The bush school teachers - Can you help?
This section lists alphabetically around four hundred teachers (a third of them women) who taught at some stage in one or more of the schools included on this database. It is quite striking how brief the average stay at a school was. Only a very small number of teachers stayed teaching at one school for more than four or five years, and the commonest duration would be between one and two years. Most of the district schools were small and of low rank - an early stepping stone for a teaching career
We have biographical information and photographs for only a small proportion of teachers so far. Information has been collected from a variety of sources, but especially Lyall Gillespie's book 'Early Education and Schools in the Canberra Region' (1999).
We welcome contributions of any sort that will add to the information we have about them, or enable us to correct the information we have. Just contact us.
A
- Abernethy, James
- Abernethy, Kate
- Adam, John
- Ahern, Francis Henry
- Ahern, John
- Ahern, Kate
- Ainslie, Leslie
- Alchin, Mr Albert
- Alexander, Mr William
- Allen, John K
- Amos, Mr Keith
- Anderson, Miss Beatrice Amelia
- Anderson, Mr Edward
- Arthur-Mason, Mr Eric Hubert
- Audrey, Frost
- Avenell, Mr Anthony
B
- Bailey, Mr Donald William
- Baines, Mr R G
- Ball, Mary
- Barbarie, Oliver C.
- Barber, Mr Lionel
- Barber, Mr Reg
- Barden, Alice
- Barron, Miss (?)
- Bassett, (Caroline) 'Amy'
- Bean, George Dudley
- Beardsley, Alice
- Beck, Marion
- Bedford, Richard
- Bell, Mr James
- Bell, Mr John
- Bell, Margaret
- Benjamin, Florence
- Bennett, Mr. John
- Berglund, Mr Charles
- Birch, Mary Jane
- Bishop, Madge
- Bissell, Mr Thomas G
- Blades, Mr Osborne A
- Blanchard, Mr Frederick
- Blood, Alathea
- Bluett, Mr Ed
- Boate, Mr John Beresford
- Boland, Mary
- Boller, Mr Charles E
- Bowd, Edna E.
- Bowditch, Miss Charlotte
- Bowe, Mr James
- Bradbury, Frances
- Braggett, Henrietta ('Hettie')
- Brandon, Miss Mercy Victoria
- Brassington, Charles
- Brettell, Mr Henry
- Brew, Keith
- Brierly, Mr James Weir
- Brigden, Mr James F
- Britt, Charles
- Broadhurst, Arthur
- Bronger, Mary Ann
- Brook, Miss Elizabeth
- Brown, Muriel
- Browne, Mr Cecil P.
- Bruce, Alma
- Bryan, Edward James
- Buckland, Mr James
- Bullen, Mr William H
- Bundock, Mr Arthur J
- Bunfield, Mr Alec
- Bunker, Mr Edgar
- Bunker, Jane
- Burchett, Mr Eric Sholto Campbell
- Burgess, Dora
- Burrell, Mrs Margaret
- Bye, Vera
- Byrne, Cecil John
- Byrne, Mr Michael
- Byrne, Mr Richard A.D.
- Byrnes, Alice Mary
- Byron, Mr James
C
- Caffrey, Thomas
- Caldwell, Mr Cyril
- Cameron, Annie
- Cameron, Miss Catherine Alice
- Cameron, Ewan
- Campbell, Mr Andrew
- Campbell, Mr James
- Campbell, Silas
- Campbell-Hiscocks, Mrs Ella Ada
- Carleton, Mr James
- Carmichael, Hannah
- Carol, Mr William
- Carpenter, Mr George
- Carter, J.E.
- Carter, John
- Carver, Lauristina
- Catlin, Mr Charles E
- Cavanagh (nee Harris), Mrs Ethel
- Champion, John C.
- Chapman, Mr William John
- Chave, Mr Ernest
- Christian, Ethel Maude
- Clark, Mr Charles E
- Clark, Mr Jethro
- Clarke, Mrs Robina Lowe (Rogers) Emily
- Clark (Lynch), Mrs Emily
- Clark (nee Maher), Mrs Ellen Agnes
- Clatworthy, Leslie C
- Cleaver, Frederick W.
- Clifton, Silas Edwin
- Clowes, John
- Clune, John Bede
- Coady, Mr William
- Coates, Ernest
- Coddington, John T.
