Kialla School



The Kialla settlement is on, and to the south east of the dividing Range some 3,000 feet up on the Central Southern Tablelands of NSW. Crookwell lies 6 miles to the north west and Goulburn is 24 miles to the south east. Sydney can be reached through Goulburn via the Hume Highway in about 160 miles. The word “Kialla” comes from the Aboriginal language and means “The Home of Demon Spirits.”





Kialla Schoolhouse

[One of the] earliest settlers to take up land at Kialla was Thomas Hayward who selected two blocks of 40 acres and a portion of 100 acres adjoining these in 1864 [near the junction of Kialla and Pejar Roads]. The school site of two acres, measured in November 1871, originally formed a part of Hayward’s portion 76. The school site was dedicated 14th February, 1873. On the opposite side of the road to the Public School, John Gibson took up an area also in 1864, of 320 acres situated at the head of the Kialla Creek. Other early settlers at Kialla in later years included the Kennedys, the Prices, the smiths, Charles George, William and Charles Lane, James Gillespie, the Churchills, the Adams, Gay, McPaul and Hills group and the Keith and Mouatt group.

The Half Time Schools of Crookwell and Gullen, [“Gullen” being situated about two miles south of Kialla Public School of today at the junction of Grabben Gullen, Goulburn and Crookwell roads], opened on 1st April 1869 in a large and rather shabby hut at Gullen and in the St Mark’s Church, Crookwell. Less than 3 months later the teacher was dismissed from the service because of his insobriety. The new teacher was Mr Hadding King.

The parents were anxious that Gullen School be raised to full Public School status. Mr James Gillespie, secretary of the local board, wrote in October 1869: “There are 29 children attending and if it was a Full Time Public School, there would be many more.” At the close of 1870 a new teacher Mr Hugh MacPhee was appointed. He was 63 at the time of his appointment. He does not appear to have kept good health during his years at Gullen.

On 1st February 1871, Gullen received full Public School status and Crookwell was closed. Inspector McIntyre’s visit found 40 children enrolled. In 1871 a local committee consisting of John Gibson, William Kennedy, Thomas Hayward and Andrew Price, decided to apply for aid to build a permanent school building.

After the committee had chosen a school site, the Lands Department in February 1872 approved their two acre selection, part of Thomas Hayward’s conditional purchase. The land was said to be central to the population, sufficiently elevated to be central, to be out of flood reach, and while the soil was considered to be clayey it was well drained. Plans went ahead for the building of the school but apparently not quickly enough.

The new school was finally completed late in 1873. Benjamin Francis and Thomas Dearlings contracted the work for $250. It was made of local rubble stone with stringy bark timber work. The building, 36 feet by 16 feet high contained one large school room and a small classroom and it was meant to accommodate 60 pupils. A teacher’s residence was not built because the local people could not afford the cost.

Source: Kialla Public School: A Century of Education 1869-1969
Photo courtesy Julie Appleton (Mona Vale, 2011)


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