FREESTONE CREEK UPPER STATE SCHOOL - PERSONNEL
Dates of Duty. |
TEACHERS |
Rippingale, Robert Owen Liddle, William Coultard. Harwood, Samuel Jarnes Donovan, Timothy Michael Hall, William Joseph Clarson, Kenneth Jones, Silvester Bright Connelly, Horace Robert Wenck, Vincent Lionel (Relief) Clem, Col in George Kelly, Thomas Joseph (Relief) Corley, Lester James Surman, John Osbourne Whale, William Henry Robert
October 1874 - December 1886
January 1887 - December 1895
January 1896 - June 1900
July 1900 - December 1909
January 1910 - December 1919
March 1920 - October 1924
October 1924 - October 1929
October 1929 - January 1946
June 1936 - December 1936
January 1946 - August 1952
January 1952 - August 1952
August 1952 - September1956
September 1956 - June 1962
June 1962 - June 1964
GENERAL HISTORY
The first known discussion regarding the establishment of a school = Upper Freestone was a letter dated July 26th 1874 by Mr.J.P.O'Dempsey Mr.R.McDonald of the Old. Board of Education.
Freestone Creek,Warwick Reserve July 26th 1874
R.McDonald Esq.
Dear Sir,
I beg to inform you that there ia at present residing on this Portion of the Reserve 17 children aged from 12 to 5 years and 9 from years downwards.
The distance from the nearest school is from 5 to 7 miles. I take this opportunity of writing to you before you leave us requesting information if there is any aid to be got from the board, and on what terms. Also what description buildings have we to erect?
Wishing you a safe passage and speedy return to us.
I remain Dear Sir, Your obedient servant. J.P.O'Dempsey
It is assumed that a favourable reply was received as a meeting of residents was held in August of that year to discuss the matter of the establishment of a school.
The following parents were listed at this meeting as living within 1 mile of the school.
J.P.O'Dempsey, Jeremiah Ryan, John Morrison, Peter Hagenbach, David Payne, John Cavanagh, Patrick Canavari, Martin Burke, Thomas Ryan.
The proposed site for the school was a reserve set aside six years previously for Road Purposes, Portion 8, Parish Robinson, Warwick Agricultural Reserve.
A later letter indicates the following were nominated for the School Committee.
J.P.O'Dempsey James Brown
Jeremiah Ryan Peter Hagenbach
David Payne P.Cannivan
Thomas Leahy John Cavanagh
John Morrison Thomas Ryan
Martin Burke
Mr. Robert Rippingale was appointed as teacher once approval had been given. Mr. Rippingale had previously been teaching in Toowoomba for two years. As there were no buildings, temporary school was held in a cottage owned by Mr.Thomas Ryan. Mr.Rippingale had a brother living in the area and lived with him.
The school was a Provisional School to begin and officially opened on October 19th 1874 after a construction period of eighteen weeks. The successful tender was let to Mr.M.L.O'Brien at a cost of #285. The residence was later constructed in 1886.
The Provisional School officially became Freestone Creek Upper State School in 1884 and was gazetted accordingly:
Department of Public Instruction Brisbane, 8th July 1884
His Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, has been pleased to approve of the establishment of a State School at
FREESTONE CREEK UPPER S.Griffiths
The above appears to be the result of an application from Messrs. Ryan, O'Dempsey, Cavanagh, Payne and Hagenbach, (Members of the School Committee).
A description of the early years at the school is contained in a report by Thomas Mclntyre (School Inspector) in 1886.
UPPER FREESTONE CREEK SCHOOL - No.209.
The grounds - not yet surveyed - are in the County of Merivale, Parish of Robinson. The school-house being situated on a part of Selection No.8, which with the adjoining Selection No.7 has been withdrawn from sale for road purposes. Mr. J.P. O'Dempsey, the Secretary to the School Committee, received a memorandum some time ago intimating that five (5) acres of Selection No.8 had been granted for school purposes, but he says that no further steps have been taken in the matter. The land is unfenced except on the western side dividing Selection 8 from 9, where there is a tolerably substantial partly two and partly three rail split hardwood fence. A few trees have been cut down here and there but near the school there is little growing timber, otherwise the land is uncleared. The site is high even for the district, which is a succession of steep scrubby or stony ridges. The scenery is beautiful, and the soil of the narrow valley through which the creek flows, could hardly be excelled for agricultural purposes, being a rich friable black sandy loam. The soil near the school is of the same character, though rather stony.
Selection No. 8 is pretty central to the residents on the upper part of the creek, and is from three (3) to three-and-a-half (3 1/2) miles from school No. 40, lower down the same creek.
The school-house, is twenty-two (22) feet by fourteen (14) feet, built of sawn timber, the framework being of hardwood and the floor and covering of studs pine, in fact the room is a facsimile of the usual State School on a small scale. The roof is covered with pine shingles capped with iron and unspruted. The water supply is obtained from the creek. The general condition of the house is good, though it has never been painted.
The furniture consists of four (4) pine desks each about six (6) feet long, and the same number of forms. Two or three additional forms, a book-press and a table are required, which the Committee will soon be able to provide.
In all respects this is the most suitably built and furnished provisional school in the district.
There is no residence but the teacher lives with his brother on a selection about half-a-mile from the school.
Thomas Mclntyre.
School Committees played a large role in the development of the School and took a keen interest in it's life.
Unfortunately, records are incomplete but the following are known for the period 1920 - 30.
Appointed for years 1920 - 22.
Albert Cox (Chairman)
James Patrick Owens (secretary) - Resigned 1922.
