Uleybury School - One Tree Hill

Back in the 1850s these rolling hills to the north of Adelaide must have seemed like the back of beyond. From small farms in the surrounding district the children would converge on Uleybury School. Built in 1856, this modest stone building played a pivotal role in the education of generations of children in the One Tree Hill area. And it still stands as a reminder of how things were done in the early days. "Children used to walk through the paddocks, ride horses even up to the fifties they used to still tie the horses up in the paddocks, just beside the school house." Back in those days the school catered for more than thirty students from grades one to seven and in later years those who didn't make it by horse jumped on board the old school bus. Up until its closure in 1971, it was the oldest South Australian school building still in use. By 1979 it had been converted into a school museum, one of only three in the country and as a museum piece it offers a rare insight into the earliest days of country education. "Ulebury comes from a township in Gloucestershire in England. Moses Bendle Garlick a resident of Uley in Gloucestershire, after fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, came to Australia, he was a hero in the wars, and he came to Australia and started a chapel here and helped build this school." Memorabilia from past students has made Uleybury School a must see for today's school children. Here there's not a lap top to be seen instead the slate and chalk used prior to that other educational innovation, the pen and ink.

Caretaker Phil Squires takes classes every so often and when he does both he and the children step back in time. "Very strict, I check behind their ears when they come in and check their hands are clean and they sit up in their desk very straight, not like nowadays because that's how they did it in the old days." The good old days? Well not always. Especially for those who came across this. And not so good for female teachers who might want to combine a career and a family, Marriage according to these rules meant instant dismissal. It's all part of a fascinating insight into our educational history and it's on show to the public every Sunday from two until four. Entry is thirty cents for adults and ten cents for children.

For details regarding classes contact Phil Squires on (08) 8280 7396 or for more information you can email info@postcards.sa.com.au