NRS-16956 | Visitors' Book [Mirannie 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.This volume had previously been used as the Visitors’ Book of Tea Tree Provisional School from 1910 until 1915 (see Series no. 16954). For most of the period of the school’s operation, the majority of signatures in this volume are those of clergy and their delegates visiting the school in order to provide religious instruction. The most frequent such visitors are the clergy of the Church of England, but the Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Baptist and Methodist Churches are also represented.Other regular signatories are the Inspectors of Schools, and, until 1937, the supervisors of the Primary Finals Examinations. From 1951 Physical Education Advisors also begin to appear in the record. Less regular visitors are Police Safety Lecturers, School Medical and Dental Officers and the officers of the Child Welfare Department. The book has also been signed by visitors to the school’s Education Week Open Days in 1959, 1964, 1965 and 1968. Of some possible significance is a series of visits by the Shire Health Surveyor and staff of the Singleton District Hospital in May, July and September of 1967.