- Coleman, Edward
- Collier, Stephen
- Colvin, Elizabeth
- Connelly, Mr Edward
- Cook, Albert
- Cook, Henry ('Harry')
- Cook, Mr Reginald Filton
- Cooney, Mr Charles J S
- Corbett, Catherine
- Cornwall, Norman Spencer
- Corrigan, Mr William
- Coughlan, Thomas K
- Cox, Mr Thomas Henry
- Creagh, Mr John
- Crew, Mr Charles
- Crighton, Francis James
- Crimmings, Mr John
- Crispin, Mr William
- Crofts, Henry A.
- Crowther, Samuel
- Croxon, Mr William
- Cruikshank, Mr Alex
- Cunningham, Lena
- Curley, Thomas A.
- Curran, Annie
D
- Dale, Bryan
- Daley, Mr Francis B
- Daley, Mr Frank
- Dallas, Herbert
- Dalling, J.J.
- Daly, Mr Alan Joseph
- Dash, Mr Ebenezer
- Davies, William J.
- Davis, Ann Wilkinson
- Deacon, Mr David
- Deasey, James
- Deasey, Mary
- Denham, Mr Robert
- Dent, Edward C
- Devlin, Mr Gordon
- Dickson, Mr James
- Diggins, Mr John
- Dillon, June
- Dixon, Mr Stanley S
- Doherty, Owen
- Donovan, Nano
- Downes, J.M.
- Downing, Miss Nellie
- Doyle, Michael
- Druce, W.T.
- Duddle, Miss Annie
- Duffy, William
- Duhigg, Mr Mathew
- Duhigg, Mr Thomas
- Dunlop, Mr James
- Dunn, Flora Australia
- Dwyer, Mr James
- Dwyer, Mr Michael
- Dyce, Clarence
E
- Edgar, Mr Joseph
- Edwards, Alice
- Edwards, Mary
- Eilbeck, Mr Joseph
- Elliot, Mr Alexander
- Elliot, Christina
- Elliott, Bertha
- English, F M
- Evans, Alice
- Evans, Elsie
- Evans, I.
- Evans, John
F
- Fairley, Mr William
- Faulder, Mr William Patrick
- Fenton, Mary A.
- Ferguson, Bruce
- Ferguson, Mr Norman
- Field, Mr Martin
- Filshie, Mr John
- Finlay, Francis
- Finnegan, Mr Richard
- Fitzgerald, Miriam
- Fitzroy, Dorothy
- Forsyth, Mr James J
- Fowler, Mr Edward ('Ted')
- Fowler, Kenneth Harold
- Fowler, Wilfred H.
- Foyster, Louise
- Francis, Mrs Agnes
- Franks, Arthur E.
- Fraser, Mr Henry
- Fraser, Mary
- Fraser, Mr Peter J
- Frist, Mr Ernest L
- Frost, Mr Alexander G
- Frost, Mr Alexander James
- Frost, William George
- Fry, Florence Kate
- Fursman, Tryphena Persis
- Fursman, Mr William
- Fyfe, Elizabeth
G
- Gallagher, Mr Francis J
- Gallop, Mr Alfred Godden
- Gamble, James
- Gate, Eliza Jane
- Gee, William
- George, Mr Alfred Ernest
- Gibson, Mr Arthur F
- Gibson, Mr James
- Gifford, Alexander James [1885-1960]
- Gilchrist, Mr Norman
- Gill, Horace Edward
- Gill, Mr Thomas Stephen
- Gillespie, Ms Elizabeth May
- Goddard, Mr John
- Godfrey, Ruby
- Gollan, Mr Kenneth G
- Goodacre, Mr Cecil
- Goodwin, Mr Arthur
- Gordon, Mr Hector Murray
- Gordon, Sarah
- Gormly, Mr James
- Gottaas, William
- Gould, Mr E T
- Grant, Albert
- Green, William
- Greenlees, Mr Gavin
- Greentree, Frederick A.
- Grey, Henry Pierce
- Griffin, Mr Frederick W.
- Griffiths, Miss Nora
- Grigg, Mr Ernest
- Grigg, Mr John
- Grogan, Mr Michael J.
