Launch of Public Education Week

Allen Mawer and myself were invited to give a brief talk at the launch of Public Education Week by the ACT Education Minister Joy Burch.
My talk focussed on the unique and valuable collection of early public educational material that we have housed in the original Hall Public School. I also impressed on the audience, which also included MLA's Shane Rattenbury, Yvette Berry and Steve Dospot, the great work that the 'Friends of Hall School Museum' had achieved over the last 3 years in preserving and displaying our valuable collection.

Allen spoke of the exhibition 'Early Schools of the ACT' that will be staged in October highlighting the number of public schools that had been or were in existence at the time the Federal Capital Territory was proclaimed. It was interesting that there was an unawareness among the audience of these large number of schools that had been identified which were the basis for public education in the ACT.
Allen also 'launched' the early schools of the ACT database which has gone live on the Hall School Museum website. It gives the list of the schools that had existed or were still in existence when the Federal Capital Territory was proclaimed. There is a link for each school, its location on a map and photo gallery where information and photos can be added as they become available. Also there is a link to the teachers who were at these schools to which information and photos will be added in the next few months.

We displayed some examples of the early educational material we have in the Hall School Museum as well as the maps and storyboards showing the bush schools of the district and the early schools of the ACT.

There was a great deal of interest in the display and a number of the attendees wish to come and visit the School Museum.

Phil Robson
Honorary Curator