Other name: -
County name: Bligh
Transferred:
URL for linking: https://nswgovschoolhistory.cese.nsw.gov.au/schoolHistory?schoolId=7906
Operating dates:
Type of school Opening date Closing date Half-time partner schools
Provisional School Feb 1884 Mar 1889
Public School Apr 1889 Oct 1894
Half-Time School Feb 1895 Oct 1908 MURRAGAMBA
Public School Nov 1908 Jun 1913
Half-Time School Jun 1913 Nov 1917 COOKS GAP
Provisional School Nov 1917 Mar 1919
Public School Apr 1919 Dec 1970
Public School Jan 1975 Open1
Ulan School closed 2021.
23 July 1903 No village school
Mr. Fitzpiitrick, M.L.A., is in receipt of the following letter from the Under-Secretary for Education: - Sir, - Re your letter dated 15th ult. for the establishment of a full time school at Ulan, I have the honor to state that from a report received it appears that of the pupils attending the half-time school 18 came from the village about 1 1/2 miles distant, and 9 came from homes 3 miles from Ulan. By establishing a school in the village as requested these 9 children would be deprived of the means of education as the number is too small to maintain a full-timo school. Under the circumstances the Minister cannot see his way to accede to the request2
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24 September 1903 Unsatisfactory
A few weeks ago we made reference to what we deemed to be a most unsatisfactory state of affairs in connection with the Ulan school. We have always pleaded hard both for the pupils and the teachers in our far out schools of the bush, and while we admit that the permanent officials of the Department may mean well, we do assert that there is an alround and lamentable failure to carry out education as it should be carried out. So long as the money is well spent there need be no fear of any popular outcry against the total amount of the education vote, for popular opinion would always support a Government which placed the improvement of our education system in the front of its platform. When we printed our previous article on the Ulan school we were quite convinced that the department had not done its duty to the children in that, locality, and we did not hesitate to say so. We now hear that the school is incapable of accommodating the children which live within the two mile radius, and we understand that on Friday some youngsters who had trudged a long distance, arrived at the school only to find it closed. The children lost some weeks of schooling, owing to the illness of the teacher, and the administration of the department is so miserably weak, that no effort at all was made to keep the school open. We can only say that so far as we can learn, the children of Ulan have not been given a fair deal by those responsible for the educational system of the State, and we hope that Mr. Durie will give, the matter his very best attention3
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22 October 1903 Remain Half time School
Mr. J. C. L. Fitzpatrick, M.P., is in receipt of the following letter: - ' Referring to your letter of the 7th ultimo, forwarding a communication from Mr. John T. Moir, of Ulan, again urging the establishment of a full time school at that place, I have the honor to inform you that, having considered a further report of the matter the Minister for Public Instruction sees no reason why to depart from his previous decision, viz., that the present school arrangements in that locality be allowed to continue4
.'
21 November 1907 New Building
Years ago, when the Public School Instruction Department decided to build. a school in the Ulan district, a central site, as regards population, was selected. But the progress of time has wrought changes, and now the young folk of school age are concentrated in the village, and have to trudge a long distance to the rural school. Hence an agitation has been afoot for some within village boundaries. Mr. Inspector Reay was called upon for a report, and, as a result, the change is to be effected as regards site, but the Ulan people have further reason to congratulate themselves inasmuch as a brand new school is to be erected, and will probably, in the near future, be converted into a full time educational establishment5
.
6 February 1901 No New Building
The people of Ulan complain that work, in connection with the building of the new school, has not yet commenced, and the children of the locality have still to trudge the long journey in all weathers to the old dilapidated and inconveniently situated structure wherein they have to swelter with heat or suffer the rigors of cold - according to the season6
.
9 July 1908 New School opens
The new school was opened on the 23rd June, the attendance of pupils being far in excess of expectations. It is a great pity that some arrangements were not made long ago to make it possible for children on the western and southwestern sides of Ulan to receive an education as many of them are advanced in years, but their attendance at the new school shows that they intend making hay while the sun shines7
.
9 July 1908 To be Full time
Ulan residents rejoice because they consider they have triumphed over some of the officers of the Education Department. The officials considered that the number of children at Ulan did not warrant the establishment of a full time school in the village, and they reported to headquarters to that effect. Members Jones and Fleming were then requisitioned by the residents, and these two doughty M's.P. pitched some tale into the ear of the permanent head, and the full-time school is now an established fact. It opened with 28 pupils, and four more are to be enrolled in a week or so8
.
19 November 1908 Full Time School
The villagers of Ulan are jubilant because their school has been raised to the dignity of a full time school, with a new building. They further rejoice because Mr. J. S. Harding has been appointed the teacher of the same. Mr. Harding has been in the district for many years as teacher of the half-time schools at Ulan and Murragamba, and besides being a painstaking and efficient teacher, he is a good citizen. In fact, his services are considered indispensable if a popular movement is to be brought to a successful issue. Mr. Harding, however, has never to be begged into any honorary position. He has a high sense of duty to his fellow men, and his services are always freely given. Murragamba school will still be conducted as a half-time educational establishment, and the new teacher, Mr. V. Barwick - a Mudgee boy - will divide his time between Murragamba and Cook's Gap9
.
26 November 1908 Mr Harding
The children of Ulan now have the benefit of a full-time school, with Mr. Harding, late teacher of Ulan and Nunaganiba half-time schools, as their instructor. It is needless to write of Mr. Harding's ability as a teacher, because of the people's fervent confidence in him as such. As the result of Ulan school being made full-time Nunagamba is being run with Cook's Gap10
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8 May 1913 Low attendance
The attendance at the Ulan Public School is going down. When Mr. Croucher and family (late of the Ulan Hotel) go the school will be practically empty, as the new publican is not a family man11
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12 June 1913 Teacher Transferred
Mr. J. H. Harding, of Ulan, was in Mudgee today. Tomorrow he leaves for North Forbes, where he will take charge of a school of some 40 or 50 scholars. Mr. Harding, who has been for 18½.years teacher at Ulan, is one of the most popular men in the district, and we are sorry to hear of his departure. He took a keen interest in sport, and was always a. leader in public movements. He carries away with him the best wishes of a host of friends12
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3 June 1915 Barwick replaced by Howarth
Transferred.- Mr. C V. Barwick has been transferred to Gosforth Public School, near West Maitland. He left for Gosforth on the 21st ult. Mr. P. Horwarth, of Orange, is his successor13
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20 March 1922 Whooping Cough
There is an epidemic of sickness in this locality, many children, some in almost every family, are down with whooping cough. The attendance at the Jooal school has been greatly depleted during the last three weeks owing to the outbreak14
5 April 1951 No School Residence
Mr. F. G. Cooke, M.L.A., has received advice from the Minister for Education (Mr. R. J. Heffron, M.L.A.) in reply to personal representations made on behalf of Mr. J. V. Rayner regarding the provision of a teacher's residence at Ulan. Under date March 12, the Minister said it was not practicable to proceed with the erection of a residence at Ulan at the present time. 'You will appreciate', the Minister wrote, 'that there are a large number of towns throughout the State, many larger than Ulan, requiring residences for teachers.' In a later letter in reply to Mr. Cooke's further; representations, the Minister stated he was having the position carefully examined15
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