18 Mar -
School Board Petition 1
14 Apr - Petition 2
April 22nd - Ex
teacher letter
May 2nd - Second Ex
teacher letter
May 5th - letter from
Emma Anderson, to Inspector Rix
7th May -
Arthur Welshman – Application for Transfer
May 12th - letter from
Emma Anderson, to Inspector Rix
May 13th -
Emma Anderson - Petition Rebuttal
Another letter to
Inspector Rix from Emma Anderson
28 May - Inspector Rix's
Summary
28 May - Inspector
Rix's Detailed Report
Maria Stone's Statement
Brainard Stone's Statement
Jane
Michell statement
Edwin
Knight statement
Emma Anderson - Rebuttal
on Class Contents and School Cleanliness
Two Miscellaneous Documents
10th August -
Arthur Welshman
– change of mind
Acknowledgements
18th March -
School Board Petition 1
Hillsborough
The Yackandandah School Board of Advice
Gentlemen
We the undersigned residants of "Hillsboro", do hereby petition to the
said "Board" to have the School Teacher o f "Hillsboro" (Mrs Anderson)
removed as we condered she in not a fit and proper person, to instruct
children, on account of the disgracefull state of the school in "dirt
& filth". and the children are not progressing in their learning as
they ought.
Signed:
J.A.Michell, Rebecca Knight, John Ralph, Arthur Clingin, Hance McGowan,
Mary Paull, B H Stone, WB Mitchell, Jane
Crawford
Image
14th
April, 1885 Petition 2
Hillsboro
The Minister of the "Education
Department"
Sir
We the undersigned residents of
"Hillsboro" do hereby petition to the
"Minister " of "Education" for the removal of "Mrs Anderson" the State
School Teacher (No 889) as we consider, she is not a fit & proper
person to instruct our children. As we have 30 children
under 15 years of age, we are entitled to a "Male"Tacher" and we wish
an inspector of Schools sent, when we will state our trouble more fully.
We are sir, Yours obdt.
Thos Andw Michell, Rebecca Knight,
Mary Paull, Hance McGowan, John Ralph, H.B.Stone, Arthur Clingin,
WB Mitchell
Some notes have been added in pencil
beside two of the names (possibly
by the inspector):
Hance McGowan - stepfather of Arthur
Welshman
WB Mitchell - no children at school,
youngest 21 years.
Image
April 22nd - Ex teacher letter
State School
Longwarry East
via Lardner
Mrs Anderson,
Dear Madam,
During the holidays I had the pleasure of meeting
teachers from your
locality and during some conversations about Hillsborough they
mentioned that the person whom I recommended to you for a
"Workmistrress" had been making himself very unpleasant. Should
he or any of his neighbours take it upon themselves to complain when
the Inspector pays you a visit for results, you can send to me if
necessary and I shall be very happy to aid you by testifying that when
I was there they were always making unreasonable complaints - in fact
they considered me too strict. I can also testify that some of
them would not buy the necessary books though well able to do so.
I shall aid you in any way I can for I think teachers should combine
more than they do in these cases and others. Our vocation is
quite hard enough without being pestered with unreasonable complaints
from parents.
I am sorry your eyes are so bad but I hope they will
soon be well
again..........................
Iimages :
Page 1 of
Letter Page 2 of
Letter
(This part of the letter to Mrs Anderson is submitted as evidence to
the inspector and head office in Melb. The “Workmistres” referred to is
Thomas Andrew Michell, apparently because he boasted about how good he
was at all tasks)
May 2nd - Second Ex teacher letter
A second similar letter from the same
teacher. Not sure who he is?
Iimages :
Page 1 of
Letter Page 2 of
Letter
May 5th - letter from Emma Anderson, to Inspector Rix
Images Page 1 Page
2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5
Page 6
7th May,
1885
Arthur Welshman – Application for Transfer
Quotation from letter written by Mr
Arthur Welshman
Head Teacher of Back Creek School, No 2025 to Mrs Emma Anderson (HT
889) and handed in to me by her as evidence.
H.Rix (inspector)
Mrs Anderson
Madam
During my recent
frequent visits to
Hillsborough I heard that you were
anxious for transfer and I have a similar desire. I now take the
liberty of offering to exchange schools with you. I would be glad
of an exchange in this neighbourhood as thereby I could, in the event
of being appointed where I had no desire to go, plead having recently
made a transfer. I have been here over 7 years and may
consequently expect a transfer and during that long period have not had
the slightest bother with any of the parents etc.
Yours respectfully
AC
Welshman Image of Letter
May 12th - letter from Emma Anderson, to Inspector Rix
Emma Anderson – Mrs Maria Stone
(Part of a letter from teacher Emma Anderson, to Inspector Rix)
Hillsborough
H.Rix, Esq.
Sir,
I take the liberty of writing and hope it may not
reach you too late
for your report - Dear, Sir, I think even you will allow that in common
justice when the children's word is accepted against the Teacher's at
least you should know something of the parents so as to judge somewhat
of the home training. The chief witnesses against me yesterday
were the Stones and their parents are not respectable even.
Mrs Ralph was a fellow servant of Mrs Stones years
ago and in her own
language she said "Its well known Stone is not married to her, he can't
if he would for she's married already to a man called Noonan - was last
heard of at Chiltern. Her children and his are all in the
Industrial Schools and she sometimes gets letter from there addressed
through this Office to Maria Noonan, but she took up with two or three
men before she picked up with Stone and she's stuck to him."
