NRS-17147 | Visitors' Books [Pelican Flat 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 overwhelming majority of signatures in the first volume are those of clergy and church-workers visiting the school to provide religious instruction to the pupils. On several occasions the Anglican clergy have remarked positively on the co-operation given them by the staff of the school. Very few other visitors are recorded in this volume, chiefly Police Safety Lecturers, the Inspectors of Schools, a School Counsellor and a Physical Education Demonstrator. The school was also visited by the Hon. Clive Evatt, Minister for Education, in 1941. From 1960 onwards the school evidently maintained a separate Visiting Clergy Book. One break in the normal pattern of this volume occurs on a page headed “Official Opening 13th October, 1956,” which records the signatures of the Minister for Education, Mr Heffron, the Minister Without Portfolio, Mr Simpson, and fifteen other Government and community representatives. The nature of the facility then being opened is not indicated.The latter portion of this volume is dominated by the signatures of visitors to the school’s Education Week Open Days, held every year from 1964 to 1969. The signatures recorded on this occasion in 1966 take up five pages, of which the last two make up a leaf which appears not to be an original part of the volume. This leaf is now held in place by staples. The names of visitors on the Open Day in 1968 also appear on additional leaves; these, of which there are two, have been inserted loose at the nearest approximately correct place in the volume.Aside from these Open Day visitors, the most frequent signatures in the latter part of this volume are those of Police Safety Lecturers. Visits were also made by the Inspectors of Schools, School Counsellors, Advisors in PE, Art and Music, and representatives of Dr Barnardo’s Homes.