NRS-17046 | Visitors' Books [Mirra View 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 cover the entire period of the school’s operation. Until the end of 1962 these volumes record regular visits to the school by clergymen or church-workers for the purpose of providing religious instruction to the pupils. After 1962 no such visits are recorded, which suggests that the school may have started a separate Visiting Clergy Book at this time, but no such volume is now known to exist.Other than clergy, the signature appearing most often is that of the Sewing Teacher who visited the school each week from June, 1941 until November, 1944. Other regular visitors include the Inspectors of Schools, on their normal visits of inspection or supervision, Physical Education Supervisors (from 1956), and the supervisors of the Primary Final Examinations (until 1938) and Health and Temperance Examinations. Visits were also made by Health Inspectors, Police Lecturers and officers of the Child Welfare department and of the School Medical Service.Until 1938 the Visitors’ Book records observations of Empire Day, and in 1959 an Education Week display with which was combined the school’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. Visitors to Education Week Open Days are also recorded from 1962 until 1971. A presentation of equipment by the P. & C. Association is recorded in 1935. In August, 1938, a Teachers’ College student attended the school on Observation. The only visitors recorded in 1939 were two detectives from Newcastle. In 1966 the school received a visit from Mr Gelfius, the Director of Education (Newcastle).