- Grovenor, Mr Frederick
- Guerney, Mr Samuel
- Gullen, Miss N.
- Gunnell, Mr John
H
- Hagan, Ms Eva Penelope
- Haines, Mr Graham
- Haines, Mr William C
- Halloran, Mr Neil
- Halpin, John
- Hamilton, William
- Hammond, Joseph
- Hanley, Mr Arthur
- Hannan, Mr Matthew
- Hannon, Miss Mary
- Hanscombe, Samuel
- Hardinge, King
- Harmer (nee Wallbank), Mrs Winifred Mary
- Harpley, Mr James L
- Harris, Raymond
- Harvey, Mr Robert T
- Hathaway, Alexander D.
- Hayden, Julia Mary
- Hayley, Miss Ruth
- Hayter, Mr Reuben
- Heard, Mr Samuel
- Heazlett, Mr James
- Heazlett, Mr Rupert C.
- Hedberg, Mr J A
- Herbert, Ms Elsie V
- Hickey, Thomas
- Hickson, Mr Joseph
- Higgins, Mr E D
- Higgins, Reginald
- Hilder, Florence
- Hill, Beryl
- Hill, Elizabeth
- Hill, Mary Hannah
- Hill (nee Ryan), Mrs Mary Ann
- Hinde, Mr James
- Hobart, Mr Richard
- Hobson, Ainslie
- Hockey, Mr Herbert
- Hogan, Catherine ('Katie')
- Hogan, Mr Denis
- Hogan, Mr Philip
- Hogg, Mr Keith
- Hogg, Mr Lance
- Hogg, Stuart M.
- Holland, Mr William T
- Holmes, Mr George Henry
- Hopman, Mr John H
- Houtson, Gertrude
- Howard, Mr Joseph Percy Harris
- Howarth, Mr Percy S D
- Hubert, Mr Richard
- Hudson, Mary
- Hughes, Mr Percy
- Hunt, Mr Neil
- Hunter, Constance
- Hutchinson, Miss Ethelwyn
I
J
- Jackson, Edward Mandeville
- Jacob, Mr John
- James, Bertie
- Jamieson, Grace C G
- Jamieson, Robert George
- Jennings, Alexander
- Jensen, Mr W H
- Jobson, Mr Edwin
- Johns, William Laurence
- Johnson, Bertha
- Johnson, Mr H
- Johnson, Kate A.
- Johnstone, Mabel
- Johnstone, Mr William H
- Jones, Allan
- Jones, Bridget
- Jones, David Samuel
- Jones, Mr George
- Jones, Hannah
K
- Kate, Ahern
- Kealman, Isabel
- Keeling, Gray
- Kellet, Mr Sydney
- Kellett, Elizabeth
- Kelly, Mr Joseph
- Kelly, Thomas
- Kelly, Mr Victor
- Kemp, George Henry
- Kennedy, Michael
- Kennedy, Mr Thomas H.
- Keys, Mr Edward
- Kiernan, Mr Patrick
- Kilby, James Kinloch
- Kilgour, Agnes
- King, Hardinge
- King, Miss L M
- King, Mr Samuel
- Kingsell, Mr Frank
- Kingsland, Mr James
- Knoblanche, Henry John
- Krauss, Emma Harriet
- Kreiger, Mr Charles H
L
- Laing, Mr John
- Laird, Jessie
- Lake, Mr Herbert A.
- Lake, Mr Thomas A.
- Landon, Henry Osborne
- Lane, Mr Alfred Oram
- Larbalestier, P C
- Larkin, Bessie
- Laws, Edgar H.
- Lee, Mr Amos J
- Lee, Violet
- Leggatt, Ella E
- Lenehan, Mr George
- Leslie, Mr Frank
- Lewis, Mr Errington
- Lewis, Mr Roy
- Lindbeck, Sarah
- Ling, Mr George E A
- Lojdstrom, Hilda
- Longworth, Jonathon
- Loomes, Bertha Agnes
- Loughlin, Elizabeth
- Loveock, Mr Lancelot
- Lowden, Mr Lindsay
- Lowe, Mr James Francis
- Lowe, R.
