Old Junee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Junee New South Wales
Old Junee Location in New South Wales
Population	530 (2011 census)
Location	8 km (5 mi) from Junee 16 km (10 mi) from Marrar 33 km (21 mi) N of Wagga Wagga
LGA(s)	Junee Shire
County	Clarendon
State electorate(s)	Cootamundra
Federal Division(s)	Riverina

Old Junee is a small village located in the central east part of a region called the Riverina in New South Wales, Australia. It's about 8 kilometres northwest of Junee and 16 kilometres east of Marrar. This village was originally known by a different name: "Jewnee."

Silos at Old Junee, used for storing grain

The Story of Old Junee's Name

The area we now call Old Junee had a post office that first opened on May 1, 1862. Back then, it was known as "Jewnee Post Office."

In 1885, a new town started to grow nearby. This new town was given the name "Junee." To avoid confusion, the original "Jewnee" village was renamed "Old Junee."

Old Junee School: A Community Hub

The school in Old Junee first opened its doors in 1880. It was held in an old Methodist Church building and was called "Provisional School, Jewnee."

Early Days of the School

Just a short time after the school opened, a new settlement grew up about five miles away. This place was called Junee Junction. Because of this, the school and the village were renamed Old Junee in 1885. The school at Junee Junction is now known as Junee School.

Mr. Harry D. Balmain was the very first teacher at Old Junee School. The oldest school record we have is from May 14, 1880.

• In June 1880, there were 39 students enrolled (20 boys and 19 girls).
• The average number of students attending each day was about 22.
• Mr. Samuel Storey, a member of the school board, officially opened the first school. He also opened a second building in 1882.

Growing and Changing

The school continued to grow and change over the years.

• In 1895, the school needed fencing for four horses. This was probably for children who rode horses to school.
• The school also got 8 acres of land for a school paddock that year.
• In 1899, the school playground was used for a "Moonlight Concert" to help raise money for the Cricket Club. This shows how important the school was to the community.

New Buildings and More Students

More additions were made to the school buildings over time:

• In 1901, a bathroom and pantry were added to the teacher's residence.
• In 1907 and 1911, a new bell post was needed.
• In 1913, a brand new, larger school building was provided. Mr. Cook was the Headmaster, and Miss Catherine Sly was his assistant.
• At this time, the school had 75 students.

The number of students kept growing, reaching almost 90 by 1914.

Community Events and Challenges

The school was a central part of the community's life:

• In 1916, a Roll of Honour was unveiled at the school. This honored people from the community who served.
• In 1921, the school was again used as a meeting place for a social club.

The school also faced challenges:

• In 1928, a heavy rainstorm caused flooding and damaged the railway line. An assistant teacher couldn't get to school because of this.
• In 1929, there was no water available when school opened, so water had to be brought in from the railway station.
• During the early 1930s, the number of students dropped. It was sometimes hard to keep an assistant teacher.
• In 1935, for a short time, there was no teacher at all.

Improvements and Closure

Improvements continued at the school:

• In 1927, the school received a gift of 100 books from Mr. and Mrs. G. LeGay Brereton.
• In 1938, fly screens were added to the school, and parents helped fence the school grounds.
• Also in 1938, Mr. L. W. Storey donated a piece of land to the school.

The Old Junee School finally closed in 1966.

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