Kids at School

Last week I wrote about the establishment of Winiam State School 2530, where many of my relatives started and completed their education.  This week, I showcase more of the children who attended the school.

How did you get to school?  Walk?  By Bus? Car? Horse?

Norma Rowe, Mavis Pilgrim, Rita Moulden, Dorrie Pilgrim & Marge Moulden on Ernie the Horse
Going to School - Winiam, Victoria

My Grand Aunt, Mavis Pilgrim, wrote me:

"Uncle Stanley had two grey horses which they rode and Rita (Marge's sister who was the oldest) and Marge would ride to our top gate as we called it; then Dorrie and I would walk up our lane and Rita would get the horse near a post and we would get on and the four of us would go to school like that.   Uncle Stanley said to just walk the horse but when we got over the hill Rita would make him canter.   Sometimes they would ride the other horse which was a bit more sprightly and Marge was always on the back and would put her toes under its flank and it would buck;   but thankfully we didn't fall off.  I sat in front of Rita, Dorrie behind her and Marge on the rump".   

Pilgrim children - 1924 Winiam
Lloyd aka John, Hazel, Edna & Eva (my grandmother) 

My grandmother, Eva Scott (nee Pilgrim) wrote me:

"I boarded with Aunty Alice while going to High School and had visions of being a teacher, but Mum was going through change of life and when she went down with measles, I had to go home at 14.  I only had 6 years of schooling, as we lived over 3 miles from the school.  At first we had to walk.  They kept me home till I was 8 and John was 6.  Then he (dad) bought a pony for us and we got boils in summer from horse sweat, as we rode bareback.  So then he bought a flap, big enough for 2, but quite flat, with stirrups and we didn't get so many busters.  Old Trix was very quiet, but would shy at anything different, even a piece of paper on the road. One day Miss Darker, our teacher,  came around the dunny – as they were always known then - and Trix lashed out and broke a button on her cardi.  Dad reckoned Trix must have been asleep and got a fright.  After that we had to put her in a small yard at Uncle Ned Pilgrim’s – a bit further on. 
One day one of the neighbors went by on his tractor and Trix jumped out and went home.  She always went home if we fell off.  While at High, I always went home for week ends and often got a ride back with the minister on Sunday.  If not I rode Trix in Monday morning – 10 miles.  Tied the reins up and let her go."

22 March 1928
Winiam Sports Day
Fred Voigt walked into photo

September 1937 - Winiam State School
(I believe it is my grandmother on the horse on the far left)

Play time
Winiam State School

Notice the shelter shed in the background below.  Last weeks post listed it as being built in 1910, while the main school building was built in 1886.

Play time
Winiam State School

What games did you play at School?
I remember my favourites were:
Tree Climbing
Basketball
Skipping Rope (rhyming team games)
Hop Scotch
Elastics
Monkey Bars and Ropes
Water fights in Summer

Skip over to Sepia Saturday for more posts

Winiam State School (number 2530) 1886 to 1959

Source:  http://trove.nla.gov.au/

As the number of children in the rural community of Winiam began to increase, concerned parents gathered to discuss the formation of a primary school for their children.

They were advised by the inspector of schools to build a school in a central location and the department would send a teacher to take charge of it.

My Great Great Grandfather, James Pilgrim, was one of the parents who formed this initial committee.

James showed generosity and conviction when he donated an acre of land (which adjoined his property but was in his eldest daughters name) to enable a school to be built.  

Source: http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/

1886 Map showing one acre subdivided for new Winiam State School
Source: www.slv.vic.gov.au

The school was opened by July 1886, when the school was listed as being an official polling place for the Winiam community.

Winiam Primary School - circa 1906

Back; Arthur Schultz, Frank Steer, John Steer, Clarrie Wohlers, Victoria Gniel, Hilda Fiegert, Elsie Wohlers, Florence Weir
 Centre: Edward Gneil, Roy Weir, Harry Triplett, Henry Westendorf , Ethel Weir, Gladys Weir, Nell Miles, Edie Schultz
 Front:  Garn Weir, Arthur Steer ,Perce Pilgirm, Linda Pilgrim, Irene Fiegert, Mabel Shurdington, Ollie Oldfield, Vera Wohlers
Teacher: Miss Fanny Box

My grandmother, Eva Pilgrim, was 8 years old when she first attended Winiam State School in 1918.