- Luff, Francis Phillips
- Lynch, Mr Edward
- Lynch, Reginald
- Lyons, Mr Laurice
M
- Mackey, William
- Madden, Mr John D
- Madigan (Mrs Roberts), Mary Ellen
- Maguire, Edward
- Malone, Mary
- Maloney, Martha
- Maloney, W H
- Mangan, Mary E.
- Mansfield, Mr Charles
- Mardardy, Ellen
- Margrie, Mr Henry William
- Margules, Mr E.
- Marks, Mr Arthur
- Marshall, Mr Sidney Gordon
- Martin, Mr George R
- Mason, Mr John D
- Mayne, Mrs Emma
- McAlister, Clement M.A.
- McAlister, Mrs Rosanna
- McAlister, Sylvester William
- McCaulay, Ms Maragaret Christina
- McClellan, Mr Charles G.
- McClung, Alice
- McCook, Amy
- McCoy, Mr Charles William
- McCurley, Thomas A.
- McCutcheon, Mr James William
- McDonald, Duncan
- McDonald, James
- McDonald, John H.
- McDonald, Kate
- McDonald, Mr Martin Livingstone 'Thomas'
- McDonald, Mary
- McDonnell, Donald
- McGee, Francis
- McGrath, Bridget
- McGrath, Mr Charles
- McGrath, Margaret
- McGrath, Mr Mark Ernest
- McIntosh, Mr E
- McKelligan, Mr Neil
- McKinnon, Mr John
- McLaughlin, Mr Ernest
- McLaughlin, Mr P.G.
- McManus, Ellen ('Nellie')
- McManus (Mrs Ryan), Mary Ursula
- McMartin, Samuel
- McNamara, Miss B.
- McPaul, Mr Thomas
- McPhail, Mr Francis (Frank) Lowe
- McPhail, Mr Samuel
- McPhee, Mr Hugh
- McShane, Charles
- McShane, James J.
- Meldrum, James
- Melvin, Stanley Herbert
- Middleton, Malcolm Sydney
- Millard, Sarah Jane
- Mills, Mr Alfred L.
- Milne, Mr George
- Minchin, Arthur
- Mockett, Edith
- Montgomery, Mr Matthew
- Moon, Miss Ethel Maud
- Moore, Mr George
- Moore, Julia
- Morgan, Mr Balfour
- Morgan, Bridget
- Morrisett, Carl E.
- Morrrow, Maggie
- Moxham, Mr Kenneth
- Muir, Mr Alex
- Murphy, B.C.
- Murray, Catherine
- Murray, Mr Rowland C.
- Myers, Margaret
N
- Nash, Mr George
- Nash, Mr Mervyn R
- Naughton, Eliza M A
- Naughton, Frances
- Neil, Mr Wilfred
- Neville, Bridget
- Nicholls, Mr Max
- Nickson, Joseph
- Nolan, Mr D'Arcy
- Nolan, Mary Clare
- Nosworthy, Elizabeth
- Noyes, Miss Ruby R
O
- O'Brien, Mr John F.
- O'Connell, Mr Michael
- O'Connor, Bedelia
- O'Connor, Mr Stanley M
- O'Donnell, Mary Ann
- O'Donovan, Nano
- O'Dwyer, John
- O'Neill, Mr Alwyn V
- O'Neill, Mr Denis
- O'Neill, Isabella Ann
- O'Reilly, Mr John
- O'Rourke, Michael
- Osborne [Martin], Mrs Phyllis Edna May
- O'Sullivan, Mr John
- O'Sullivan, Richard George Matthew
P
- Parks, Mr William
- Passmore, Mr Arthur
- Paterson [nee Brennan], Mrs Bridget
- Paterson [nee Cameron], Mrs Frances Jane
- Patten, Mr R
- Peacock, James
- Peck, Mr Henry
- Pembroke, Mr Masson
- Pender, Mrs Agnes Rachel Mary
- Percival, Reginald
- Pettingell, Alice
- Pickering, Charles Harper
- Pidgeon, Mr Percival Joseph Fernance
- Pinn, Alan P.
- Plumb, Mr Samuel Elphinstone
- Porter, Kenneth
- Pratt, Irene
- Pryke, Vera
Q
R
- Ransley, Mr Thomas
- Ray, Thomas
- Read, Mr George
- Reardon, Mr James
- Reay, Laurel (Monica)
- Reece, H.H.
