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- Oct 22 F Sheather fined 1 shilling for horse staying on street. KIMO SCHOOL, NATIVE DOG CREEK & EDWARD SHEATHER (NANGUS HOTEL) In1887 Edward Sheather Snr wrote an application requesting a school bebuilt at Native Dog Creek. He applied himself to this task and theschool was finally built by October 1888. Many of his grandchildren(I'm told there were 50) attended theschool, and other pupils latermarried into this family (Metcalf, Elphick, Makeham, Williams, Fields,Worldon and Bell). The school children in this remote country areaof Nangus had many challenges. The boys were needed to help on theland and, owing to the rough terrain and flooding of local creeks, itwas impossible for the children to attend school on a regular basis. On 4th November 1887, Edward Sheather, owner of the Nangus Hotel,sent an application to the Under Secretary, Department of PublicInstruction, Sydney. He requested that a school be built at NativeDog Creek. He wrote the letter on behalf of the residents at NativeDog Creek, Nangus near Gundagai. The annex to the applicationlists Edward Shether Jnr and his wife Jane and children William Henryand George Alfred (twins) 14, Edward John 12, Clara Ann 10, Amy May 6,Albert Ernest 4. They lived two miles from the proposed schoolwhereas theclosest school was 6 miles away, quite a distance for thechildren to travel in those days. A site was to be obtained onGovernment Road on the Kimo side of Native Dog Creek. George & AnnSheather, children Minnie Jane 12, Amelia Mary 10, Eliza Ellen 8,Edith May 6, and Amy Isabel 4, were also listed on the annex to theapplication form. George Lyell, teacher of the Public School atNangus, details his objections to the new school and his concern thathis own school would be closed for lack of students. His report givesus insights into Edward and Jane's family life. Their twinsonsWilliam and Henry attended school on an average of one week perquarter over a period of two years, he writes, "..the parents considerthe boys work on the farm of far more importance than theireducation.." which was not unusual for those times whenthe family madetheir living from the land. Edward, Clara, Amy, and Eliza Sheatherwere permanent residents and likely to be pupils. "..If a school wereestablished at the proposed locality, Nangus Public School mustcollapse. As for the dangerouscreeks that prevent children fromattending the existing school, there is one water channel or gullywhich is a torrent in heavy rains never continuing to flow for morethan an hour or so after the rain ceases. Parents in the countrydistricts rarelysend their children to school on a wet day. I cannotsee the wisdom of establishing the proposed school at Native DogCreek. I therefore recommend that the inhabitants be refused theirrequest..". In February 1888, Edward wrote mentioning hisannoyance at the delay by the Department in making a decision."Your communication of the 17/11/87 was duly received stating theestablishment of a provisional school at Native Dog Creek Nangus wasunder consideration. "We have heard nothing further in the matterand feel considerably annoyed at such delay. "Our children aregrowing wild untutored and ignorant simply for the want of a schoolwhere they can receive that training they are duly entitled to."The old saying 'while the grass is growing the steed is starving' isapplicable in our case. Will you have the goodness at once attendto this matter as it is quite time our ..... application for a schoolwas attended to. "I have the honour to be your obedient servant "Edward Sheather Snr." The inspector was swayed by the teacher'sreport and without visiting the location, agreed with George Lyellthat there was no case for establishing a school. He requested theapplication be denied. A reply to this letter pointed out to theinspectorthat he had disregarded paragraph 6 on the form he submitted. So the case couldn't be settled in the way he recommended. Theinspector had to be "on the spot to make a decision". This meant thathe had to go to the area and check out the terrainhimself which hedid, and on the 7th May 1888 he wrote "..on personal examination ofthe country I find that it is nearly impossible for the childrenresiding at Native Dog Creek to attend Nangus School. The lateteacher misled me somewhat...". What a victory for the localpeople when the next day they received word that the application hadbeen successful, and the Committee members would be Edward Sheather, JHudson and George Fuller. The Chief Inspector recommended £45 begranted for the erection and furnishing of a school house. Arequest for a local resident to point out the exact site for theschool to the surveyor was made. He received a reply ".. Mr Sheatherwill be glad to point out the site to the Surveyor, he will also pointout the exact spot on the reserve wich isrequired fo rthe School. Iam unable to give a sketch, I submit that it is not required...".Five months later, Edward informed the authority that the Schoolbuilding at Kimo was completed. The building was weatherboard,floored, and roofed with iron, it had a brick chimney, light andventilation. The prescribed amount of furniture had beensupplied.There were two good W.C.s and the residents had given the building twocoats of paint. Mrs E Sheather Jnr applied for examption frompayment for school fees of 2/3. Her reason being that they could notafford to pay because everything they had had been destoryed by fire.What hardship the family must have suffered at this time. Therequestwas approved. (It is interesting to note that fees were payable atpublic schools back then.) Researched 1991 by Elizabeth Johnson,granddaughter of Clara Ann Sheather. All information available fromthe NSW Archives Office.Contact 35 Asquith Avenue, Rosebery, 2018Phone 02 9313 7746. Recorded at Kimo in the 1903 Electoral Rollfor the Division of Hume
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Our Family
1849 - 1920 (70 years)
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