Old School Museum facts for kids

The Old School Museum is a cool local history museum in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia. It's located in the town's old school building, which has a lot of history!

How the School Started

In 1869, a minister named Rev. William Thom and his wife, Clarinda Menie, moved to the area. Clarinda was the oldest daughter of Sir Henry Parkes, who was a very important politician in New South Wales. Both the Thoms really believed in public education.

Even though Pambula already had a school, the Thoms felt more schools were needed in other parts of the district, especially Merimbula. Mrs. Thom even spoke to her father, Sir Henry Parkes, about it, and he was very supportive.

Building the First School

A formal request for a school in Merimbula was sent in October 1869. Rev. W. Thom, Adam K. Page, and Armstrong L. Munn signed it. Parents in the area agreed to pay one-third of the building cost.

The school first started in a temporary place in 1870. The stone building you see today on Main Street was first used on October 8, 1875. The land for this building was given by Sir William Montagu Manning. This old school is special because it's believed to be one of only three schools in New South Wales that had both classrooms and a teacher's house in the same building!

School Life and Fees

When the school opened in 1875, there were 39 children enrolled. The local school board decided how much parents should pay for school fees.

How Much Did School Cost?

At first, parents paid 9 pence per week for their first child and 6 pence for each extra child. (A "pence" was a type of old coin). In 1893, the fees were lowered to 3 pence per child per week, with a maximum of 9 pence for a whole family. This was a good change for families with many kids!

A law called the Public Instruction Act of 1880 said that fees should have changed in 1880 to 3 pence per child, with a maximum of one shilling (another old coin) for a family.

From School to Museum

The old stone building stopped being used as a school at the end of 1945. The school moved to a new location, which has grown bigger over the years.

What Happened to the Old Building?

After the school moved, the teacher's house part of the old building was fixed up and rented out. The classroom part was used for different community events for several years.

Eventually, the building was left empty. But in 1969, the Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society was created. They asked if they could use the old school building as a museum. After a lot of repairs, the museum finally opened in 1973!

Today, the building is recognized as important by the National Trust and is listed on the Register of the National Estate. This means it's a special historical place that needs to be protected.