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Manuscript on CD at 371.01099438 THU C-D

History of Thursday Island State School



ACCESS

Depositor’s permission required for reading. Depositor’s and Institute’s permission required for copying and quotation. [Access code A3a B1]

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SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Date range: 1884-1985

Extent: 1 computer optical disk

In August 2003 the Thursday Island State Primary School lent the contents of a display on the history of the School to the AIATSIS Library. Digitisation of the documents was completed in 2004 and they were returned to the School. The contents of the display are available, on a CD, in the Library.

The history was prepared to commemorate one hundred years of operation of the School and was displayed at the School. The history also appeared in the TSIMA News in July 1985. The documents referred to in the history were not marked and it is possible that some of the documents have been incorrectly listed in this finding aid, e.g. Series 2, Item 20, ‘Sketch Plan of State School, showing proposed additions’ and Item 21, ‘Additions to State School Thursday Island’.

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BACKGROUND NOTE

The Thursday Island State School was opened on 13 July 1885. Mr F. W Rayment was the first Principal.

The State School for Coloured Children was opened in 1913 under the Protector of Aboriginals. Miss Richards was appointed School Teacher. It became a State School under the Department of Public Instruction on 5 February 1940. On 9 September 1954 it was renamed the Wai-Ben State School.

In 1964 the Thursday Island State School was amalgamated with the Wai-ben State School, and a Secondary section was established.

In 1985 the School commemorated 100 years of operation.

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RELATED WORKS

Important: Before you click on the link to material about Thursday Island state primary and high schools please read our sensitivity message

In addition to this collection, the Library holds other material by or about Thursday Island state primary and high schools.

Other  material about Waiben/Thursday Island can be found by consulting the Institute’s Mura® online catalogue.  To access any audiovisual material found contact the Audiovisual Archives

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SERIES LIST

Series 1      ‘History of Thursday Island State School’     

Series 2      Correspondence and plans 1884 to 1902 relating to Thursday Island State School    

Series 3 Correspondence and plans 1938 to 1960 relating to the Thursday Island State      School  for Coloured Children (later Wai-ben State School)

Series 4      Centenary celebrations for 100 years of Government education on Thursday Island

Series 5      Miscellaneous documents and photographs

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series 1         ‘History of Thursday Island State School’

History written for a display to commemorate 100 years operation of the school. The history was made into a display and the primary documents referred to are listed in Series 2.

1 item

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Series 2          Correspondence and plans 1884 to 1902 relating to Thursday Island State School

These are photocopies of correspondence and plans relating to the setting up of the school and the operation of the school and were referred to in the display. (Item numbers correspond to document numbers in display).

Item

 

1

1884, July 16. Letter from Thomas McNulty to Secretary for Public Instruction

2

1884, 11 September. Letter from H. ?. Chester and others to Secretary for Public Instruction, 2 p. [with two attachments Documents 3 & 4]

3

1884, 10 September. Application for Establishment of a School

4

1884, 11 September. List of parents and children residing near proposed state school at Thursday Island

5

1884, 25 October. Letter from J. Platt, District Inspector to The Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction

6

1885, 10 April. Memorandum to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction [p. 2 missing]

7

1885, 13 July. Memorandum from F. W. Rayment to the Under Secretary, Department of Instruction

8

1885, 10 November. Memorandum from F. W. Rayment to the Undersecretary, Department of Instruction re the School Committee

9

Document 9 from display is missing

10

1892, 5 March. Memorandum from W. E. Parry Okeden, Under-Colonial Secretary to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction re resumption of school reserve for purposes of defence works, 2 p.

11

1892, 15 April. Memorandum from John Douglas, Government Resident, to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction, 2 p.

12

1892, 23 July. Memorandum from John Ferguson, Superintendent of School Buildings, to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction, 3.p [Sketch of site attached – Item 13]

13

Sketch map of proposed site for new school

14

1892, 5 August. Memorandum from John Ferguson to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction, 2 p. [attaches plan – missing]

15

1893, 17 February. Letter from A. E. Salter, School Committee, to the Minister for Public Instruction, 2 p. [Sketch plan attached – Item 16]

16

Sketch from Plan of School Reserve

17

Document 17 from display is missing

18

1893, 31 October. Telegram from A. E. Salter to the Minister for Public Instruction

19

1896, 11-13 March. Report on the Material Requirements of the Thursday Island State School from W. Gripp, District Inspector to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction

20

1896, 2 May. ‘Sketch Plan of State School showing proposed Additions’

21

[1896, 22 June]. ‘Additions to State School. Thursday Island’

22

1897, 16 October. Gazettal notice for school reserve

22a

1897. Plan of survey. Cat. No. Pt.K. 207.13

22b

[1897?]. ‘Map showing school reserve site later referred to in 1897 Govt. Gazette’

23

1897, 6 August. ‘Sketch Plan of Proposed Kitchen, Residence, State School, Thursday Island.’

24

1902, 24 December. Memorandum from A. Reid to the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction re Report on Candidate

25

1957 Plan of additions and alterations to school - Missing

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Series 3 Correspondence and plans 1938 to 1960 relating to the Thursday Island State School for Coloured Children (later Wai-ben State School)

These are photocopies of correspondence and plans relating to the operation of the school. The documents in Series 3 are laminated and would have formed part of the one hundred years centenary display.

The Chief Protector of Aboriginals, J. Bleakley, provided a history of the foundation of the original school to 1914 in his letter to the Department of Health and Home Affairs requesting that the school now be treated as a State Public School. On 5 February 1940 the school became the State School for Coloured Children, Thursday Island, under the Department of Public Instruction [see Item 7].

