Bell, Margaret
Margaret (Maggie) Bell was born in 1865 in the Queanbeyan district, the first of several daughters to Johnston Bell and Mary nee Field. The family later moved to Yass where Margaret attended Yass Public School, receiving an award for 'perseverance and diligence' in her final year.
Margaret's teaching career notionally commenced with appointment to Bedellick Provisional School in July 1883, however the incumbent teacher, George Read, refused to relinquish his post, claiming he had not been notified of Margaret's appointment. He had in fact been asked to resign from teaching due to his involvement in a divorce case, though Margaret seemed unaware of this. For weeks after arriving in Bedellick she waited for Mr Read to leave, corresponding regularly with education authorities about the situation, while her father visited the inspector's office in Yass hoping to resolve things. Meantime a newspaper article appeared mocking the bureaucratic delay that had two teachers being paid for one school.
Margaret ultimately took charge of Bedellick school on 24 September 1883, ten weeks after her appointment. The school at that time was 'a slab and bark hut measuring only 17 x 10 & 7 ft in height'. It was in bad repair and had no water closets (toilets). In March 1884 approval was granted to widen the building and install WCs. The single tender from local Donald Murty was accepted, but as he could only begin after he finished ploughing, it took two months for the school improvements to be realised. When Margaret reported the work's satisfactory completion, she was questioned over extra tasks including installation of a window and the lining of slab joints reputedly undertaken for the 'convenience of the teacher'. These extras brought the final cost to £1.4.6 over the original tender and while marginal, the fact that Margaret acted without authority was seemingly of concern.
In late December 1884, after 15 months in charge of Bedellick, Margaret requested a week's sick leave to consult a doctor in Yass. A resident (Samuel Southwell) wrote a letter attesting to the veracity of her illness. This leave of absence prevented Margaret from collecting the school fees owing and despite submitting a written explanation to the Department of Instruction with an avowal to collect arrears on her return to duty, the accounted asked the district inspector to investigate whether her illness was genuine. Inspector Lawford verified the situation. Unfortunately, Margaret's illness persisted and notwithstanding leave throughout January and February, she was unable to resume duty at Bedellick, eventually resigning on 9 March 1885 with permission 'to apply again for employment when her health admits it'. A small newspaper notice subsequently revealed that 'Miss Maggie Bell, aged 19 years, late school teacher' died from 'consumption' (tuberculosis) in October 1885.
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Biography prepared by Joanne Toohey, 2023. Sources consulted include NSW school teachers' rolls 1868-1908, NSW school and related records 1876-1979, historic newspapers, NSW births, deaths and marriages index, and Early Education and Schools in the Canberra Region, (1999) by Lyall Gillespie.
Schools
- Bedellick
07/1883 - 03/1885