Stafford, Catherine
Family background
Catherine Stafford was born in Braidwood in 1864, second youngest of seven children to John Stafford and Honora nee Lawler. At the time of Catherine's birth, her father, a former British soldier, was a trooper on the gold escort between Braidwood and Goulburn ['The Daily Telegraph', 16 August 1884, p. 5].
Majura Provisional School
Catherine and her siblings attended the Braidwood Denominational Catholic School where two of her older sisters trained as teachers, and in 1883 she followed them into teaching. Her first appointment was Majura, where she appears to have settled without issue, although later that year took leave due to a sister's death. By mid-1884, however, Majura enrolment had reduced to the point where it closed.
Catherine was next appointed inaugural teacher at Wall Flat Provisional (Bega district). Here she faced a long walk between her lodgings and school – a common trial for teachers in small schools – and within a year she asked to be moved, coincident with the sudden death of her father. She then had two more short-term appointments: firstly, Diamond Public, north west of Crookwell, which had 17 pupils - children of farmers, miners and shepherds. Her failure at a classification examination six months later seemingly prompted her removal to Gurrundah Provisional between Crookwell and Gunning. Here she requested new furniture, declaring present items old and unsuitable and while this request was partially approved, the Department said full expenditure was unjustified given the school's small enrolment. The sanctioned items arrived several months later, just as Catherine was transferred.
Hoskingtown Public School
In May 1886 Catherine was temporarily appointed to Hoskingtown, south east of Queanbeyan, where she chose to lodge at the Hoskingtown Hotel rather than the rundown school residence. After six months, she attempted a classification examination but failed one subject, and while not promoted, was allowed to remain in situ. Soon after this, a resident complained about livestock being on grounds adjacent to the school playground – a concession Catherine had given her landlord, Mr Walsh, as recompense for his willingness to undertake school repairs. The Department decided to formalise a lease on condition the grounds were kept in order, but as Mr Walsh died soon after, the agreement was signed by his widow who also took over management of the Hoskingtown Hotel. In late 1887 Catherine had 'a personal misunderstanding' with Mrs Walsh and stopped boarding at the hotel. Mrs Walsh responded by withdrawing her children from school and seeking to have Catherine removed.
The enmity between Catherine and Mrs Walsh was sustained over the next two years, the District Inspector admitting in 1889 that despite his efforts to 'bring about amicable relations ... Miss Stafford and Mrs Walsh are not on friendly terms'. He recommended an exchange with the teacher at Rossi, but Catherine declared this proposal 'unacceptable'. Meanwhile Hoskingtown parents petitioned to retain her and Mrs Walsh continued to advocate her removal. A Departmental inquiry was eventually held and although this provided a temporary reprieve, a few months later Catherine was appointed to Rossi where she continued to protest the move as 'degrading' and problematic, claiming the long daily ride from her lodgings jeopardised both her health and that of her horse. By the end of the year, the Department declared the exchange 'a hasty and unwise decision' and reinstated Catherine at Hoskingtown, but as the school now had falling attendances, she applied for a larger school and was moved six months later.
Osborne Hill Public School
In June 1890 Catherine commenced teaching at Osborne Hill, near Jamberoo, and while she does not seem to have encountered any significant issues there, after ten months she requested removal stating the climate did not agree with her health. Her appeal was unsuccessful, perhaps because it coincided with an occasion where she missed the train back from Sydney after a holiday break so had to delay reopening school, resulting in a fine and a caution that 'such carelessness ... must not be repeated'. At the start of 1892, however, she was moved to Anarel near Lithgow, but this lasted only a few months due to accommodation issues.
Junee District schools
In May 1892, Catherine commenced a series of positions in the Junee district. The first was Murrulebale where there were reportedly convenient lodgings with food 'somewhat rough, but abundant and wholesome'. Attendances fell in the next few months and Catherine was told to advise parents of the possibility of the school's conversion to half-time, the inspector noting 'a little pressure does good now & then'. Attendances did then improve and Catherine's tenure at Murrulebale lasted three-and-a-half years in which she experienced a serious fall from her horse plus the death of two more siblings from consumption. After two years she asked for removal due to the climate and attendances again declining. Her request was supported by the local inspector who added that she was currently living in a house where the owner was 'frequently drunk'. Another year passed, however, during which time Catherine was denied a promotion for Good Service as she had not yet passed the subject outstanding from her 1886 examination.
At the end of 1895 she was moved to nearby Wantiool where she soon had a month's leave for 'debility'. At regular inspection shortly after returning to work, her school was declared in 'very poor order', and she was warned 'that unless much better results are shown at the next inspection it will be necessary to take severe measures'. Concurrent with this event was the death of another sibling, undoubtedly increasing her mother's reliance on Catherine's income. Despite an unsteady beginning, she remained at Wantiool three years in which time she oversaw a variety of maintenance including the addition of a verandah, repairs to tank and spouting, and replacement of the WCs. In 1899 she asked for removal, reporting her only accommodation option was four miles from the school. Although she hoped to be moved closer to Sydney, a teacher exchange brought her to Ironbong where she remained six years. During this time, she experienced intermittent sickness, as well as the death of a fifth sibling from consumption. In early 1905 she was granted six months leave on account of ill health, seemingly returning to live with her mother in Braidwood for that period. After this leave expired, she was appointed to Ivor for two-and-a-half years.
Catherine's final appointment, commencing April 1908, was Wallaringa near Dungog, but she soon required a month's leave for neurasthenia (nervous exhaustion). Being still unwell at the end of her leave, she was granted another three months, after which she applied to be retired on the grounds of ill-health. Unfortunately, the Government Medical Officer did not consider her health gave grounds for retirement, so although deemed ineligible for a pension, she chose to resign in August 1908, aged 44, having completed 25 years' service across 13 schools.
Later life
After her retirement Catherine lived in Braidwood until her mother's death in 1910, after which she moved to Sydney where she ultimately died in 1952, aged 87. She was buried in the Catholic portion of the Field of Mars Cemetery, Ryde.
[Biography prepared by Joanne Toohey, 2025. Sources 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
- Majura School
02/1883 - 05/1884