Rediscovering Ginninderra:
Mulligans Flat School
Related People
Clarence Bede Cavanagh
Clarence Bede Cavanagh was born in February 1874, to Patrick Cavanagh and Mary (Logue) Cavanagh,...
Clarice Esther 'Charl' Cavanagh
Clarice Esther Cavanagh was the fourth child of Clarence Bede Cavanagh and Esther Anne (nee...
Michael Joseph Cavanagh
Michael Joseph Cavanagh was born to Patrick Cavanagh and Mary Logue of 'One Tree Hill' on 25...
Patrick 'Pat' Cavanagh
The Cavanaghs became synonymous with the Mulligans Flat area, even though they first selected...
An initial application for a Provisional school was made in 1894, and a two acre site on the Gundaroo Road, Goorooyarroo Parish, was selected. The first school (1896) was a wooden slab building with a bark roof, built by local volunteers, and the first teacher was James Gibson. Teachers usually boarded with the Cavanagh family. At least three lady teachers married local men.
A new, more substantial school was built in 1913 – a weatherboard structure 15 feet x 101/2 feet x 7 feet, with corrugated iron roof, in the same design as Hall school. Cornelius O'Rourke was the contractor, and the total cost was £154.12.6. The 'old slab hut' lived on as a lunch shelter. In 1919 J.Hollingsworth of Hall was contracted to construct a rabbit proof fence around the school yard, for £29. On Arbor Day in 1920 a double row of young pine trees, fetched by trap From the new Yarralumla Nursery by teacher Ethel Harris, was planted by the students. After a period of closure the school was repaired and reopened in 1922 as a Part Time school with Tallagandra, finally closing in 1931.
Related Photos
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References
- Gillespie L.L., 1999 Early education and schools in the Canberra region, The Wizard, Campbell, ACT.
- A fuller account of Mulligans Flat school can be found in our database of 'Early Canberra schools' on this site
Further information about Mulligans Flat school may be found at Canberra Tracks