Bowenfels National School Site
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| Bowenfels National School Site | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Heritage boundaries | |
| Location | 70 Mudgee Street, South Bowenfels, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°30′58″S 150°07′14″E / 33.5160°S 150.1206°E |
| Built | 1851–1853 |
| Official name | Bowenfels National School Site; Bowenfels National School Site |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 761 |
| Type | historic site |
| Builders | James Connor (mason) |
  Location of Bowenfels National School Site in New South Wales  Bowenfels National School Site (Australia) | |
The Bowenfels National School Site is a heritage-listed former artist's studio and school and now residence located at 70 Mudgee Street, South Bowenfels in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It was built between 1851 and 1853 by James Connor, a mason. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]
Public education began exceptionally early in the Blue Mountains, with the National School at Bowenfels erected in 1851. An advertisement was placed in the Sydney Morning Herald of Friday 9th of August 1850 "TO MASONS AND CARPENTERS. TENDERS are required for the erection of a National School-house in the village of Bowenfels, according to plan and specifications, lying at the stores of M'Lennan and Rose, who will in the mean time give any information required. Tenders to be opened by the Local Patrons on Monday, 26th August, current" by John M'Lennan Secretary. [2] The foundation stone had been laid in October 1850.[3] It was built by local people to a local design. It contained three rooms originally, one the school room, the other two the living space for the school teacher, John Edhouse. It opened without furniture, water supply or toilet but the local "patrons", mainly Scottish farmers, paid for improvements in 1852 and 1853.[1]
In 1866 a new school room was built and all three rooms of the 1851 building became the schoolmaster's residence. The stone mason was James Connor, an innkeeper who lived nearby in Umera, itself later a private school. Connor was a gifted craftsman and responsible for some of the finest grave markers in the local cemeteries.[1]
The 1866 building remained in use as a primary school for an extraordinarily long time, over a century, until the end of 1969. Since then the complex has been privately owned. For a time the 1866 school was used as an artist's studio, while the artist lived in the 1855 (sic: 1851-3) building.[4][1]
Description
1851-3 school house: 1851. It was built by local people to a local design. It contained three rooms originally, one the school room, the other two the living space for the school teacher, John Edhouse. It opened without furniture, water supply or toilet but the local "patrons", mainly Scottish farmers, paid for improvements in 1852 and 1853.[1]
In 1866 a new school room was built and all three rooms of the 1851 building became the schoolmaster's residence.[1]
