Driffield School 2433

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In May 1880 the people of Driffield forwarded a petition to their local member of Parliament Mr. F. C. Mason, the petition was requesting the establishment of a school for the area. The petitioners were: Alexander Deru, James Johnston, Thomas Hopkins, David Jones, David Williams, Adolphus Witholz, Joseph Rowley, and Samuel Vary.

The Driffield School No. 2433 opened on November 1st. 1881 in a portable structure with living quarters for the teacher. The building which was able to accommodate up to 30 pupils was constructed for the education authorities by Samuel Vary in October 1881 at a cost of £116.16.0.

The enrolment figure in the first year was 28 with the average attendance being 21, but this dropped to 10 in 1902 and the school became half-time with Hazelwood Ridge school No. 1768.

The school was burnt to the ground on 11th February 1905 in the bushfires that raged through the district that summer.

In February 1921 the Education Department received a petition from local residents requesting the re-establishment of the school at Driffield, as there were 28 children of school age waiting to attend classes.

Driffield School was not re-established until 30th of January 1923 when classes were held in the Driffield Hall, the hall was leased by the Department for £7.10.0 per annum. Poor enrolments caused closure again on 26th of August 1931.

The 30th of January 1940 saw classes resumed, once again in the Driffield Hall.

The school was established on its present site on the 29th. of March 1946. A residence for the use of the teacher was provided in 1951.

Head Teachers

YEAR NAME
1881-1886 William Francis
1886 Thomas M. Kewish
1887-1892 John Jones
1893 Helen Couston
1894 Edith M. Whitlam
1895-1898 Ellen Gay
1898 Annie I. Bennett
1898-1900 Edith Lacey
1901 Violet Leadbeater
1901-1902 E. S. Sinclair
1903-1905 John Sullivan
1923-1927 Henry J. Lucas
1927-1928 Margaret Sambrook
1928-1930 Catherine P. Howe
1930-1931 Hilda W. Fox
1940-1943 William H. Annear
1945-1948 Charles E. Anderson
1948-1950 Ronald J. Moylan
Feb-Sep. 1951 John J. Horan
1951-1956 Alan H. Mackinder
May-Sep. 1956 William O. Russell
1956-1958 James F. Mason
1959 Ian H. Legg
1959-1962 Alan R. Mathieson
1963 Colin M. Powers
1964 Bruce J. Tulloch
1965 Warren J. O’Toole
1966 Robert Counahan
1967 Douwe S. Van Veen
1968-1969 Garrick J. Anderson
May-Dec. 1969 Barry A. Curley
1970-1972 Raymond Heathcote
1973-1975 Trevor Alexander