In February 1876, the Shire Hall at Avoca was filled to overflowing for one of the district’s most anticipated educational events—the annual State Schools Prize Distribution. Children, parents, teachers, and community members travelled from Avoca, Bung Bong, Amphitheatre, Homebush, Percydale, Lamplough, Mountain Hut, Lillicur, and Avoca Lead to celebrate the achievements of local scholars. The evening combined prize-giving with music, recitations, and lively spelling-bee competitions. The following report from the Avoca Mail provides a vivid account of the festivities and preserves the names of many of the district’s most successful students.
Avoca Mail, Tuesday 22 February 1876, page 2
THE STATE SCHOOLS PRIZE DISTRIBUTION AT AVOCA. This event, which had excited a good deal of interest in the district, took place on Friday evening last at the Shire Hall, and as we ventured to predict, was productive of unmitigated enjoyment as well as being eminently successful in all respects, as everyone present in the crowded audience can testify. The Hall was well arranged and beautified by large bouquets of roses kindly sent by Mr W. H. Ford, from his well known garden at No. 1 Creek, a vase of white roses being very chaste. The prizes very appropriately took the shape of books, to which the winner of them may refer in after years with pride and gratification; and a very handsome collection they were, arranged in a row on a crimson covered shelf above the heads of those who occupied the platform; the quality of the works, too, being of the best, and shewing the good taste and judgment of the gentlemen who kindly selected them—the Hon. Robert Ramsay, Minister of Public Instruction, Mr B. G. Davies, M.L.A., chairman of committees, and Mr H. Hall, the painstaking and indefatigable correspondent. The parents and friends of the children from Avoca, Bung Bong, Amphitheatre, Homebush, Percydale, and Lamplough, mustered in strong numbers, and the attendance of the inhabitants of Avoca was large, and, although a charge was made for admission, the hall was literally crammed full, ladies as usual largely predominating. Mr Bolam, Inspector of Schools, presided, and carried out the varied proceedings of the evening, which occupied until close upon midnight, with politeness to the audience and kind consideration for the many children who presented themselves; some to take their well earned prizes, some to sing and recite, some to engage in the spelling-bee competitions, and all to be apparently satisfied and happy. The Rev. D. O'Donnell gave out the words for the spellers. The musical part was under the experienced direction of Professor Cranz, and the great pains and trouble he has been at must have been rewarded by the capital singing, of the part songs especially, by his numerous pleasant looking young pupils. The proceedings commenced by an opening overture for two pianofortes, Miss Mathers and Mr Armstrong playing on one, Miss Hall and Mr Cranz on the other. The overture was well and spiritedly played. The chairman, Mr Bolam, remarked that those present would agree with him that it was not a proper opportunity for speech-making, for rather would the music and recitations be heard. The spread of education, he would say, however, had been very great of late years in the Home countries and here. Immense advantages had arisen and been afforded to schools and school children, and he had a firm conviction that the benefits of meetings such as the present were very great indeed. It was a good sign to see so many assembled from the different schools of the neighbourhood, shewing, as it did, good desires for the future. The prizes were well worth the winning, and every copy of the works displayed had been carefully selected by the Hon. the Minister of Education, and Mr B. G. Davies, who had kindly accompanied Mr Hall for the purpose. He hoped their value would be fully appreciated. He had no doubt of the great benefits to be derived from competitive examinations. A nervous child might occasionally fail; but as a rule the most carefully taught invariably gave the best results.—(Cheers.) A number of very small elocutionists and singers were then ranged by Miss Bowen on the platform, and gave a song, "Watching for Pa," a recitation "The Neat Little Clock," with quaint and appropriate action, followed by a chorus-song to the old air of "Villikins and his Dinah." Master George Chambers then recited with distinct correctness "Giving a Child Away!" To this succeeded a chorus by the Avoca scholars which had been arranged by Mr Cranz, the words by Mr Cooke, and very well rendered it was. A bevy of Percydale scholars then sang very cleverly and with true intonation, "The Milk Pail," without accompaniment, conducted by Mr Burston, the Head teacher of this school. A good feature of this performance was the distinctness of utterance of the words. Two small mites of children, the son and daughter of Mr and Mrs Robarts of Bung