Faculty files
The Board of National Education was established in 1848, solidifying the government's role in the provision of education in the colony. Among the responsibilities of the Board (and subsequent agencies) was the training, examination and inspection of teachers. Under the Board’s supervision, children as young as 13 could launch their career in education as pupil-teachers in government schools, while others developed their educator skills in the training schools of the time.
This webinar explores 19th-century teacher records held in the NSW State Archives Collection, making it possible to trace teachers’ careers from young trainees through to the established teachers they became. Whether you’re a family historian with a teacher ancestor or a local school history enthusiast, learn how you can uncover more information about teachers of the past.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:34 History of education in NSW
4:55 Where to begin (post 1868)
10:34 Where to begin (pre 1868)
11:59 Locating correspondence
13:36 Board of National Education (1848-1866)
19:02 Council of Education (1867-1875)
23:56 Department of Public Instruction (1876-)
29:13 Search strategies
29:25 Case study: Amelia Haug
32:28 Case study: Alexander Griffin
36:18 What to remember
Related
School teachers guide
Records that relate to teacher employment in the Government sector between 1788 and 1979
School teachers' rolls 1869-1908
One of most useful sources for researching individual teachers in the later half of the nineteenth century
School records guide
An overview of education in New South Wales 1788-c1979 and a list of the main record series
Married women teachers' applications, 1932–35
The Married Women (Lecturers and Teachers) Act of 1932 restricted employment of married women in the Department of Public Instruction. We hold 693 digitised declarations for exemption by married women teachers for the years 1932–35