NRS-17190 | Visitors' Books [Stewart's River 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.The series from Stewart’s River Public School is currently represented only by its final volume. As there are few clerical visits recorded in this book it is likely that the school was simultaneously maintaining a separate Visiting Clergy Book.The majority of signatures in this surviving volume – 44 out of 76 – are those of visitors to the school’s Education Week Open Days, held in 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1969. The Inspectors of Schools have also signed on their scheduled visits to the school in 1962 and 1964, and annually from 1966 to 1969. From 1967 to 1969, the Inspector has added to his signature a note of the number of pupils in attendance, out of the total enrolment, on the day of his visit. Other signatories include a School Counsellor, officers of the School Medical Service and the Anti-Polio Clinic, Advisors in P.E. and Art, and representatives of the Commonwealth Bank and of Dr Barnardo’s Homes. A Relieving Teacher is recorded in March, 1963, and the Director of Education, Newcastle signed the volume in December of the same year.The final entry in the volume is the undated pencilled note “Teacher-in-Charge withdrawn” on the fourth and last page of entries.