NRS-17219 | Visitors' Books [Telarah Public School]

The Public Instruction Act, 1866 authorised special religious instruction by visiting clergymen and their delegates (Public Schools Act, 1866, s. 19), and regulations under the Act authorised members of the public to visit schools during ‘the hours of secular instruction’ to observe teaching methods, teaching material and equipment (Regulations adopted by the Council of Education on 27 February 1867, s. 84-85). The regulations required every teacher to keep a visitors’ book ‘in which visitors may enter their names and if they think proper any remarks. Such remarks the Teachers are by no means to erase or alter.’ (Regulations … s. 86).The purpose of the visitors’ book was to create a record of the persons other than pupils or teachers who attended the school during business hours. Visitors’ books were divided into three columns – date, name and remarks. The remarks usually recorded the purpose of the visit which included religious instruction (by far the most usual purpose for visiting a school), school inspection, medical inspection, departmental officers visiting on business e.g. to inspect the buildings or equipment, and guest speakers. Occasionally visitors (particularly Inspectors) remarked briefly on the conduct or the ambience of the school.Down to the end of 1960, the record is dominated by the signatures of clergy and other church-workers visiting the school in order to provide religious instruction to the pupils. The absence of such signatures after February of 1961 indicates that the school probably began to maintain a separate Visiting Clergy Book at this time. The Inspectors of Schools have been regular signatories in these volumes on their periodic visits of inspection to the school. Other visitors include Police Lecturers, Health and Temperance Instructors, Physical Education instructors and Advisors in Music, School Counsellors, officers of the Child Welfare Department and representatives of Dr Barnardo’s Homes. The Chief Health Inspector, Maitland, was at the school in connection with the polio vaccination campaign in November, 1962.The volume for the years 1957-1959 opens with a page devoted to the visit of the Rt Hon. R.T. Heffron, Minister for Education, accompanied by the MLA for Maitland, Mr Milton Morris (subsequently Minister for Transport), and the Mayor of Maitland, in September, 1957. The Mayor, Mr Skilton, visited again in Education Week, 1962. Mr Morris also visited the school in October, 1960 and November, 1963, and the Director of Education (Newcastle), Mr Gelfius, did so in November, 1961; both men were back for the school’s 75th Anniversary celebrations in October, 1965.In April, 1948 the series records the names of visitors to the school’s celebrations of the centenary of education in New South Wales, including the clergy from the Ministers’ Fraternal who conducted the commemorative service held at the school on the 21st. A similar record of visitors to the Parents’ Day held in August, 1953 is accompanied by newspaper cuttings of the event, as is the page of signatures from the Father and Son Evening of March, 1954. Visitors to the school’s Education Week Open Days regularly sign the Visitors’ Books from 1954 to 1958 and from 1961 onwards, and the first such occasion is accompanied by a further newspaper cutting, this one consisting of a history of the school from its foundation in 1890 until 1954. The signatures of visitors to the school’s 75th Anniversary celebrations in October, 1965 occupy nine pages.

《1866年公共教育法案》（The Public Instruction Act, 1866）授权来访神职人员及其代表开展特殊宗教教育（《1866年公立学校法案》第19条，Public Schools Act, 1866, s. 19）；该法案下的规章授权公众在“世俗教学时间（secular instruction）”访问学校，观察教学方法、教材及设备（1867年2月27日教育委员会通过的规章第84-85条，Regulations adopted by the Council of Education on 27 February 1867, s. 84-85）。

规章要求每位教师保留访客簿（visitors’ book）：“访客可在此填写姓名，若认为合适亦可留下意见。教师绝不得删除或修改此类意见。”（规章第86条，Regulations … s. 86）。访客簿的设立旨在记录营业时间内到访学校的非学生及教师人员。其分为三栏：日期、姓名、意见。意见通常记录访问目的，包括宗教教育（最常见的访问理由）、学校检查、医疗检查、部门官员因公访问（如检查建筑或设备）及特邀演讲者。偶尔有访客（尤其是督察员）会简要评论学校的管理或氛围。

截至1960年底，记录以神职人员及其他教会工作人员的签名为主——他们到访学校是为学生提供宗教教育。1961年2月后此类签名消失，表明学校可能自此时起单独保留《来访神职人员登记簿》。学校督察员定期到访时，均会在这些簿册上签名。其他访客包括警察讲师、健康与禁酒讲师、体育指导员、音乐顾问、学校辅导员、儿童福利部官员及巴纳德之家（Dr Barnardo’s Homes）代表。1962年11月，梅特兰首席卫生督察因脊髓灰质炎疫苗接种活动（polio vaccination campaign）到访学校。

1957-1959年的簿册开篇记录了1957年9月的访问：教育部长尊敬的R.T.赫夫伦阁下（Rt Hon. R.T. Heffron）在梅特兰议员米尔顿·莫里斯先生（后任交通部长）及梅特兰市长陪同下到访。市长斯基尔顿先生（Mr Skilton）于1962年教育周再次到访。莫里斯先生分别于1960年10月、1963年11月到访；纽卡斯尔教育局长格尔菲厄斯先生（Mr Gelfius）于1961年11月到访；两人均出席了1965年10月学校的75周年庆典。

1948年4月，系列记录中留存了新南威尔士州教育百年庆典（centenary of education）的访客姓名，包括牧师联谊会成员——他们于21日在学校主持了纪念仪式。1953年8月家长日（Parents’ Day）的访客记录附有活动剪报；1954年3月父子之夜（Father and Son Evening）的签名页亦同。1954-1958年及1961年起，教育周开放日（Education Week Open Days）的访客定期在访客簿签名；首次开放日的记录附有另一篇剪报，内容为学校1890年成立至1954年的历史。1965年10月75周年庆典的访客签名占据九页。

1948年4月，系列记录留存了新南威尔士州教育百年庆典的访客姓名，包括牧师联谊会成员——他们于21日在学校主持纪念仪式。1953年8月家长日的访客记录附有活动剪报；1954年3月父子之夜的签名页亦同。1954-1958年及1961年起，教育周开放日的访客定期在访客簿签名；首次开放日的记录附有另一篇剪报，内容为学校1890年成立至1954年的历史。1965年10月75周年庆典的访客签名占据九页。