Item

 

1

1938, 25 April. Letter from H. G. Simpson, Head Teacher, to The Protector of Aboriginals, Thursday Island, 2 p.

2

1938, 28 May. Letter from J. Bleakley to The Under Secretary, Department of Health and Home Affairs, Brisbane

3

1938, 21 September. ‘Department of Public Works. Thursday island Aboriginal School Proposed Additions’

4

1939, 18 January. Letter from J. Bleakley to the Under Secretary, Department of Health and Home Affairs [attaches a history – Item 5]

5

1939, 18 January. ‘History of Foundation of School for Coloured Children at Thursday Island’, 2 p.

6

1939, 23 January. Letter from the Under Secretary, Department of Health and Home Affairs to the Director of Education, Brisbane

7

1939, 24 November. Memorandum from Department of Health and Home Affairs to Department of Public Instruction. [possibly a page missing]

8

1940, 18 March. Letter from Under Secretary, Department of Health and Home Affairs to Department of Public Instruction

9

1940, 20 April. Letter from H. G. Simpson, Head Teacher, to Protector of Islanders

10

1946, 2 August. Memo from Buildings and Sites

11

1946, 5 August. Letter from Acting Director of Native Affairs to the Director-General of Education, Department of Public Instruction

12

1947, 9 May. Letter from Acting Director of Native Affairs to Director-General of Education re arrangements for a Native Teacher

12

1948, 2 February. Letter from L. J. Tincknell, Head Teacher, to Department of Public Instruction, mentions use of special syllabus for Torres Strait Native Schools. 2 p.

13

1948, 11 February. Memorandum, Department of Public Instruction, re use of Syllabus

14

1949, 10 May. Letter from Conrad Klein, Head Teacher, to The Director-General of Education, Department of Public Instruction, 2 p.

15

1950, 2 May. Memorandum from G. D. Murphy, Regional Director of Education, Townsville, to The Director-General of Education

16

1951, 22 June. Photocopies of photographs of Thursday Island Coloured School, 2 p.

17

1951, 9 & 10 July. ‘Extract from Report of Inspection of the State School for Coloured Children at Thursday Island’, 2 p.

18

1951, 1 September. Letter from Conrad Klein to Assistant Under Secretary, Department of School Instruction re photographs of school

19

1951, 26 November. ‘Department of Public Works. Departmental Works Order – Copy.’

20

1952, 30 January. Memorandum ‘Re – Thursday Island Coloured School Additional Accommodation’ [plan attached]

21

Plan. ‘Proposed Addition to School Res. R. 83 and R. 61. Abt 3 Acs – Red’

22

1952, 13 September. Government Gazette. ‘Reserve for School for Aborigines (Extension) Purposes’

23

1952, 13 November. Memorandum from Northern Regional Director of Education to Department of Public Instruction, Brisbane, 2 p.

24

1954, 9 September. Memorandum from Director-General of Education advising of approved name change for School.

25

1955, 31 May. Memorandum from Northern Regional Director of Education to Acting Head Teacher advising that School may take holiday for the festival ‘The Coming of the Light’

26

1956, 13 March. Memorandum from Northern Regional Director of Education to the Director-General of Education re possibility of recording school chidren’s singing

27

1957, 13 May. Memorandum from Northern Regional Director of Education to the Director-General of Education re opening ceremony for new school buildings

28

1958, 23 May. Plan of Wai-ben State School

29

1959, 15 May. Plan of Wai-ben State School, 4 p.

30

1960, 21 March. Memorandum from Secretary, Department of Public Lands to Director-General, Department of Education, re acquisition of additional land for school

31

1960, 25 March. Ministerial correspondence re acquisition of additional land

32

1960, 2 July. Government Gazette notice re reserve for school purposes

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Series 4 Centenary celebrations for 100 years of Government education on Thursday Island

Documents relating to the centenary celebrations including recollections from previous teachers and principals of the school.

Item

 

1

List of Principals 1940 to 1964

2

1985, 24 June. Letter from John Fahey, Principal 1961-63

3

1985, 4 July. Letter from W. L. Hamilton, Head Teacher 1963-1965, 3 p.

4

1985. ‘Reflections from Matt O’Riley (Teacher)’ [1964-1967], 2 p.

5

1985. ‘Reflections from Harvey Radcliffe, Principal, T. I. Primary, 1974-79’, 2 p.

6

1985. ‘Q.T.U. August, 1985 Council. Torres Strait Representative’s Report’, 2 p.

7

1985, July. TSIMA Newsletter, ‘100 years of school at Thursday Island’, 12 p.

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Series 5         Miscellaneous documents and photographs

Photocopies of documents and photographs relating to the school

Item

 

1

‘Plan of Sections 1 to 11 Town of Port Kennedy Thursday Island Queensland’

2

Plan of Thursday Island State School

3

‘Department of Public Works. Thursday Island State School Improvements’, 2 p.

4

Plan of Parish of Port Kennedy showing school reserve

5

Portion of letter from the Superintendent of School Buildings

6

Second page of letter from F. W. Rayment, 7 October, 1884

7

Copy of photograph of Thursday Island

8

Copy of photograph and negative ‘Opening Pearl Shell, Torres Straits’ O. Watson, Photographer, Thursday Island

9

Laminated photograph of two boys in class room

10

Laminated School brochure [1998?]

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Finding Aid compiled by P. Brady, January 2004