Past and present staff, teachers and students are invited to attend and open day and celebrations to mark the occasion starting at 10am.

The day will start with a school assembly followed by students taking part in historic school activities and games throughout the day.

The students will continue to rotate through a variety of activities including Maypole demonstrations, square dancing, hopscotch, vigaro and many more.

Students, families and visitors are encouraged to dress in a costume from the 1850’s.

The school library will have a display of historic school memorabilia and there will be free tea and coffee for visitors.

Principal, Jenny Rozynski said “We would appreciate any members of the community who have memorabilia from their days at Cessnock Public School, lending us their memories for display.”

People wanting more detail about the celebrations can phone the school on 4990 1652.

Celebrations will still go ahead if it rains, the organisation on the day will just look a little different.

EARLY DAYS

A formal application for the establishment of a National, or Public school at Cessnock was sent to the Board of National Education in September 1858.

It was proposed that two front rooms of a house owned by Jess Rose should be rented as a schoolroom. The building was of slabs, with a brick floor and a bark roof. The size of the two rooms combined was 30’ x 13’.

Mr. W. McIntyre, the Organising Master for National schools in the Northern section of the colony, reported that the nearest public school was at Ellalong and the neatest post town was Millfield. “The settlers,” he added, “are chiefly farmers, poor hardworking men, but the greater number are free-holders.”

Approval for the school to be established was given, but there was some delay in securing a teacher.

Finally the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Laurence Kenny, an Irishman born in County Clare. Mr. Kenny, who was 45 years old, had a family of nine children.

A letter dated April 9, 1859 reports that he would open the school on Monday, April 11, but there is no evidence that Mr. Kenny did so. On July 9, 1859, however, Mr. Kenny himself wrote to the Secretary of the Board of National Education to say that he had obtained some school furniture from Morpeth and that he had been teaching at Cessnock since June 24, 1859. He also reported that the residents of Cessnock and Pokolbin could raise 30 pounds or 40 pounds towards the costs of a schoolhouse.