A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Aboriginal People

Part 2: State Archives from other Government Agencies relating to Aboriginal People (cont.)

• SCHOOL EDUCATION
• 1 School files, 1876-1979
• 2 School records
• SERVICES See COLONIAL SECRETARY
• SOLICITOR FOR PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS See CLERK OF THE PEACE

Part 2: State Archives from other Government Agencies relating to Aboriginal People (cont.)

SCHOOL EDUCATION

formerly PUBLIC INSTRUCTION formerly EDUCATION later EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1 School files, 1876-1979

Please contact the Archives Authority for the current location (City or Kingswood) of these records.

The following list of Aboriginal Schools is extracted from the full list of School files, which includes all the Aboriginal Schools run by the Department of Public Instruction (later Education, now School Education). These files give the following information: applications for the establishment of schools; the school's progress and physical provision; and teachers. Although Aboriginal Schools were part of the State education system, there were several differences in their treatment by the Department in the provision of supplies and appointment of teachers. On the majority of the Aboriginal stations the manager was also the teacher; when a manager was appointed by the Board, he was also automatically employed as a teacher. On some reserves, schools were under the charge of a teacher or teacher-matron under the control of the then Department of Public Instruction. This teacher had no real responsibility to the Board for the general conduct of the reserves, which were largely left to be supervised by the local Police.

School files 1876 to 1939 are not restricted. Those School files dating from 1940 to 1979 are restricted until 2009. Researchers requiring access to restricted records should contact Historical Collections Officer, Department of Education and Training, Level 8 Signature Tower, 2-10 Wentworth Street Parramatta NSW 2150, Postal address: PO Box 6000 Parramatta NSW 2124, Telephone: (02) 9806 1430. Please contact the Archives Authority for the current location (City or Kingswood) of these records.

The dates given on page 56 for each school do not reflect the exact dates of documents in the file. For the dates individual schools were opened and closed and any changes of name see Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 to 1993. 4th ed. Dept. of School Education Library, [Parramatta], 1993.

2 School records

In addition to the School files above, each school creates a number of different records about its operations, staff and pupils. These records include:

Admission registers These are a record of admission of children to school. They record: name; age; religious denomination; date of leaving last school; name, residence and occupation of parent or guardian; date of admission to each division and date of leaving school.

Examination books These record pupils' examination results. They provide: name; age; examination results for reading, composition, spelling, writing, arithmetic and other subjects; total marks and place in grade.

Observation books These consist of inspectors' general observations on the operations of the school. They do not generally contain mention of individual pupils.

Programme and lesson registers These consist of the lessons and curriculum which was followed by various classes in a school. They cover the whole range of subjects taught to a particular class such as arithmetic, social studies and written expression.

Punishment books These consist of details of punishments meted out to pupils. They provide: name; age; nature of offence; amount of punishment; instrument of punishment; date of punishment and by whom inflicted.

Visitors' books These record the names of any visitors and any remarks by the visitor such as 'incidental visit', 'ordinary inspection', or 'very pleasant afternoon'.

The following list is of School records held for those Aboriginal schools administered by the Department of School Education.

Please contact the Archives Authority for the current location (City or Kingswood) of these records.

SERVICES See COLONIAL SECRETARY

SOLICITOR FOR PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS See CLERK OF THE PEACE