The Progress Association lobbied the government for all sorts of infrastructure including roads, jetty at Coffs Harbour, Post Office and a school.  It was agreed in 1890 to establish a school and it was opened in 1891, only five years after the first settlers arrived.  One of the members of the Progress Association, John McLeod, also ran the first Post Office.  His place was named Dunvegan and hence this was the school name although it was not located on his land. 

This caused confusion as the school was used as a polling booth so the residents of Upper Orara, had a post office and hall of the same name, but were on the Dunvegan electoral list. It was many years before the government agreed to change the name.

There was a centenary celebration in 1991 and for this Margaret Hoschke edited the book “From Dunvegan On” which is available at the Coffs Harbour Library and Collections.  From this a list of school teachers up to the 1960’s is:

1891 – Sarah Edwards

1895 – Ruth Barnes,

1896 – Josiah Gettens,

1901 – Ada Grainger,

1909 – Frank Buchan,

1910 – Tom Kerins,

1911 – John Morrissey,

1919 – John Ahern,

1923 – Gilbert Hay,

1925 – George Blakey,

1928 – Leslie Johnson,

1931 – Edward Hinman,

1932 – Ernest Walker,

1940 – John Rankin,

1956 – Robert Peterson.

The school continues to be used and is at the same location. 

Below is an article about the school written in 1950 by George Burling

Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 – 1942; 1946 – 1954), Tuesday 27 June 1950, page 8

EARLY REMINISCENCES – UPPER ORARA SCHOOL

Some interesting reminiscences regarding the early history, of the Upper Orara School have been kindly penned for the “Advocate” by Mr. George Burling. The writer, after forty years’ residence in the locality, before coming to live at Coffs Harbour, naturally looks back with a measure of pride to the early associations.

Mr. Burling says:

Although living at Coffs Harbour now after a residence at Upper Orara for 40 years, I think it may be of interest to hear something about the Upper Orara School and its early history.

The first school was built and a teacher appointed in 1892 (58 years ago) when the required number of pupils attended. Amongst them was the first child born at Orara and now living at Coffs Har bour. Mr. Lobban was the first Inspector to visit the school and Miss Sarah Edwards was the first teacher.

Miss Barnes was the next teacher and then came Mr. W. Gettens. They each boarded with the Hoschke family.

The school was built by the residents and hewn from hardwood trees split into slabs for the walls and shingles for the roof. It was erected on high ground, well drained, but had rather a rough playground.

The South Branch of the Orara was quite close and an ideal swimming pool ready-made was available within a hundred yards from the school. There many of the children were taught to swim.

The Recreation Reserve was available for sport.

Organisations similar to the Parents and Citizens Associations always existed at Upper Orara and the residents were always ready to attend meetings and help the teacher in keeping the school grounds in order. The welfare of the pupils was not at any time neglected.

Although isolated to some extent the annual school picnic was something to be remembered as practically everyone in the district attended. Concerts were arranged and sports were always staged.

As time advanced Empire Day celebrations were held and speakers from outside centres were invited to address the children.

Although a small centre in the early days, the pupils in later days held their own in many vocations. Some became teachers, bank officials, railways employees, and postal employees and in both world wars many ex-pupils served with distinction and honor, some making the supreme sacrifice.

Many also followed the calling of parents in farming the land which is a noble vocation.

To attend school in the early days the pupils travelled on bush tracks through dense scrub and there were no bridges over the streams. Parents, therefore, had many anxious moments when heavy rain fell during the day. However, as time advanced, bridges were erected by degrees.

As an instance of the help citizens gave in this direction, the case of Walsh’s Crossing, close to the school is mentioned. A meeting was held, a secretary appointed, a canvass made and enough money was subscribed to place all the round timber on the site for the bridge. The Dorrigo Shire Council built the bridge immediately.

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The children sometimes arrived late at school and sometimes late at home, but any one who has wandered through the tracks the children travelled would understand the many things that would fascinate and have a magnetic influence on the little ones.

At that period the bush was alive with birds of many descriptions — some extremely beautiful and others full of interest, like the scrub turkey, who builds huge nests and leaves the young to hatch. No doubt the boys were always watching the nests.

An amusing incident once happened on the South Branch. One of the tracks in dense scrub overlooked the river. Huge vines hung from overhead trees and the children used to swing on these. Naturally, the mothers were alarmed. So, one lady, armed with a brush hook, stole out and cut what she thought was the vine in question, but she missed the real ones, much to the amusement of the children. They still had their swing!

Unlike most schools, Upper Orara has a building that is commodious, well built and although the attendance has increased sufficiently to warrant an assistant teacher it is still big enough to accommodate the number. This building was shifted from Maclean to Orara many years ago, after persistent efforts by the Parents and Citizens’ Association. There is also a good residence for the Head teacher.

Over the years Upper Orara has been fortunate in the teachers at the school and with the assistance of the P & C Association and parents has kept abreast of the times.

The school was one of the first to have a wireless installed in a country school. It also has a projector. The present teacher, Mr. J. Rankin takes a pride in keeping the grounds and school in order and he receives the support of the parents and pupils.

One thing that never seems fair to teacher or pupils is when the attendance is hardly high enough for an assistant, and one teacher has to cope with so many classes.

APA citation – EARLY REMINISCENCES UPPER ORARA SCHOOL (1950, June 27). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 – 1942; 1946 – 1954), p. 8. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187771489