page_title: Toodyay Valley School
hierarchical_section_title: Toodyay Valley School
caption_attribution_description: English: Fitzgerald Terrace, West Toodyay, Western Australia and the gully created by the local stream crossing over it in 2015.
context_page_description: The Toodyay Valley School was the first government school in Toodyay. It opened on 1 October 1855 with 55 children enrolled. Boarders were received on moderate terms.
  Other attempts had been made to establish a school in the town of Toodyay. Lot R19 was set aside for school purposes. A Sunday school was established, where Mrs Harper, Mrs Lukin, Mrs Clarkson and her daughter gave instruction. However, none were successful.
  When the opportunity arose to set up a government school in Toodyay, a meeting was organised to take place at the Royal Oak on 10 June 1853. The meeting was informed that the Government was offering a sum of 250 pounds to any district wishing to build a school house. All plans needed to be submitted for approval. To qualify for the grant, a special committee had to be formed and approved by the General Board of Education. No fewer than three members should serve on the committee, their principal duties being to ensure that the school was run according to the rules drawn up by the General Board of Education. The community was also expected to raise 300 pounds towards funding the school.
context_section_description: The Toodyay Valley School was the first government school in Toodyay. It opened on 1 October 1855 with 55 children enrolled. Boarders were received on moderate terms.
  Other attempts had been made to establish a school in the town of Toodyay. Lot R19 was set aside for school purposes. A Sunday school was established, where Mrs Harper, Mrs Lukin, Mrs Clarkson and her daughter gave instruction. However, none were successful. 
  When the opportunity arose to set up a government school in Toodyay, a meeting was organised to take place at the Royal Oak on 10 June 1853. The meeting was informed that the Government was offering a sum of 250 pounds to any district wishing to build a school house. All plans needed to be submitted for approval. To qualify for the grant, a special committee had to be formed and approved by the General Board of Education. No fewer than three members should serve on the committee, their principal duties being to ensure that the school was run according to the rules drawn up by the General Board of Education. The community was also expected to raise 300 pounds towards funding the school. The Toodyay School Committee subsequently formed, consisted of the resident magistrate Joseph Strelley Harris, Anglican minister Charles Harper, Samuel Phillips and James Drummond Junior. 
  Because the local community was expected to contribute a reasonable amount to its cost, a further committee was formed to organize the necessary fund raising. The Toodyay committee was an active one and very quickly raised the 300 pounds needed for the community's share of expenses. 
  Plans were drawn up and the site chosen. The committee gained approval to build the outer walls of pug. The school building was planned to contain four good-sized rooms at the front, all shaded by a verandah. To the rear were four smaller rooms in the form of a lean-to. Flooring would be weatherboard.
  The site chosen was lot R45, owned by Alexander Warren, who had generously donated the use of the land to the school. The Board of Education later introduced a rule stipulating that the land on which a school stood could not be sold for other purposes unless and until it had been specifically released. 
  In November 1854, Mrs Drummond laid the foundation stone for the new school. The ceremony took place at one o'clock and nearly 300 people celebrated with a very large afternoon tea. Many sat on the grassy slopes of the Toodyay Gaol as they viewed proceedings. Further fundraising efforts would follow, including a monster tea party and a two day fete to be held on 25 January 1855. Five hundred people were expected to attend. 
  The school was opened on 1 October 1855, once a teacher had been found. Apart from establishing a building, the chief obstacle in running a school had been the inability to procure a fit and proper teacher. Ticket-of-leave men of good repute often filled the role as schoolmasters. The School Committee thought itself fortunate indeed in obtaining the services of Alfred Grey, a schoolmaster who seemed well qualified. He claimed to have the ability to offer his pupils a good English and classical education which included Greek, Latin, geography, arithmetic, geometry, sciences, writing and drawing. 
  However, Grey proved to be an imposter. In 1856 he was dismissed and the school was closed for a short period of time. 
  In February 1857, Joseph Wylde took up the position of schoolmaster at a salary of forty pounds per annum. The stipend paid by the Government varied according to the number of pupils attending each month. His pupils numbered five boys and seven girls. A weekly fee was also paid by the parents of pupils. However, children of the poor or destitute were admitted free of charge. Books were supplied by the local government and sold to the pupils at cost price. Examinations were held regularly. 
  School began at nine o'clock, with a lunch break from twelve until one o'clock. The day finished at three-thirty. Two vacations per year were granted, one about 21 June and the other at Christmas. Good Friday, Christmas Day, the Queen's birthday 
caption: Fitzgerald Terrace and the gully created by the stream crossing over it, 2015
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