Historical Society Shenstone School

Shenstone  School

Shenstone Public School was situated 37 miles from Barraba on the Bundarra Road at the cross road that leads to Gulf Creek and Cobbadah.  It had been dismantled and brought from Black Springs and re-erected in 1933 by the people in the area, namely J. T. Frost, Walter Faint, Arnold Frost, V. G. Frost and Les Manuel.  They were assisted in the re-erection by a Barraba builder named Neil Douglas.
It opened with an enrolment of approximately 17 pupils and this number varied through the years.  Previous to this a Subsidised School was held in an old hut at the original “Shenstone” house several miles down the Barraba Road and the first teacher was the late Mr Roy Young and then Gertrude Thomas.  When the real school opened subsequent teachers were Reg Stacey, Bob Hammond, Mervyn Pryor and Thelma Hodges.  Most of these teachers boarded with the local families and sometimes walked several miles to work each day.  Some of them were on their first post out of college and were not much older than their oldest pupils.  Although the school was a primary school, secondary lessons were received by post from the Correspondence School.
Several Shenstone old boys served in the 2^nd World War and one, John Manuel, lost his life in training in the Air Force in Canada.
One of the first Arbour Day efforts was the purchase and planting of trees around the school grounds.  Some of the trees are still alive now and the name plates of the donor and planter are still to be found of others which died.  A large Pinus Insignus and an Oleander with a couple of Silky Oaks remain to mark the spot.
After the school closed, tenders were called for the demolition and removal of the building.  The late Mr Val Frost was the successful tender, and it was re-erected at his property “Winston” for use as rural quarters where the remnants are still standing.