The School at Bonnievale:

On the 1^st March 1897 the residents of Bonnievale (7 ½ miles from Coolgardie) applied to the Secretary of Education, to have a day school established. The details of the application were:-

Proposed location of school = Lot 2 in the town of Bonnievale

Number of children between the ages of 4 and 16 living within 3 miles of the school =

13 boys and 9 girls with certain increase in the imminent future.

Is there a building available? =  Yes the Wesley Lecture Hall which is built of wood and has an iron roof and canvas sides. It is 25 foot long and 16 ½ foot wide. It is the only building suitable at present and built in part for a day school.

What land is suitable for a school site if necessary? = The Department will have to ask the Progress Committee of Bonnievale or some other Government officer to select a suitable site, several such sites are available.

List of Children:-                                           
Adelaide LEWIS 7 yrs
Fred LEWIS  5 yrs
Mary LEWIS   4 yrs
Nellie  DARLEY 12yrs
Russell DARLEY 10yrs
Barry  DARLEY   8 yrs
Fanny DARLEY  5 yrs
William QUAN 10yrs
May QUAN    8 yrs
Lev Alfred BROWN 6 yrs
Herbert  HILL 9 yrs
Alice LEAHY    12yrs
Agnes LEAHY 9 yrs
Bert LEAHY  7 yrs
E CUMMINS   3 1/2 yrs
W AUSTIN  12yrs
Rachael  AUSTIN   4 yrs
Henry BRAMLEY   6 yrs
Lorna Lynette   HODGINKINSON 9 yrs
Noel   HODGINKINSON    8 yrs
Arthur  SKINNER    4 yrs
Bertram BROWN   5 yrs

In July of 1897 Miss Alice Mason was appointed as teacher at the Bonnievale School, she was to teach there until 1901.
In Aug 1898 £400 was allotted for the School at Bonnievale and quarters for the teacher.

Bonnievale State School, 1906, Head teacher far right, Mr Bernard Paul PAECH

The following letter was written by Cyril Jackson, the Inspector of Schools.

Dear Mr Lefroy                                                 5 Aug 1898
These Goldfields people are really very difficult to deal with. On my writing to the Bonnievale Progress Committee about the site for the school as suggested by Mr Johnson, they now answer me as follows:-
“that though they consider the site selected by the surveyor has claims regarding its central position and rising ground, this would be overlooked in consideration with the advantages to be gained by having the public building together, and another reason why many consider the site preferable that it will be further from the din of the mines and there would be less attraction for the children to hover around those places. I am also asked to urge you forward in this movement as the warm weather is approaching” Under these circumstances I suppose it is better to go on with the site you and I picked out near the Post Office as fast as possible. Would you send me a memorandum with your views.

The reply from H B Lefroy was:–  I think the site we picked near the Post Office is a good one and would apparently meet the views of the Progress Committee.

In 1911 part of the school was removed to the Coolgardie School.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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