“Through the Bush and Scrub” Part 2

The school was closed when measles struck in August of 1898, and kids who escaped the sickness thought their holiday really great.

Pastor Fischer started teaching about 1889 in the vestry of the church – for a while it was fine, but in April of 1891 a state school opened up, in a little timber building, once a boundary riders hut.

A new teacher came along – his name was Herb Fitzelle, and children under his tutorage did their work exceedingly well.

Dismantled and then loaded on a local farmer’s dray, from Fig Tree corner it was carted – across the baked red clay.

Now one family in the district with pride was aglow, when their child won first prize for writing, at the Albury Agriculture Show.

Miss Westerndorf was the first teacher, in that little wooded school, and no doubt (as was the fashion) she maintained an iron rule.

With more people in the district, a school for fifty was built, and the water dam was constructed, and was kept clean, and free of silt.

The early family names in the old enrolment book are still well known in the district – if you pause to take a look.

A teacher’s house came next, its appearance was quite fine, and the mentor took up residence in 1899.

Chris and Lizzie Pumpa, and from the Scheuner family, three – Paul, Julius and Adolf – good ethnic names you see!

Still more settlers came to “Pleasant Hills”, and really very soon there were so many students, they needed another room!

When school picnic days arrived, they began with the greatest sound, the brass band playing loudly led the children to the ground.

The climate was usually reliable, but 1902 there was a terrible drought, some years saw flames from fierce bushfires, which only rain could put out.

(From: “Under the Fig Tree”, pg 47 &49).

The first of these recorded, was in 1894. And men showed off their muscles when they had a tug-of-war.

Transcribed by: Fiona Beckett