Bong, then came forward and sang a duet without accompaniment, their very young voices blending most harmoniously. This was most attentively listened to, if only as a surprise, and much applauded. The recitation by Master Loo Ching, "The March of Intellect," succeeded. The Spelling Bee for the 3rd class was then entered upon, Mr Bolam explaining that the words would be taken from the books for the class immediately below those competing. These Spelling classes afforded real amusement during the evening, the competitions being keen and close and exciting towards the termination of each. The prizes fell—first to Emily Louisa Summers, Homebush school; second, Maria Robarts, Bung Bong school; and third, George Macadam, Avoca school. The Como Quadrilles for two pianos, eight hands, was capitally played by Miss Mather and Miss Smith, and Miss A. Mather and Miss Holland. The announcement of a ballad by Miss Hammond was warmly greeted, when this young lady sang with her usual good taste and musical precision, the ballad "The Wish," and in reply to a loud encore "The Garden Gate." Chorus by Avoca scholars, "The Happy Day," accompanied by Mr Cranz. A Percydale scholar, T. McMahon, gave a recitation "The Chameleon" in good style. The candidates for the Spelling Bee of the 4th class then came to the fore and mustered well. The prizes thus fell:—First, William Rutter, Homebush school, quite a little fellow, who took the 3rd prize in the next contest, and who won the special prize for the 3rd class at the competitive examination; second, Margaret McMahon, Percydale school; third, Josephine Cartwright, Lamplough school. Piano quartette Herold's "Zampa," particularly well rendered by Miss Hall and Mr Cranz, Miss Mather and Mr Armstrong. Song, Miss Hammond, "Oh take me to my heart again," very sweetly sung. Chorus and March, Avoca scholars. This was particularly well given, the arrangement being by Mr Cranz. The verses commenced with the old gamut-syllables "do, re, mi, fa, &c.," merging into a march tune, the young executants at the conclusion marching in file from the platform to the entrance vestibule behind, concluding with a dying cadence of the scale. The effect was very good and was much applauded. Then came the Spelling Bee for the 5th class, for which there was a sturdy competition before the rank was thinned. At last after sustaining the battery of words for some time the prizes were awarded:—First, Hannah Chapman, Bung Bong school; second, Priscilla Cartwright, Lamplough school; third, William Rutter, Homebush school. Recitation, Albert Wiltshire. The sixth class Spelling Bee brought out 11 competitors, resulting in W. McMahon (the winner of the special prize), Percydale school, taking the first prize; Martha Rutter, Homebush school, the second; and George Chambers, of Avoca school, the third prize. It was a close contest. The prizes (value £30) were then distributed as obtained in the late competitive examination, and were in the following order:— Class VI.—Special prize, William McMahon, Percydale. Boys—1st prize, William John Williamson, Avoca Lead; 2nd prize, Thomas Quayle, Amphitheatre; 3rd prize, William Loo Ching, Percydale. Girls—1st prize, Martha Rutter, Homebush; 2nd prize, Emily Birkenshaw, Bung Bong; 3rd prize, Lillie Sutherland, Bung Bong. Certificates—Edward Bird, Amphitheatre; Albert Scott, Amphitheatre. Class V.—Special prize, Thomas Sutters, Mountain Hut. Boys—1st prize, James Hughes, Mountain Hut; 2nd prize, Thomas Green, Lillicur; 3rd prize, John Schmidt, Mountain Hut. Girls—1st prize, Hannah Chapman, Bung Bong; 2nd prize, Mary Eliza Clark, Lillicur; 3rd prize, Priscilla Cartwright, Lamplough. Certificates—Joseph Nicholson, Bung Bong; P. P. Moss, Avoca. Class IV.—Special prize, Thomas Abbott, Bung Bong. Boys—1st prize, William Mathers, Avoca; 2nd prize, Frederick Frey, Avoca; 3rd prize, Edwin Miles, Avoca. Girls—1st prize, Emma Rutter, Bung Bong; 2nd prize, Margaret McMahon, Percydale; 3rd prize, Anastasia Brennan, Avoca. Certificates—William Henderson, Bung Bong; Caroline Beata Butt, Lillicur; Albert Webb, Avoca. Class III.—Special prize, William Rutter, Homebush. Boys—1st prize, Christopher Abbott, Bung Bong; 2nd prize, Alfred Fry, Avoca; 3rd prize, George Macadam, Avoca. Girls—1st prize, Lucy Paddon, Mountain Hut; 2nd prize, Flora Frey, Avoca; 3rd prize, Mary Robarts, Bung Bong. Certificates—George Stevenson, Lillicur. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr Cranz, ladies and scholars, and to Mr Bolam, Rev. D. O'Donnell, and the chairman and correspondent of the Board of Advice. Mr Bolam, in responding, expressed the gratification he experienced on being present, and repeated his willingness to preside on future occasions of the kind if invited to do so. The singing of the National Anthem concluded the very pleasant proceedings, which reached until nearly midnight. The proceeds of the entertainment, we hear, were £14 14s. 5d., the amount taken at the door.
