Madigan (Mrs Roberts), Mary Ellen
Family background
Mary Ellen Madigan was born in the Braidwood district in 1868, eldest of six children to hotel licensee Michael Madigan and Ellen (Nellie) nee Greenwood. At the time of Ellen's birth her father was publican of the 'Currency Lass' in Araluen, but six years later ventured into gold mining at Majors Creek. He was appointed to the board of Majors Creek Public School in 1876, which Mary and her siblings presumably attended. He died of pleuropneumonia in 1882, and the next year Mary, aged 14, passed the relevant examination to become a Pupil Teacher.
Pupil teacher: Majors Creek
There were no vacancies at Majors Creek at the time of Mary's application. The school, which then had around 100 pupils, was conducted in an unlined building originally constructed as a storeroom. Headmaster George Hogg requested an extra classroom but the expenditure was not supported by the district inspector who predicted many families would soon move away from the 'far from flourishing' township. This anticipated decline did not occur and by the time of Mary's eventual appointment in July 1885, the enrolment was over 130. Shortly after her commencement, Mr Hogg took four weeks leave to improve his health, leaving Senior Pupil Teacher Miss Isley (aged 18) and Mary (aged 17) to manage the school, assuring the young women that his wife would provide moral support to enable them to 'cope successfully with any difficulties'. The arrangement must have succeeded as Mary's appointment was confirmed later that year. In 1886 she passed an examination for promotion to Pupil Teacher Class III, but in 1887, as her mother and younger siblings returned to Araluen, she applied for appointment as teacher of a small school likely due to economic need. The family's association with Majors Creek Public School was re-established when Mary's younger sister, Catherine, commenced Pupil Teacher training in 1890, being thereafter appointed to positions in Sydney, Gunning, and Nowra.
Majura Provisional School
In June 1887 Mary was appointed to Majura Provisional, replacing Catherine (Katie) Hogan who had resigned for health reasons after four months. Mary's duration at Madura, by contrast, was four and a half years, suggesting she maintained good health and coped successfully with the challenges of small schools. School fees were a recurring issue: on one occasion the monthly fees she collected and sent to the Department went astray, then on another, after repeated attempts to recover unpaid fees, a summons was issued against a parent and Mary appeared in Queanbeyan Court to 'prove the debt'. While the Department's pursuit of fees was firm in this case (the offender having enrolled his children in a private school, thereby indicating his ability to pay), there were also instances of debt cancellation in deserving cases, such as a widow excused on Mary's recommendation.
Lower Boro Public School
Mary was promoted to Lower Boro in December 1891, likely on condition she gained a classification. After failed examination attempts in 1892 and 1893, she finally achieved a provisional IIIA classification in 1895 (subject to passing Vocal Music). Shortly after this she was moved in a three-way exchange between teachers at Lower Boro, Googong, and Shaw's Creek.
Shaws Creek Public
Mary commenced at Shaws Creek, which ranked slightly below Lower Boro, in October 1895 on an annual salary of £91, although this soon increased with the school promoted due to rising attendance. At inspection in 1896 Mary's ability to organise and discipline the school was reported as 'Very Fair to Good', and her teaching skills as 'Fair to Very Fair', and 1898 she passed a Music exam so her IIIA classification was confirmed. By this time, there were 42 students enrolled at Shaws Creek. The signatures in the Visitors Book indicate regular religious instruction, as well as annual visits by the district inspector who, after inspection in 1898 recommended a range of repairs including replacing ant-eaten boards; new panes of glass; and the installation of window blinds. Mary added a new clock to this list, as well as "a supply of disinfectant for the outhouses" which were "becoming offensive".
In January 1899 Mary, now 31, married Josiah Edward Roberts, teacher at Goulburn North Public School, choosing to remain in charge of Shaws Creek after marriage until a position became available at her husband's school.
Goulburn North Public School
In April 1899 Mary was appointed Assistant Teacher in the Infants Department of Goulburn North. When the Infants' Mistress took a month's leave in the middle of the year, Mary was given charge. Her husband meanwhile was promoted by examination, increasing his salary without the need for a transfer. In November that year, Mary, who had generally maintained good health, had a week's leave for influenza. She was then pregnant with her first child, and on 31 December retired, having completed 14½ years teaching service.
Later life
Mary gave birth to a daughter in April 1900 and a son in September 1901. Her serious illness after the second birth prompted her husband to take leave from school, a doctor stating Mary was 'in a most dangerous condition', this diagnosis regrettably borne out by her death a few days later. Her husband took another two week's leave to 'make suitable provision' for their children's welfare, then resumed teaching. In time, he gained appointment in Sydney, where he married another teacher, and both Mary's children eventually pursued teaching careers.
[Biography prepared by Joanne Toohey, 2024. Sources include NSW school teachers' rolls 1868-1908, NSW school and related records 1876-1979, historic newspapers, NSW births, deaths and marriages index, probate documents, and 'Early Education and Schools in the Canberra Region', (1999) by Lyall Gillespie.]
Schools
- Majura School
06/1887 - 12/1991