Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 13/4/1872 (2)
We passed in succession and examined a most Interesting and beautiful but by no means extravagant interior. The floors and ceilings are of the richly variegated Murray pine. The division is occupied by halls, chapels, cells, and school rooms. I had no idea that there could have been so many rooms, but as before remarked there is much economy of room. The sisters have 30 boarders and 170 day scholars under tuition. The education ,in the convent seems to be of a high standard, and quite equal to any ladies' school in the colony.
In the brick building used at present for divine service the Roman Catholic Denominational School is held under the management of Messrs S. and P. Cullen. 100 scholars are on the roll, and the attendance on the day of our visit was 90. Some of the pupils were remarkably clever boys, and their proficiency in the higher branches, viz., geometry and algebra, reflects considerable credit on their teachers.
We next directed our steps to the Albury Model Public School, and on our way received an addition to our party in the person of the present member for the Hume, Mr James M'Laurin.The model school was erected many years ago, though it has received considerable addition of late years. The building is of brick, and has a very pleasing exterior. The head master is Mr C Hockins, and he has three assistants, viz. : Messrs. Richardson, Miss Pine, and Miss Bousfield. Two hundred and sixty pupils are on the roll, and two hundred and twenty were present when we visited the school. The pupils underwent a severe examination in grammar (including reading and analysis), arithmetic and geography. In these subjects they displayed evidences of a thorough tuition, which was very satisfactory to visitors. The painstaking method of imparting instruction adopted by Mr Hockins, and the excellent discipline, and I must, in justice say, gentlemanly deportment of the boys, are deserving the warmest commendation.
Where such a large number of the rising generation are receiving instruction under such favourable circumstances, it is desirable to give great credit to all assisting in the work; therefore, requested to mention that much of the good is due to the energetic local board, at whose head as chairman, is a spirited townsman. Mr George Day, JP, Messrs Thorold. Mofit, North, and Lockhart, are the other members of the local board.
Proceeding along the same street we came to a nice brick building, with porch, a credit to the builder. Mr A Frew. It is the Church of England Sunday School but a private school is held in it on week days, by the Rev D. E. Jones, sen. A little further on is the Wesleyan Chapel; but before coming to it we turn a corner and find ourselves in one of the principal street of the town, called Dean-street. The Market-square is opposite to us; a little below we pass a fine draper; establishment, called Manchester House, and owned by Mr James Higgins. At one side there is an extensive and showy furniture warehouse equal to any in Pitt-street, Sydney.
Crossing the street we found ourselves at the Mechanic's Institute and School of Arts. The building is of brick, and contains a good library and reading-room, well supplied with newspapers. The Telegraph-offices, low brick structures, covering a good deal of ground, and evidently put up at a large expense, are next to the School of Arts. Albury is a repeating station for Victorian messages, and besides messengers and assistants two managers are employed. Mr M H Kelly is the Albury and New South Wales manager, and Mr William M'Nab represents Victoria.
The Albury Court-house, Doric style of architecture is the best building of the kind that I have seen in the Goulburn districts. There are a fine spacious court room and good offices - wanting only in furniture to be everything desirable in a Court-house. The police magistrate is Captain Marcus Brownrigg, RN, and the clerk of petty session and Crown land's agent is E Brown, Esq. As if in mockery there is a miserable building in the Court-house yard, it is the Survey office of the district, or rather of the greater part of Riverina, comprising five electoral districts. I am given to understand that an enormous quantity of work is transacted here under the superintendence of Mr J H Wood.
The building is of brick, but there is scarcely any furniture except that provided at Mr Wood's expense. The wretched building is tumbling down; a great downfall of bricks from the doorway just escaped the head of an unfortunate assistant when opening the front door of this office during my visit. J L Crommelin, Esq., is the Crown lands' commissioner. The next large building to the Court-house is the Post-office, which is also better looking than the average of such establishments in New South Wales. It is under the management of Mr T H Stone, of whose lack of civility I have heard many complaints, and my personal experience tended to confirm them.
Leaving the Post-office we turned to the right into another principal street, called Kiewa-street. The Church of England first attracted attention. It is built of granite, and is by no means an elegant structure, though many thousands of pounds were expended on it. At the side there is however a fine brick parsonage, which looks very well, and shows that the members of the Church of England are not quite at apathetic as one would at first be inclined to suppose.
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
