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1877 Schoolroom | 1893 Classroom | 1910 Classrooms | History of Public Education
Our History
The museum buildings are the first school buildings of North Ryde Public School, dating back to 1877. The school started as a single schoolroom with separate teacher’s residence built on one acre of land donated by Richard Wicks in 1877. The school, named City View Public School, opened on the 25th January 1878 to 45 pupils taught by teacher, Charles Crew (pictured). Its name changed to North Ryde Public School in 1879.
By the early 1890s up to 76 pupils were crowded into the single schoolroom so a second room was added in 1893. Two more rooms were added in 1910 as the school population reached 133.
Over the years the 1877 and 1893 rooms had various uses such as library, staffroom and headmaster’s office while the 1910 rooms were used as classrooms until 1985. The teacher’s residence was demolished in the 1960s.
In 1986 the rooms were converted to district offices for the Department of Education and when they were vacated, school and community members successfully lobbied to preserve the buildings and establish a museum. The building and rooms were restored by a group of volunteers during 1992 using the original plans.
The museum officially opened in November 1992. It is managed by a voluntary committee and the school education program is partly funded by the Department of Education and Training.
1877 Schoolroom
The 1877 schoolroom was designed by G A Mansfield, Architect to the Council of Education. The church-like appearance reflects the strong link between religion and education of the time. Its high walls and gabled ceilings also provided ventilation.
Light was provided by the windows with the larger windows strategically located on the northern side to provide light over the pupils’ left shoulders. At the time pupils were made to write with their right hand – hence no shadow fell on their work. The windows were situated high to minimise distractions and were originally coloured or frosted to reduce glare.
Heating was provided by the open fire which would most-likely have been coal-fuelled. This was maintained by the teacher as was the cleaning and basic maintenance of the room.
The room has been authentically furnished with early public school furniture. The cupboard and teacher’s desk are Australian red cedar whilst the long-toms (desks) are pine with one date-stamped 1881.
Built as a single schoolroom, pupils from 1st to 5th class were taught collectively by one teacher, often assisted by a pupil-teacher (trainee). This was the full range of classes at the time with pupils leaving school, usually for full-time employment, by the age of 13 years. The 1st Class students sat in the infants gallery writing on slate boards perched on their knees. 1st Class pupils would have spent 18 months in this area.
Learning was by rote with pupils drilled in the 3Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic. The teacher taught from the front of the room so the stepped floor provided a better view for both the pupils and the teacher.
For hand washing, a wash trough was located on the end of the open verandah outside the room with water provided by the cube-shaped ship’s tank. The roof was originally covered in shingles, which stained the water, and so the pupils often had to bring drinking water from home.
The sandstone footings of the building were quarried locally from a 'fine grey-stone quarry' situated on a nearby 'fifty-one acre farm' (SMH 30-11-1878).
1893 Classroom Addition
The second room, joined onto the back of the 1877 room, was designed by W E Kemp and built in 1893. He successfully blended the old with the new but added his own details such as a boarded ceiling with a large round air vent. The enclosed verandah was also built at this time, providing internal access to both rooms.
The layout and furniture of the 1893 room was similar to the 1877 room with stepped floor and open fire with the pupils faced towards the fireplace. The windowsills were originally a similar height to those in the 1877 room.
In 1986, the eastern end of this room was partitioned off to provide kitchen and toilet facilities for district office staff. These remain and the remainder of the room is currently used as the museum’s office.
1910 Classrooms Addition
With increased enrolments, in 1910 two additional rooms and a corridor were added to the side of the 1893 room. Significantly different to the first two rooms, they reflect the new ideas in education of the time.
The New Syllabus of 1905 provided for Kindergarten work, a wider range of subjects, reformed teacher training, and the provision of secondary schools. Separate classrooms were established, stepped floors levelled, windowsills lowered, and new furniture installed. These renovations were undertaken to the 1893 room when the 1910 rooms were built.
The two 1910 rooms represent what was then the “ideal” in classroom design. There was an emphasis on providing an efficient and hygienic interior. The walls are plastered and internal corners rounded to prevent dust accumulating and make cleaning easier, cupboards (bookpresses) are built-in, and large windows provide more light and cross-ventilation. The flexible partition blocked sound but permitted light.
Open fires, fuelled by coal, provided heating and lighting was by gas light until electric lights were installed in 1936. The original electric lights were single bulbs in domed shades. Fluorescent lights have since replaced these.
The furniture in these rooms is all original public school furniture and includes timber and iron dual desks, teachers’ desks, a headmaster’s desk, a large infants table and timber-slatted chairs, and a silky oak circular table.
History of Public Education in NSW
For a comprehensive history of public education, a database of all past and present NSW schools and photo gallery, go to the Government Schools of New South Wales from 1848 website.
History of North Ryde
The Ryde Historical Society has information on the local area including a description of a farm down the road from North Ryde PS, written in 1902 providing a vivid picture of the surrounding area.
Ryde Library Services has a collection of historical photographs of the local area.
