Uargon University (Rural Museum)

Item details


Name of item:	Uargon University (Rural Museum)
Other name/s:	Uargon Subsidised School
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Education
Category:	School - State (public)
Location:	Lat: S31° 43.363’ Long: E148° 39.401’
Primary address:	Gilgandra Rural Museum Newell Highway, Gilgandra, NSW 2827
Local govt. area:	Gilgandra

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Gilgandra Rural Museum Newell Highway	Gilgandra	Gilgandra			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Uragon University was constructed by soldier-settlers Jack Estens and Clive Armitage to provide a school for their children. It is an element of the subsidised school system that operated in regional New South Wales before improvements in road and motor transport allowed the centralisation of education in rural towns. It is one of a diminishing number of subsidised school buildings constructed to provide education to children in isolated areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is remembered by former students who worked to ensure its preservation in the Gilgandra Rural Museum. The building has local historical and social significance, rarity and representativeness. Despite its relocation it has a high degree of integrity.
	Date significance updated: 22 Sep 08
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Jack Estens & Clive Armitage
Builder/Maker:	Jack Estens & Clive Armitage
Construction years:	1928-1935
Physical description:	The former Uargon Subsidised School is a small gable-roofed structure with exposed cypress timber frame. The roof is clad in corrugated galvanised iron and the walls lined with compressed asbestos fibre sheets. A skillion-roofed verandah has been constructed over the front of the building. Windows are double-hung with four lights and the door is a possibly recycled four panelled timber door.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building appears to be well managed and in good condition. The site is considered to have low archaeological potential.
	Date condition updated:22 Sep 08
Modifications and dates:	Construction of verandah - 1935 Relocation to the Gilgandra Rural Musuem - 1998


Current use:	Museum Exhibit
Former use:	Subsidised School

History

Historical notes:

Uargon Subsidised School opened east of Tooraweenah in 1927. Miss Gallaher taught the first class of nine pupils. Under the subsidised school system parents provided a school building, a teacher and the teacher’s board and lodging. The Department of Education subsidised the teacher’s wage and provided school supplies. A school building was constructed in 1928 by local soldier-settlers Jack Estens and Clive Armitage using cypress timber cut and milled on their properties. The building was lined with fibro sheet but never clad.

Three Estens and three Armitage children attended the school. During the construction of the Oxley Highway in 1935/36 the school’s population was boosted when the three children of construction supervisor Mr Lighizello attended the school. William Richard Buckley constructed an annexe to accommodate the additional numbers. In all 29 children were educated at the school prior to its closure after World War II. By this time roads had improved and children were being taken into Tooraweenah for their education.

In 1998 the school building was relocated to the Gilgandra Rural Museum by former students Bruce Rohr, Geoff Rohr and Jack Estens. A plaque was placed at the original school site to mark its location on Thurlow, Uargon.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	(none)-
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Uargon University was constructed by soldier-settlers Jack Estens and Clive Armitage to provide a school for their children. It is an element of the subsidised school system that operated in regional New South Wales before improvements in road and motor transport allowed the centralisation of education in rural towns. Despite its relocation the building has local historical significance.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Uargon University is remembered by former students who worked to ensure its preservation in the Gilgandra Rural Museum and has local social significance.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Uargon University is one of a diminishing number of subsidised school buildings constructed to provide education to children in isolated areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The former school is representative of subsidised schools constructed in isolated areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Integrity/Intactness:	The place has a high degree of integrity but has been relocated from its original site.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Gilgandra Local Environmental Plan 2011	I62	09 Dec 11
Heritage study

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Gilgandra Shire Community Based Heritage Study	2008		Ray Christison	Ray Christison	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Gilgandra Rural Museum		Interpretive Signs - Uargon University

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1590056

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

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