- Reid, Mr John Arthur
- Rex, Richard
- Reynolds, Rose A
- Ricard, Pat
- Richards, Michael
- Richardson, Mary
- Ridge, William George Richard
- Ridley, Mr James
- Roberts, Edward J.
- Roberts, Mr Fred
- Roberts, Mr William Henry
- Robertson, Donald
- Robinson, Richard
- Roche, Bridget
- Rogers, Stuart
- Rolfe, William Joseph
- Roseby, Mr Samuel
- Rouse, Amy
- Rowlands, Les
- Rudd, Mr Frederick
- Russell, Mr Henry
- Ryan, Leslie W.
- Ryan, Margaret A
S
- Sackett, Ada Annie
- Salter, Miss Violet M.
- Sangster, G.F.
- Scannell, John
- Scott, Walter
- Selden, Mr Clarence N
- Sexton, Margaret
- Shanahan, Mr John
- Shannon, Louis J.
- Shaw, Mr Charles
- Shaw, Sydney
- Sheedy, Mrs Jessie
- Sheedy (McTavish), Mrs Jessie
- Sherwin, Mr Charles
- Shreeves, Mr Walter
- Shuback, Mr William
- Shumack, Edward H.
- Shumack, John A.
- Simpson, Mr A
- Skewes, Mr Thomas
- Slatterie, Mr A.J.
- Small, Stanley
- Smith, Fannie
- Smith, Flora (Florence) Ann McDonald
- Smith, Grace
- Smith, John James
- Smith, Margaret
- Southwell, Albert Clive
- Southwell, Alfred Dawson
- Southwell [Hazell], Mrs Ada E.
- Spalding, George
- Spaull, Mr George
- Stafford, Catherine
- Stanton, Mr Norman
- Steeper, Elsie
- Stennett, Mr Cyril Alfred Gordon
- Stephens, Trevor
- Stilwell, Alfred
- Stoyles, Mr H G
- Stutchbury, Mr George
- Sullivan, Mary
- Sullivan (Mrs Glennan), Margaret
- Swanson, Mr William
- Synnott, James
T
- Taber, Hilary
- Taylor, Mr Stanley
- Teece, Nellie
- Templeton, Mr Edward
- Tester, Ms Grace Emily
- Tevlin, Mr John Joseph
- Thomas, Mr Ambrose
- Thomas, Mary
- Thomas, Mr Ross D
- Thompson, Mr Charles William
- Thompson, Mr J
- Thompson, William
- Triglone, Harry
- Trotter, Alexander (Thomas)
- Troy, Mr Cornelius
- Try, Mr John F.
- Tully, Julia
- Turnbull, Robert
- Turton, Annie Emma Dora
V
v
V
W
- Wain, Mr Albert
- Wainwright, Humphrey
- Walmsley, Andrew
- Walsh, Katy
- Walsh, Mr Leonard
- Waples, Mr Arthur J
- Ward, Bernadine
- Ward, Laurie
- Warren, Mr Hubert E.
- Watson, A
- Wayne, Mr Philip C
- Weatherstone, Mr William ('Bill')
- Webster, Robina
- Weissel, Mr Edward T.
- West, Gerald J.
- Westacott, Ethel
- Weston, Mr Ernest ('Ernie')
- Wheatley, Mr Alexander
- Wheatley, Amy
- White, Mr James Erskine Conwell
- White, Mary
- Whitely, Mr Herbert
- Whiteoak, Alfred
- Whitford, Dorothy
- Whiting, Virgil
- Wigg, Nellie
- Wightman, Mr James
- Wilkins, Mr Alfred K
- Willard, Mr Henry
- Williams, Mr Albert E.
- Williams, Mr Arvon
- Williams, Edgar George
- Williams, Mr James
- Williams (nee Whyte), Mrs Elizabeth ('Lizzie')
- Wilson, Eliza
- Wilson, Mr Harry
- Withers, Mr Frank
- Wood, Mr Alfred
- Wood, J.D,
- Woodbridge, Mary
- Woodhouse, Mr Robert
- Wright, Andrew Douglas
Y
If you are able to assist our work of identifying, documenting, and celebrating the early bush schools and teachers of the Canberra region, please contact us or send us an email to