Roche, Bridget
Bridget Roche was born in 1860, only daughter amongst seven children to Irish immigrants Laurence Roche and Anne nee Dalton. In the 1860s her parents ran the Gold Diggers' Arms Hotel in Adelong where they did 'a very lively business' due to the gold rush. In the 1870s the Roches turned to farming and Laurence Roche became chairman of the Adelong Grove school board, successfully petitioning for a public school to which his daughter Bridget was appointed in August 1877, aged 17.
Prior to her appointment at Adelong Grove, Bridget undertook two weeks training at nearby Adelong Public school under George William Thomas (later a senior school inspector) where enrolments were steadily increasing, rising from 150 to 200 across 1877. The inadequacy of the school to cater for this number is evident in Mr Thomas' description of alternating students between standing and sitting so that each could have time at a desk. As well as being overcrowded the school was poorly ventilated, and in warm weather, according to Mr Thomas, 'if one leaves the room for a few minutes, and goes outside into the pure air, the smell that meets him on his return is sickening.' Luckily Bridget's training occurred in August, a cooler part of the year.
Although largely inexperienced and surprisingly young when appointed to Adelong Grove in August 1877, Bridget had the support of the local board. The enrolment was forty, amongst whom were several of her brothers. Shortly after she took charge, the board wrote to the Department notifying them of the dilapidated state of the building, which was 'open to the wet and cold' and had neither clock nor water closet. Nothing resulted from this request and not surprisingly, attendance fell during the winter months. In July 1878, the Adelong Grove board reiterated the need to replace or repair the school. In March 1879, they wrote again (in what looks like Bridget's handwriting), asking for a teacher's residence, a fence to enclose the school grounds, a water tank, and a clock. Tenders were called in August that year, somewhat oddly preceded by dispatch of a school bell from Sydney. Bridget meanwhile sat an examination and was awarded a IIIC classification.
In August 1881 Bridget, now 21, was appointed to Weetangera, replacing inaugural teacher Ewan Cameron, who had been appointed to a larger school. Although Weetangera had Public School status, enrolments were diminishing, and it was recommended to reduce Bridget's salary accordingly. A recurrent issue was children staying home to help with farm activities as experienced by Bridget who gained a week's extension of her Christmas vacation because most pupils would 'not be able to attend school till harvesting was completed'. As she returned to school in January 1882, Bridget protested her salary reduction arguing it 'seems unjust that I should be obliged to suffer in consequence'.
In April 1882 Bridget sought removal from Weetangera as her salary was 'much less than I have ever received'. In June, the diminished enrolments led to Weetangera's closure, and Bridget was appointed to Barwang Public school (between Boorowa and Young). There was no teacher accommodation, so she lodged 'at Mr James Edgeworths ... about a mile distant from the school', which she described as uncomfortable but the only option. Bridget was at Barwang less than a year as in February 1883 she died at home of unknown causes, aged 23, being described as 'a bright, intelligent girl'. She was buried in a family plot in Adelong Cemetery.
[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
- Weetangera School
08/1881 - 06/1882