St Joseph's School building

St Joseph’s School building

The original St Joseph's school building in Barraba. This was a dual purpose building of three classrooms with partitions that were removed for its use as a Catholic church when needed. I always thought that this building pre-dated St. John's church adjoining it. 

St. John's church was built in 1905 and the Sisters of St. Joseph Convent was built in 1910 so I am uncertain of what teachers ran the school initially. 

My mother Ebbe Iliffe who came from Upper Manilla actually boarded at the Convent here in the 1910s, one of several boarders before she had to return to Upper Manilla to drag her youngest brother to school there. 

This school building is essential unchanged with the classroom at the eastern water-tank end being Kinder with 1st & 2nd classes. The middle room was 3rd & 4th classes and the Fitzroy St end for the old people in 5th & 6th classes.

In 1941 my mate Des Kelaher started school here and I was pretty well lost as my brother Terry was too young to wander the countryside with me. I overcame this by climbing the fence and placing myself in Kindergarten where I was given a slate and stylus and started on a career of scratching Pot-hooks on the slate. Not the most exciting part of my education but not too bad as when I got bored I took myself home again. I did have to repeat Kinder in 1942 and no going home when I felt like it.

I have no memory of who the nun was who taught us those years but she was obviously a very tolerant woman.

We got an excellent education at St Joseph's and were well prepared for high school.

Posted by Brian Coote.