New Way School

Here it is, as it stood on the stony ridge. 

Our mother taught here during 1930 and 1931.

The Jubilee 150 Rural Schools of the West.

South Australia was celebrating 150 years since the Proclamation of the State in 1934.

“The 9 Little Schools of the West” committee applied for grants to celebrate the lives of their rural one teacher schools. There were reunions and unveilings of monuments which acknowledged the unique conribution made by these little schools and their teachers to the education of their children.

Mother was asked to speak at Jubilee 150 gathering at New Way School to be held in  October 1986.

This is the letter from Pauline Nielsen explaining the request.

Despite not being able to attend the event Mother wrote a speech which was delivered on the day.

It was given to this group of ex pupils dressed in period costumes posing in front of the wreck of the dear little school.

The reunion photos were sent to Mum straight after the event and she delighted in seeing many of her ex pupils. One can see the names of the children from 7 different family groups.

Mary boarded with the Wright family.

Howard Simpson is in the photograph of the reunion group.  He is kneeling on the right.

The Simpsons became lifelong friends and would visit Mum years later in Adelaide. She would say “One of my ex students has  just popped in for a cuppa.”

Howard Simpson was a Grade 7 boy in 1930.  In 1930, he was 14 and his teacher was just 18!!!!

Transcript of Mary Parker’s speech and reminiscences of New Way 

For the  150^th Jubilee Project .

Hello Everyone.

My inspector wrote “New Way is an isolated place on a stony rise surrounded by scrub.”  Indeed I had to go down to the Education Office to find the spot North West on the map of schools.

But we considered ourselves very lucky to be given any school in those years. We were under a 3 year Bond and went wherever we were posted.

How fortunate I was to be in an area of stable farming parents with normal happy children.  Believe me I had some toughies later…especially as I followed Glenelg instead of Ports.

What a wealth of experiences for a naive 18 year old – seasickness on the old Minnipa, a breathtaking trip on the Lincoln Water Rocket, a warm homely welcome from my new home mates the Wright family and then next morning the mystery of a probe through the scrub to the spot where you stand.

I have affectionate memories of the patient, musical driver Edna and the trusted Spartan… Andrew – champion snake killer in the school, little Howard who believed he’d attain such prep??

And spare a thought for dear old Ken – the oldest pupil and head of the toilet cleaning union.

Also remember the immaculate Evely B, then the younger brigade Elle, David, Tress, Kevin. Reg.  Recently I had a happy reunion with Tress and Stella.

One of my treasured possessions is the sandwich tray which the children gave me when I left.  It’s 54 years old and in constant use.

On behalf of all the teachers and the other old scholars of this school, Thankyou New Way and the organizers who have made possible this wonderful reunion.

Stella and I are with you in spirit .  Enjoy a fantastic weekend and now back to you Len.

PS An apology from Eileen (Brooks) Tonkin

(I (Mary’s daughter) have inherited this sandwich try and it is still in constant use …The tray is now 84 years old and the story of gratitude is repeated each time it is used.

History of New Way from “Little Schools of the West”

There was a publication made about each of the 9 schools in the Penong area for the Jubilee Year

This New Way information is a typical story of how these small SA rural schools were started. It describes the generosity and determination of families who wanted their children to receive an education.

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Mary’s anecdotal Stories.

There were many stories Mum would relate and retell about her time at New Way.

She appreciated the kindness of the Wright family where she boarded.  Times were tough.  The family had often struggled through lack of rain. Mother felt Mrs Wright was an example of pioneering strength and persistence. She had enormous respect for her. She told the story of a serious drought which occurred in the 1920s. The horses were at risk and they were absolutely essential for transport and work.  There was some rain further west on the Nullarbor Plain and the farming men took the horses and stayed with them until the drought broke back at home. Meanwhile Mrs Wright and other women stayed on the farms with the children and they survived with very limited water or help.  This story of resilience and hardship amazed our mother.

