Old Bar School 1950-51

Some memories by Margaret Watts

Margaret Watts taught at Old Bar School in 1950-51. Margaret is now an author. She visited our school in November this year and talked to Year 2 students about writing. She read them one of the fourteen books she has had published.

We enjoyed her visit thoroughly and appreciate the photos and information she was able to give us about Old Bar School as she remembers it in 1950.

Old Bar School 1950-51

as remembered by Margaret

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Old Bar Public School in 1950 when Margaret Watts was appointed as the second teacher.

The Lower Division, Kindergarten, First & Second class.( I think I also had some Thirds at one stage.) I had inscribed the back of the photo. 'My class (many away after nitting inspection)'. Nits were a problem then, too!

This must have been taken at folk dancing which was a usual school activity in those days.

On the wall of the building can be seen:

PUBLIC SCHOOL OLD BAR 1941

Folk Dancing in progress. Mr Glock in the background, looks on.

This may be a lunchtime photo. The water tank can be seen and the treeless playground area. There was no insistence on hats in those times. A tan was considered healthy and sunburn, merely a temporary discomfort.

Old Bar Primary school 1950. The only tree is outside the playground.

At eighteen years of age, this was by first appointment. On arrival, I was surprised to find that the newly up-graded two-teacher school had only one room. From necessity, the side verandah which was exposed to the morning sun, became my classroom. My blackboard was fixed to the end wall of the verandah. A wooden teacher's table with a drawer for the class roll, and a wooden chair, were the extent of my classroom furniture. There was room for one row of traditional double-seater desks with swing up seats, against the verandah wall. They stretched to the corner.

When it rained, we draped raincoats over the verandah rail for our protection. If the rain was heavy or blew in, we moved into the hat room outside the main classroom and sat on the floor. That was such a squash, no one could leave the classroom even to go to the toilet whilst we were there. Later the P&C had a canvas blind constructed and installed on the open side of the verandah. However when it was down, the area was very dark. With only two teacher, I was on palyground duty most of the time, though Mr Glock supervised half of lunchtime. Older pupils made the morning tea and brought mine to me in the playground.

The toilets are visible on left in the background. I don't recall there being a teacher's toilet in the girls'block. I think I used to sprint back to the pavilion at lunchtime when Mr Glock was on playground duty, to visit the toilet. There was no sewerage in those days. The school was served by the pan system. There was no electricity either. Parents came to P&C meetings carrying storm lanterns to light their way and to provide light for the meeting. We relied on tanks for water.

As I was a new teacher, I was expected to present my lesson notes for the day to Mr Glock on my arrrival at school each morning. My programme, an overview of the lessons I would be presenting during the next period, was presented at five weekly intervals. The programme was a set format with columns to be filled in, in accordance with the syllabus which provided information on every subject to be taught to each class.

The school year was divided into three terms each of fourteen or fifteen weeks' duration.

A separate, second classroom was being constructed on the same side of the school as my verandah when I transferred to Warialda in April 1951.

This shows the senior class or upper division of the school with the Headmaster(not Principal in those days), Mr Glock.

Mrs Glock was a talented Handicrafter. She taught the girls sewing one afternoon a week as most headmaster's wives did in those days. Among other crafts, she did fairy knitting and presented me with an exquisite finely knitted doyley when I left Old Bar.

The children dress for a concert item. I think we may have been practicing the Poi song ....pure supposition, but the children do appear to be holding balls on strings. I enjoyed being in charge of concerts and the folk dancing lessons.

Go to more information about Old Bar in 1950.