Hogan, Catherine ('Katie')
Monga Provisional School
In May 1886 Catherine Hogan, aged nineteen, was appointed to Monga Provisional School in the Braidwood district, seemingly without training. Monga was in a rugged location and its school was described as a 'rescued site ... erected entirely by local exertions'. It had undergone repairs to renew the shingle and corrugated iron chimney prior to Catherine's arrival. Further repairs were completed three months later as the building's open foundations were 'stoned and earthed up' to reduce the amount of cold air circulating through the floor, no doubt a relief to teacher and students. After six months Catherine was transferred from Monga.
Majura Provisional School
In January 1887 Catherine was appointed to Majura Provisional school which was reopening after a two-and-a-half-year closure. The school furniture was recalled from storage at Canberra Public School to provide for an expected daily attendance of 14 children. After four months at Majura, Catherine requested permission to close the school for a week on account of illness, which was supported by a Queanbeyan doctor. After three weeks' absence a local resident informed the Department the school had not been reopened and a few days later Catherine (signing as Katie Hogan) tendered her resignation, stating 'I do not wish to sever all connection with the department but hope to gain re admission in a short time in a milder climate.' The local inspector validated the seriousness of her illness and after furnishing a school inventory, Catherine finished teaching on May 31, then reportedly left for Sydney where her parents lived. Nothing further is known about her.
[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
- Majura School
01/1887 - 05/1887