Mrs Wright insisted that Mother as the teacher should always have the first bath.  This may have been only weekly.  But Mother felt privileged and respected and told this anecdote often.

Getting from Home to the school was an adventure which the Wright family children enjoyed teaching their new teacher.

The horse and cart had to ride through scrub and low mallee for a mile or two. Mum was shown how to stand up at the back and dance by transferring weight from one leg to the other as they swayed along , suddenly ducking to avoid overhead branches.  As I understand it, Edna used to sing as they travelled along and no doubt they all joined in.

In mum’s speech she refers to “the musical driver Edna” and the horse “Spartan”. Spartan would wait all day at school until it was time to take them home.

The Grade 7 boys were young men who worked on the farms and could take responsibility for many aspects of school life. Mother mentioned the toilet cleaning duties in her speech. There were also the ongoing winter tasks of collecting the wood, chopping it and tending the fireplace in the classroom.

One famous story we still repeat just as Mum used to tell it.

It was summer time and lunch time . The children were outside in the yard.  Mum was at her desk.  She saw something out of the corner of her eye in the fireplace on her right.

Oh No.  It was a snake pushing its way through a stone. Mother had a morbid fear of snakes. It was coming straight towards her. Mum was terrified.  She jumped onto her desk and then jumped from one desk to the next until she could yell through the window for a Grade 7 boy to come and help. One of the lads obliged and that was the end of the snake. Mother was so grateful and recalled the story hundreds of times.

In the late 80s Mum’s niece, Molly and her husband Ted Hughes were living at Thevenard on the west Coast. Mum went to stay with them for a few days. It was well after the Jubilee 150 event. They took Mum to where the old New Way school used to be. It was now merely the remnants of walls and piles of stones. Mum fossicked in the general area of the old chimney and Yes she actually found the rock with the hole through which the snake had come.

It is now part of the family mementoes..

The horses were vitally important to the school community.  Len Wright wrote a stirring piece in the J180 publication about giving school horses the respect they deserve.

There were free weekend times with farm activities and preparation for school work.

Riding a horse would have been a rare treat I think.

Mum told Molly that she used to sometimes meet up with another teaching friend who taught at a school nearby.  It may have been the teacher from Watraba . Apparently they used to both walk a few miles along the fence-line until they met up.  They could then share stories and information..

 One thing they would certainly have discussed would be the dread of the visit by the Education Department’s inspector.

An inspector used to visit at least once a year.

Mum had a trick which she taught her school children.  She would  teach them and then check that they knew the difference between their right and left  hands. Then she would ask them a general question e.g. What is the capital city of South Australia? Every one MUST put up their hand as though they are sure of the answer but be careful to only use your right arm if you’re sure of the correct answer and your left arm if you are unsure.

It worked!

The inspectors would write a brief report for the department’s records. These records are held in the State Records at Cavan.  It is possible to access these records if they are longer ago then 60 years. Wayne and I made an appointment in 2022 and took a copy of the brief records of Mary Moyle at each of her schools.  Here is the record from New Way.

The top line is from 1930 and the bottom line from 1931.  The point score is a score out of 25. 

25 is excellent I think.

HEF is one inspector and MJC another

Mum would have been very pleased with these comments and there is no doubt that they are true and well earned.  The students loved her.

 “Inspiring” was what many said of her teaching.

In the photos Mary gradually becomes more sophisticated and particularly “snappy” as she is clearly able to buy outfits with her regular salary. (She was also able to send home money for the family to buy things like blankets.)

. In the photos Mary gradually becomes more sophisticated and particularly “snappy” as she is clearly able to buy outfits with her regular salary. (She was also able to send home money for the family to buy things like blankets.)

There is an interesting record that at one stage Mary was playing tennis for Watraba.  No matter about the limping, she was happy to play doubles as best she could.

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Mary’s second school was Wheatley on the Yorke Peninsula.

She was there for four years1932 -1935