder fell on top of him. He was stunned and for some time his fellow workmen thought he was dead, but later it was found that no bones were broken and that he had escaped with a severely bruised thigh and other injuries. (14)

The new school was officially opened on the morning of August 17, 1910 by the Minister of Education, Mr Billson. The Bunyip & Garfield Express of August 23, reported part of his speech –
He was very pleased to observe that the people of Garfield had used good judgement in their choice of the site for the school. It was almost essential that the building should be upon rising ground, and he could also compliment them on the large area of space they had allowed around the building as a recreation ground for the children. This was a wise policy, but one that had not been observed in the building of the earlier metropolitan schools, but the department now recognised that it was a necessary condition, and one which would receive consideration in the future; children required educating physically as well as mentally. He then continued on about Education policy and what the Government was doing in the area of education and it was reported that Mr Billson concluded his speech by proclaiming the day a school holiday and the children then adjourned to the recreation ground, where a picnic was held.

In 1915, a 5-roomed Teachers Residence was erected, a year too late for Mr and Mrs Daly.  To accommodate a growing school population, additions were completed in 1923 (15).  In 1929, the District Inspector wrote that The building at Garfield is at present too small for requirements . Two rooms – 20 ft by 21 ft and 36 ft by 24 feet are available for 117 pupils...many desks have  3 pupils.  The Inspector recommended that a new Infant room be built to accommodate 40 pupils.(16) Due to the Depression the building did not go ahead straight away and some classes were held in the Public Hall (17). The Infant room was opened on June 24, 1932. In the evening a reunion of past pupils was held. (18).  In 1933, the school was connected to electricity and in May 1934 the school was connected to a reticulated water supply (19)

The original school building which started off on the Highway and later moved to the top of the steep hill, was moved to Garfield North. The residents of the Garfield North area had purchased land for the school in January 1913 and it was promised that the old school would be shifted onto the site. Many parents had put off enrolling their children in anticipation of this new school, but it wasn’t until July 1914 that the building was relocated and the School, No. 3849, was opened at the beginning of August 1914 (20). 

The location of the three Garfield school sites and the Garfield North school site, superimposed on the Parish Plan of Bunyip by Bill Parish.

Bill's collection of material is at the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society.

Footnotes
(1) Cannibal Creek to Garfield: a history of Garfield Primary school, No. 2724, 1886-1986, published by the Centenary Committee. The Committee consisted of -  Mary White, B. Andrews, R. Spencer, Kevin Daley, Rosemary Parham and Mick whiting.
(2) The Argus, May 6, 1887, see here.
(3) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., p. 16.
(4) Back to Garfield 1887-1962 Souvenir Booklet (Back to Garfield Committee, 1962), p.6
(5) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., p. 20
(6) Punch, May 6 1909, see here.
(7) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, November 21, 1900, see here.
(8) Eva was the daughter of Hugo and Mary Ann (nee Edge) Siedeberg. Hugo was listed in the Electoral Roll as  a farmer.
(9) Weekly Times, September 26, 1903, see here.
(10) Mary was the daughter of Patrick and Ellen (nee O'Donoghue) Goulding. Patrick was listed in the Electoral Roll as a Railway employee.
(11) The Advocate, November 17, 1906, see here.
(12) The Advocate, July 14, 1906, see here.
(13) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., p. 22
(14) The Argus, June 17, 1910, see here.
(15) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., passim.
(16) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., p. 27.
(17)  Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., passim.
(18) The Argus, June 27, 1932, see here.
(19) Cannibal Creek to Garfield, op. cit., p. 27.

(20) The Age, September 5, 1913, see here; There is a history of the Garfield North School - The school on the small plateau: the history of Garfield North State School, No. 3849 by Ron Smith (The Author, 2014).