Winiam State School 2530

1932 - Winiam State School

Teacher - Lil Muller at back.  Left to Right: Melva Voight, Mary Pilgrim, Coral Wolhers, Una Voight, Lin Wohlers, Edna Pilgrim, Bill Pilgrim, Marj Moulden , Gordon Pilgrim, Rita Moulden, Howard Wolhers and Hazel Pilgrim

Local papers have revealed the following;

1886	Polling Place
1893	Winiam State School closed for 3 weeks by order of health office as measles had broken out
1898	Miss Ethel Young appointed sewing teacher
1899	Mr W Jackson appointed, temporarily, to the charge of Winiam State School
1901	Head Teacher Walter Tranter transferred to Wangaratta after 10 years
1905	Mr HF Dunn, Master
1906	Miss Fanny Box teacher
1910	Shelter Shed erection contract granted
1911	Head teacher, Mr BT Kerr - New education Act regulates appointment of school committee James Pilgrim senior was one of those nominated.
1912	Mr RT Kerr, been in charge for 3 years transferred to the metropolis
1913	Miss P Berryman, a popular teacher transferred to Hopetoun West
1916	Miss B Barnes was school teacher (notice of brother killed in war)
1917	Miss Brown appointed head teacher, in succession to Miss Barnes, who transferred to Gippsland
1926	Miss Darker presented with a marble clock set, she had been a teacher for 4 years
1933	Miss L Muller ceased teaching as getting married
1938	Miss Scott, head teacher, transferred to Geelong district

Next week, I shall include photos of children playing at Winiam State School.

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Smokers

Uncle Don died of throat cancer in 2003, undoubtedly caused by smoking.

The photo below was taken in 1953 when Uncle Don was participating in National Service with the RAAF at Laverton, Victoria.  I think Uncle Don looks very dashing in his uniform.  

Don Scott
Laverton
1953

Don Scott
Kangaroo Flat
1972

I have written more about my grandfather previously.  I don't remember him smoking but maybe because Mum and Dad both smoked, I didn't really notice?

Gordon Walker
Manns Beach

Mum, Nanna & Granddad
Quambatook
1967

The photo below was shown in a prior post also.

Norm Schnaars, Agnes Schnaars (nee Scott) and Walter Scott
Waterfall Gully Road, Burnside, South Australia

Click to see more Smoking related posts.

Z is for Zummary

When it comes to genealogy research, there is no "Z".  Family History research never ends.  There is always someone else or something else to research.

In my final post in the A-Z challenge, I have 'cheated' with my final post, which is a zummary of my posts over the past month;

A - Ancestry.com (the highest number of views)

B - Births Deaths and Marriages

C - Cyndi's List

D - Defense Records (Australia)

E - eBay - purchasing a memory (my second favourite post)

F - Family Search (my most used website for family history research)

G - Google Alerts

H - Historical Societies

I - Immigration records

J - Jargon

K - Knowledge (improving genealogy knowledge)

L - Letters

M - Memories

N - National Library of Australia

O - Old Bailey Online

P - Public Record Office Victoria

Q - Quintessential Genealogy Tips

R - Ryerson Index and RootsWeb

S - Scotlands People

T - Trove is Terrific

U - UKBDM and Unlock the Past

V - Victims of War (my personal favourite post)

W - Wills & Probate Records

X - eXchange rates and values

Y - You Tube

Z - Zummary

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You Tube

So what has You Tube got to do with genealogy research?

Do a search on Genealogy or Family History Research on You Tube and you will find that there are pages and pages of videos with hints and tips for your to view.

Even more specific searches will reap results eg. Genealogy Brickwalls, Pennsylvania Birth Records, Recording Family History etc etc etc.

If you want to know something, you will find it on You Tube.  Just be wary of the date.  A lot of the information doesn't go out of date and remains relevant but then again some things change so take this into consideration when viewing older videos.

Click to see more Y posts