Ardonachie, County of Normanby, to be called the Ardonachie Common School. (Application for 70 pounds, people to put in 35 pounds) Note: Residents were still pleading for a school in July, 1875, which appears to have opened in Nov 1878 and by July 1879 the District Inspector wrote to the Ed Dept recommending that with only 9 children from 3 families there was no justification for keeping the school open. A letter signed by 12 residents in July 1879 stated that all were in agreement to the school being moved to the Southmost corner of Allotment B Section x, Parish of Ardonachie, adjoining the main road from Portland to Macarthur as being the most convenient for all. See names at end.
Letter signed by
Site: 2 acres of allotment J Section 3 NE Corner Ardonachie, Macarthur.
Committee (30.9.1872)
Initial List of children who would attend this school, Religion and Distance from proposed site.
Lachlan McKinnon wrote 7.10.1872 that once serious plans were underway the numbers nearly doubled. He had apparently been asked for the additional names, which follow. Some are the same families, listing pre-school and post-school children. Those marked with an asterisk are from the second list.
(CofE = Church of England, L = Lutheran, P = Presbyterian, RC = Roman Catholic, W = Wesleyan.)
Children of Lachlan McKinnon (P, 1.5 miles)
Children of James Baulch (W, 1.5 miles)
Children of Phillip O'Brien (RC, .5 mile)
Children of John Rochford (RC, over 2)
Children of Dennis Bunworth (RC, 2)
Children of James Scott (P, 2)
Children of John Quirk (RC, .5 mile)
Children of John Cameron (Not given, 1.5 miles)
Children of John Beardy Cameron (P, over 2)
Children of James Trottar (CofE, over 2)
Children of George Ross (P, 1.5 miles)
Children of James Rochford (Suspect this may be John by ages of children)
Children of John Tofs (P, 3)
Children of George Tofs (P, 1)
Children of William Mills (CofE, 2.5 miles)
Children of Charles Brand (W, 2)
Children of James Buckley (RC, 2)
Children of William Tarrant (Looks like 'T', P, 2.5 miles)
Listed with children of Lachlan McKinnon
List of signatories to petition 25.7.1879 for removal of school to a second site.