On 17th of November 1873 DI Bolam recommended the establishment of a school at No. 1 Avoca Creek (in preference to No. 2) and estimated an a.a.[average attendance] of 15-20. A site of 5 acres, Parish of Tehrip, County of Kara Kara, NW corner of Allotment 47, was gazetted on 16th of January 1874. On this was built, by G. McDonald for £247 7s 9d, a 24ftx16ft wooden school with shingle roof, and two dwelling rooms and large porch attached. This school dates from 1st of January 1875 although the HT Robert Tilley reported first teaching on 11th of January 1875. The a.a. in 1880 varied from 30-36, but had dropped to 13 in 1885, and 20 enrolled in 1886. The school building had been built off the site, and this was changed in 1889, the area then being almost 5 acres (gazetted 1st of March 1889). From 1st of January 1889 Avoca Creek worked part-time with Avoca Lead. The NE [net enrolment] dropped to 12 in 1894 and SS1471 closed on 31st of December 1894. The building was sold for £15 15s 6d for removal in 1903, and the site revoked on 29th of January 1919.
Age, Saturday 10 July 1937, page 7
Old Victorian Schooldays
No. 1 Creek, Avoca.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE AGE.
Sir, —I have longed to see some mention of the little school at No. 1 Creek (1471) State school, which I attended in the late eighties. It was situated at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains. five miles from Avoca, and has long since disappeared.
My two brothers and I attended there. Mr. Tilley was our teacher, and Mrs. Tilley used to teach the girls sewing and knitting. They had two children attending school, Ada and Bob; also a baby whom I used to wheel out in the perambulator. One day I had baby out, and it started raining. I was running back to the school, when the pram turned over, and, of course, out went the baby. Its little shawl got full of grass seeds. When I got home I was afraid to say that baby had a fall, as Mrs. Tilley was very particular where her children were concerned. However, the grass seeds told the story and didn't I get into trouble.
Mr. Tilley and his family were moved to a school at Wedderburn. I saw a letter from a Wedderburn scholar in "The Age" some weeks back referring very appreciatively to our old school master. Then we had a Mr. Roberts, and another master whose name I have forgotten. Neither stayed long. As the attendance was rapidly diminishing, the days of the male teachers ended.
Then came our first lady teacher, a Miss Mary Brennan, from Avoca, where her family lived. She used to come to school on a piebald pony. We children thought it was fun to see her coming up the road in the mornings. Those attending that I can bring to mind are the Quacks, Reeves, Moodies, Gannons. Gollops, Swain, Gledhills, Lamberts, Lamonts, Gales, Suivannas, Francis, Jefferies, Hopes, Laydens, Baileys, Learsons and Freestones.
How we children looked forward to the yearly picnic. Mrs. Tilley and our mothers used to canvass the district for eggs, butter and cream. Those that did not have the above used to give money. What a picnic-swings and all kinds of games and races! I have a salt cellar which I won in a race, and I am very proud of it every time I see
Does anyone remember how the cakes for the picnic were placed around the ledge in the school? Also "Black Jack's" strawberry garden. He used to give all the children living near him 6d. an hour for picking strawberries in the mornings and evenings during the season. He encouraged us to whistle while at work. We would start off waistling, but when he went away we would have a "party" on his straw-berries.
And Reeve's "Magpie." How the bird used to chase us home from school.-Yours, &c..
S.S.
Collingwood.
