An important piece of Cessnock Public School’s history has been restored to its former glory.
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The school’s original bell – believed to be more than 150 years old – has been refurbished as part of the P&C’s playground upgrade initiative.
School parent Michael Harrison discovered that underneath many layers of paint, including lead paint, there was a beautiful piece of the school’s history.
He used the bracket that the bell was attached to, cleaned it and repaired it, welded it to a new pole, then customised the fittings and the bell to fit securely.
With a new coat of paint and cemented into a special spot, the bell is now something that can be used as part of school ceremonies.
It takes pride of place in a section of the school grounds beside the national, state and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
While school now commences to the sound of popular songs transported through fibre-optic cable to a computerised bell and alarm system, the old bell can be used in the case of a black-out (like the one that happened during the November 6 storm).
The school’s 2016 P&C received funding from ClubGrants NSW via East Cessnock Bowling Club for the playground project, which also included the installation of three beautiful wooden picnic tables and a garden/outdoor learning area, and the refurbishment of the primary school soccer field.
A whole school automated watering system was discovered and made operational again.
The 2016 P&C president Heidy Vasilis said this was a significant project and collaboration between the parents, school and community grants benefactor East Cessnock Bowling Club.
“The results from these upgrades including the resurrected irrigation system as a consequence from our work will benefit all students of Cessnock Public School for many years to come,” Ms Vasilis said.
Club Grants funding is made available by clubs that earn over $1 million annually in gaming machine revenue.
In the Cessnock area, a committee of representatives from participating clubs works with Cessnock City Council to administer the grants.
For more information about how to apply, visit clubsnsw.com.au.