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Chance to travel back in time to a classroom of the 1880s

September 22, 2006

EdMus.thumb.jpgThe University of New England’s Museum of Education, in Kentucky Street, Armidale (near the New England Regional Art Museum) celebrates its 50th birthday this year. It will mark the anniversary with an Open Day on Saturday 23 September – part of Armidale’s contribution to the State-wide celebration of History Week (16-24 September). The museum will be open between 12 noon and 4 pm.

The Museum of Education opened on 26 September 1956 and was one of the first museums in Australia to be created in the folk tradition.

Development of the museum began in 1949, when Eric Dunlop, a lecturer at Armidale Teachers’ College, began lobbying for a building to be set up as a museum to cater to school groups and tourists, and as a research centre to house a collection of materials on educational practice and facilities for the use of students at the Teachers’ College. His plan was reinforced by a tour of museums in Britain and Scandinavia, which inspired him to create “something new in Australian museum history”.

Although initially not wholly supporting the proposal, the Director-General of Education agreed to send a circular to District Inspectors asking them to identify any items that might be included in a collection of historic educational material. In late July 1950 Dr G.W. Bassett, then Principal of the College, was sent a summary of the inspectors’ replies. Eric Dunlop was asked to comment on the list, and he ticked items of interest: an abacus, a punishment book, slates, cadet dummy rifles and a visitors’ book. It was the response of the newly appointed Inspector of the Inverell District, L.H. Mitchell, however, that caught his eye: it referred to “the existence, in reasonable order, of a bee-hive building at the Pallamallawa School”. By August 1956 the bee-hive school from Pallamallawa (near Moree) had been transported to Armidale and fitted out as a typical small school of the 1880s.

“Little has changed in the Pallamallawa School,” explained Dr Nicole McLennan, the University Curator. “Children and nostalgic adults still come to take a trip back in time to the schoolroom of the 1880s with the ubiquitous cane, inkwells and copybooks; in this museum building there are no computers or other high-tech gadgets. Indeed, over time the Pallamallawa School has become a museum of museum practice.”

”At the Open Day we welcome all members of the public to join us for coffee, a slice of birthday cake, some storytelling and a tour of the museum,” Dr McLennan continued. “We are particularly keen to hear (and record) the stories of anyone who attended the Pallamallawa and Dumaresq schools, and to hear the memories of those who visited or worked in the museum in its early years. By sharing your stories you can help bring the museum to life.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Eric Dunlop's recreation of a bush schoolroom in the Museum of Education. (University of New England & Regional Archives.)

Posted by Jim Scanlan at September 22, 2006 01:33 PM