NRS-19011 | Visitors book [St Marys Public School]

The Public Schools Act authorised special religious instruction by visiting clergymen and their delegates (Public Schools Act, 1866, s.19). 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, 27 February 1867, s. 86)The Visitors Book was used to record persons who attended school, other than teachers or students.  Religious instructors were the main users of the Book, however parliamentarians and even members of the public could attend the school and when doing so, completed an entry in the Visitors Book.  The pages have three columns - Date, name and Remarks.  The remarks usually covered 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. Visitors remarked on the state of the school and the state of education at the school.  The 1891 to 1901 Book at St Marys Public School includes several notable visitors, from a period when the land around South Creek remained in the hands of descendants of the original grantees - a Sydney King, descended from Governor King, and a Philip Macarthur Onslow, descended from John Macarthur, are among the visitors who comment favourably on the school. For conservation purposes the 1891 - 1901 volume has been re-housed as single pages.

《公立学校法案》（Public Schools Act）授权来访牧师及其代表开展专项宗教教学（1866年《公立学校法案》第19条）。根据该法案制定的配套规章允许公众在“世俗教学时段”到访学校，观摩教学方法、教学材料与教学设备（1867年2月27日教育委员会通过的规章第84-85条）。该规章要求每位教师必须设置访客登记簿，“访客可在此登记姓名，若认为合适也可留下评论，教师绝对不得擦除或修改此类评论”（1867年2月27日规章第86条）。

该访客登记簿用于记录除教师与在校学生外的入校人员。宗教教学人员是登记簿的主要使用群体，但议员乃至普通公众也可到访学校并完成登记留言。登记簿页面设有三栏：日期、姓名与评论。评论内容通常涵盖到访目的，包括宗教教学（这是学校到访最常见的原因）、学校巡查、医疗检查、部门官员因公到访（例如检查校舍或教学设备）以及特邀演讲者来访。访客还会就学校现状及校内教育状况发表评价。圣玛丽公立学校1891年至1901年的登记簿中记录了多位知名访客，彼时南溪周边土地仍由最初授地者的后代持有——其中包括总督金的后裔悉尼·金（Sydney King）与约翰·麦卡瑟的后裔菲利普·麦卡瑟·昂斯洛（Philip Macarthur Onslow），二人均对该校给出了正面评价。出于文物保护需求，该1891年至1901年的卷宗已被拆分为单页进行重新装帧保管。