John Hagenbach (Treasurer)
Niels Visted Biltoft
James Bernard Malone
William Henry Hagenbach
Charles Christian Mauch (Appointed Secretary 1922)
James Shellery (Appointed 1922)
Appointed for years 1923 - 5.
Albert Cox (Chairman) Charles C. Mauch (Secretary) Daniel M. Ramsey (Treasurer) William H". Hagenbach Niels V. Biltoft James G. Shelley John Hagenbach
Appointed for years 1926 - 28.
Albert Cox (Senior) (Chairman) Charles Christian Mauch (Secretary) Daniel McManus Ramsey (Treasurer) William Henry Hagenbach James Bernard Malone David Mauch Ernest Walter Payne
Appointed for years 1929 - 31.
William James Ryan (Chairman and Secretary) Daniel McManus Ramsay (Treasurer) .-,,._.-., William Henry Hagenbach Charles Christian Mauch Edward William Petersen
The last known School Committee from records was in 1963.
Michael Boyce Lloyd Colin Mauch William Doyle
Chairman Secretary Treasurer
The School progressed and alterations and extensions were added to buildings as the need arose.
A tennis court proved most popular and provided a venue for the Upper Freestone Tennis Club. These players played against other nearby Clubs.
The Project Club was a popular group activity as in most country areas. Some of the activities undertaken included gardening, calves, wheat trial, maize, sewing, summer fodder and pigs.
Like Lower Freestone, a mode of travel to school was by horseback. Apparently some reluctant students had two speeds for their respective journies to school. On the way to school some pupils barely got their horses out of a slow walk, appearing to have all the time in the world. Upon the final bell there would be a mad scramble to saddle up. The route home would resemble a racecourse with horse's tails outstretched and galloping like Pharlap!
His
Some students may also remember the baker coming from Yangan. old Buick delivery car would be rushed by eager buyers of sausage rolls and cream buns.
Unfortunately Freestone Upper State School met the same fate as many of its contemporaries.
Falling numbers in rural population in the immediate area and it's close proximity to Freestone State School spelt the end of an era for Freestone Upper State School in the early sixties.
1964.
The bell was rung and the doors were finally closed on June 19th,
Freestone School 1988.
FREESTONE UPPER STATE SCHOOI SCHOOL ROLL
The following names appear on the Official Register from 1941 to 1959. All other registers have either been misplaced or destroyed.
1941
Ramsey, Terence. Cox, Allan. Payne, Heather. Mauch, Gloria.
Hart, Kathleen. O'Dempsey, Imelda.
1942
Noble, Vincent. Ramsey, Monica. Miller, Henry. McKechnie, Lilian.
1944
Miller, John. O'Dempsey, Kevin. Payne, Grace.
1945
Canavan, James. Ramsey, Terence. Mauch, Lionel. Miller, Jessie. Payne, Phyllis. Hildred, Colin. Briggs, Thomas. Briggs, Robert. Briggs, James.
1946
Biltoft, Lorraine. Williamson, Audrey. Williamson, Albert. Wiliiamson,lan. Campbell, Elsie. Campbell, Grace. Cummins, Ronald. Cummins,Margaret. Ramsey, Geoffrey. Briggs, Eleanor. Miller, James. Canavan, Elizabeth. Payne, Norman. Campbell, Ellis. Canavan, Robert.
1947
Clem, Lindsay. Briggs, Margaret. Southee, Muriel. Southee, Lavina.
Southee, Marjorie. Southee, Lola. Wakefield, Desmond. Payne, Elene.
1948
Biltoft, Ronald. O'Brien, James. Boyce, Mary. Boyce, Michael. Boyce, Celine. Southee, Laurence. Boyce, John. Miller, George. Canavan, Mary. Gillespie, Merrilyn.
1949
Clem, Graham. Sparksman, Desmond. Shaw, Kenneth. Shaw,Neville. Shaw, Sally. Fisher, Albert. Canavan, Patricia. Payne, Stuart. Rawlings, Garreth.
1950
Bertram, Donald. Bertram, Leonard. Hagenbach, Ray. Hagenbach, Betty.
Southee, Charles.
1951
Canavan, Madonna. Boyce, Arthur. Ashcroft, Irene. Noble, Kevin. Hagenbach, Lorraine. Grayson, Pearl. Mauch, Ivan. Southee, Daphne. Roche, Elizabeth. Roche, John. Roche, Beverley. Roche, Judith.
1952
Mauch, Raymond. Hagenbach, Colin. Cox, Donald. Cox, Janet.
Miller, Alison. Corley, Desley.
rayne, vaier ik. inuuic, i_yiieLLc.
1958
Mauch, Harold. Mauch, Lloyd. Mauch, Bruce. Noble, Mary.
Boyce, Terence. Payne, Christine. Casey, S.
1959
Roche, Patricia. Doyle, Joseph. Hagenbach, Margaret.
1960
Payne, Elizabeth. Mauch, Charles. Doyle, Leonard. Hagenbach, Michael McMaster, Meredith. Boyce, Paul. Boyce, Peter. Eastwell, Diana. Eastwell, Laurence. Boyce, Ross.
1963
Payne, Margaret. Briggs, Diane. Hughes, John.
1964
Hughes, Gregory.
The last students to attend Upper Freestone School before it closed (1961)
(L to R) Back Row:
Bruce Mauch, Brian Roche, Mertille Mauch, Laurence Eastwell, Alan Payne, Ronnie Mauch, Terry Boyce.
Middle Row:
Peter Boyce, Paul Boyce, Roy Doyfe, Margaret Noble, Lynette Noble, Lloyd Mauch, Len Doyle, Charles Mauch.
Front Row:
Betty Payne, Christine Payne, Mary Noble, Sue Casey, Diana Eostwe/l, Patricia Roche.
