Reeves Plains School
| Type of organisation: | Government
|
| Town or locality: | Reeves Plains |
| Date established: | 1867
|
| Business or purpose: | Education |
Opening of the Reeves Plains School October 15th 1867 (Excerpt from the South Australian Weekly Chronicle Saturday 22nd October 1867)
“The ceremony of opening the new school at Reeves Plains took place on Tuesday October 15th. The day was a boisterous one with a heavy wind blowing all day and giving every indication of more rain. However with the exception of a light shower, which was enough to make the roads (which are in a fearsome condition) almost impassable, the day was a favourable one.
The building is very substantial and well finished, containing a family residence for the schoolmaster and the spacious school room calculated to hold from 150 to 200 students. It is built of stone with brick quoins and ornamental coping. It cost 434 pounds 3 shillings and 5 pence.
It is situated on a part of Mr W. Smith’s section, that gentleman having generously given an acre of land for the purpose. The grounds on the occasion were beautifully decorated with pines, and over the gate way and arch with the inscription “Welcome” curiously woven with flowers. They reflected great credit on the ladies for their perseverance and taste. At the public meeting held in the evening and presided over by Mr Cordon it was revealed by Mr Masters that the total cost of the building, furniture, maps etc, was 469 pounds 8 shillings and 5 pence.
The chairman called upon Mr Gibson of Kapunda to give the lecture and then the Red Banks choir sang three anthems. A vote of thanks was tendered and the meeting closed at 10.30 pm.” '
'Land for both the school and church was acquired from William Smith who was an original landholder having been allotted the section 89 Hundred of Port Gawler on 7 March 1859. One acre of land was purchased for the building of the school on 2 July 1866.
The first teacher was Mr Adams. Others to follow were Mr Allport, Mr Small, Miss Ryan, Mrs Rudall and Mr Fitzgerald.
The school closed in 1967 when a school bus service was commenced to take the children to Mallala Primary School.
The school building is still standing and is one of the very few original buildings still in existence in the district. The building is used as a private residence in 2009.
| Teacher | First Name | Date commenced | note | Arrived from | Date Departed | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | Thomas | 1867 | 1872 | |||
| Mitchell | William | 1872 | 1873 | |||
| Gilmore | Robert C. | 1874 | 1875 | |||
| Allport | Henry | 1876 | 1878 | |||
| Ryan | Annie G. | 1879 | 1881 | |||
| Small | Samuel | 1879 | ||||
| Rudall | Elizabeth Anna | 01/10/1881 | ||||
| Rudall | Elise Mathilda | 13/04/1885 | ||||
| Fitzgerald | Richard Francis | 04/04/1887 | 1889 | |||
| Fitzgerald | Catherine M. | 04/04/1887 | ||||
| O'Mahoney | Ellen | 06/10/1889 | 1890 | |||
| Upton | John | 12/05/1890 | ||||
| Upton | Louisa Ann | 08/02/1897 | 1902 | |||
| Wynne | Ellen | 7/07/1902 | 1903 | |||
| Annear | Mary Euphemia | 19/01/1903 | 1904 | |||
| Cameron | Annie Josephine | 11/04/1904 | 1905 | |||
| Farrelly | James Joseph | 25/03/1905 | 1912 | |||
| Wright | Margaret | 23/01/1906 | ||||
| Wicks | Margaret | 8/04/1907 | ||||
| Keane | Mary Margaret | 8/03/1909 | LT | |||
| Wicks | Margaret | 12/06/1909 | 1915 | |||
| Shepherd | Jessie Mary | 28/05/1910 | 1915 | |||
| McMamara | Laura M | 18/01/1915 | LT | |||
| Shepherd | Jessie M. | 22/02/1915 | 1915 | |||
| Schmidt | Edwin August | 14/09/1915 | 1919 | |||
| Struch | Gwenda C. | 13/08/1916 | ||||
| Schmidt | Edwin A. | 28/08/1916 | ||||
| Cunningham | Edward Henry | 1/10/1919 | 1924 | |||
| Knight | Beryl M | 1/04/1924 | ||||
| Milner | Frank E | 4/08/1924 | ||||
| Day | Frank S. C. | 4/03/1929 | Robertstown West | 31/12/1930 | Canowie Belt | |
| Congdon | Thomas C | 27/01/1931 | Kulpara | 26/06/1936 | Kingscote | |
| Hussey | Francis L. | 30/06/1936 | Gawler Primary | 31/12/1938 | Farrell Flat | |
| Smith | Clarence | 31/01/1939 | Barossa Goldfields | 31/12/1942 | Gilbert Street | |
| Larwood | John D. | 26/01/1943 | Morella | 21/12/1944 | Mannanarie | |
| Beaton | Francis | 13/02/1945 | AIF Sebastopol | 10/12/1947 | Croydon | |
| Lowe | N. | 24/02/1948 | East Adelaide | 13/09/1948 | Relieving Duties | |
| Tucker | Garnet Ludwig | 14/09/1948 | Eden Hills | 12/05/1950 | Retired 11/05/50 | |
| Webb | Raymond | 23/05/1950 | Poochera | 3/09/1953 | Batchelour NT | |
| Hunter | R. Stewart | 15/09/1953 | Fairview | 31/12/1956 | Parkside Primary | |
| Ridgeway | Brian E. | 12/02/1957 | Lameroo Area School | 31/12/1960 | Thebarton | |
| Richter | Ken G. | 7/02/1961 | Wattle Park Teachers college | 31/12/1964 | Linden Park Demonstration | |
| Tscharke | Geraldine | 9/02/1965 | Wattle Park Teachers college | 26/08/1966 | Angaston |
Sources
- Life around the Light - A history of the Mallala District Council Area
Memories of Reeves Plains School
The Reeves Plains Tennis Club had courts adjacent to the school and in 1962 entered two teams, one in the Lower North Association and the other in Gawler River Association.This continued until 1966 when the club had only one team in the Gawler River Association.
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