I think a good one to prove that assertion to your
satisfaction is Mr
Frank Vale who has been here among them for ten years. I don't
know him in the least but it does seem so hard to have my character
taken away by those who have none to lose, that I shall try to prove
the truth of my statements yesterday in every possible way.
I could not prove what I did not know, and although
suspecting
falsehood it was quite impossible for me to guess the nature of it.
I wrote to Mr Jamieson to engage a servant for me as
the one I had in
Gippsland would not come so far away. He engaged Amelia Stone, at
6/- per week.
Mr Wilberforce, an old resident of Hillsborough (of
I think 28 years)
met me at Beechworth, and brought me out here. While on the road
he told me the girl I was getting was a bird from a bad nest. I
afterwards learned by Mrs Ralph and Mrs McGowan coming to interview me
the 1st Sunday I was here what he meant.....................
(Mr Frank Vale and Mr Jamieson were previous teachers at Hillsborough)
May 13th -
Emma Anderson - Petition Rebuttal
Hillsborough 889
Henry Rix Esq
Sir
(Extract from letter)
But to return to
Hillsborough Mr.
W.B. Mitchell has another charge
against me or fancies he has, for, I usurp the place of two of his
daughters. (At least, they say so) although it is most unintentionally
done on my part - Certainly I do occupy the residence which belongs of
right (so they say), to Mrs A. Welshman and I am unfortunately a rival
singer to the single daughter Miss Minnie Mitchell. They are all
Salvationist I am not one, and when Mr Howe asked me to lead the
singing for him (as he objects to the Salvation tunes) I did so, little
thinking what a hornets nest I was bringing about my ears but; when
people are anxious to annoy, a very little serves as an excuse......It
looks a little like egotism praising myself so much but fortunately you
can so easily prove all I say, as no doublet Mr Howe is well known to
you. I must add, the Services are not held here but up in the
Presbyterian Church next to the Post Office.
Emma Anderson
Another letter to inspector Rix from Emma
Anderson
Not sure when this was written. It is
quite a long letter. The practice of writing at 90 degrees over the top
of the first page of writing was apparently used at the time as a paper
saving measure. But you might have found some extra paper when writing
to your inspector at such a critical time?
Images Page 1
Page 2 Page
3 Page 4 Page 5 Page
6 Page 7 Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
28 May - Inspector Rix's Summary
Supports Mrs
Anderson Image
of Summary
28 May - Inspector Rix's Detailed Report
Images :
Page 1
Page 2 Page 3
Maria Stone's Statement
Statement given by Maria Stone, a 14 year old student in 6th Class..
Image
Brainard Stone's Statement
Statement given by Brainard Stone, a 11 year old student in 4th Class..
Image
Jane Michell statement
I Jane Michell, 14 in September last,
was in the 6th class when I left school in February last. I
learnt the towns of Africa, America and Asia since Mrs Anderson
came. Have been kept at home since I left because father wanted
me. Our lesson used to be disturbed by Mrs Anderson's children
running about the school, nearly every day, both before and since
Xmas. Have never seen any other children running about - am sure.
Rosetta Paul never came when I was attending, only since. Have
seen unpleasant things done by Violet Anderson - usually near hat room
door, two or three times before and since Xmas. Once on the last day I
attended at hat room door as I came in I spoke to Maria Stone about
it. Never saw nor heard of its happening in this room. Have in
the mornings seen the dirt swept under the desks once or twice - on
nearly every other morning the dust was swept out at the hat room door.
The room was swept out every morning. Have seen the room as at
present on Monday mornings, every other Monday. The dust was
raised as we marched across the room.
Jane
Michell
Image Page 1
Page 2
Edwin Knight statement
I, Edwin Knight,
12 years in July
next, have been in the 6th class since just after the
examination. Have since we came into this class had ???????? of
the world, towns of NSW and Victoria. Don't remember learning
towns of Asia and America in 5th class. The only noise made in
the school which disturbed our lesson was the first class children
jumping up and down in their place. Has never seen any children
running about the school. Have seen Rosetta Paul go a little way
from her sister and come back. Have seen Violet and Percy
Anderson running about the room two or three times a week. Percy
was running about the school most of his time. Have never seen
the room as clean as at present. The dust was usually swept, but
at front or back door but sometimes under the gallery, from the part
near to gallery - dust was never swept under the desks. Have seen
Violet Anderson do unpleasant things near the hat room door while we
were in school just before Mrs Anderson went to Melbourne, altogether
about 5 times - most before Xmas. Did not hear Amelia Ralph ask
to go out before she did the same last week.
Edwin John
Knight.
Image of Statement
Emma Anderson - Rebuttal on Class Contents
and School Cleanliness
Image
Two Miscellaneous Documents
Martha Morrison
was employed by Mrs Anderson.
No reply from Amelia Stone Page 1
Page 2
10th August, 1885
Arthur Welshman
– change of mind
Back Creek, Yackandandah
Hillsborough School no. 889
Sir,
I have the honor
to request that my
application for the postiion of
Head Teacher of the above named school may be withdrawn.
I have the honor
to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant,
A.C.Welshman
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Ronda Shambrook for
supplying
the above material
Page last updated - 8
August
2006
