On October 1 1915 Inspector Lewis Henry reported on the defects of the school building (which did not meet the lighting and ventilation demands of the New Education Bill which had been introduced in 1904-55)
‘The present building is unlined, the lighting and ventilation are both defective, windows are at the back of the pupils, and being only 2 ft 7 in from the floor cannot be opened when a southerly wind is blowing except at great risk to health of pupils, and if closed the atmosphere becomes insufferable in a very short time.
‘The School is erected on the side of a steep hill ... there is practically no playing area or suitable place to drill upon, nor is it in any way suited for gardening purposes.’

STRUGGLE OVER NEW SCHOOL SITE

• By 1915 the Department, in its search for a less hilly site for the school, had identified land belonging to the Murphy family as the most suitable site for a new school building. Meanwhile, the school building in use was continuing to deteriorate.
• On 9 July, 1917, the residents fo Bilambil wrote a petition to the Minister for Education stressing the urgent need for a new school.
• On 7 March 1918 one of the stumps supporting the school building gave way and had to be propped up by the then teacher Leslie Robertson and the boys of the school.1
• On 22 November 1920 the then teacher, Peter Gobert, in the course of explaining deficiencies at his inspection, noted that the school building was 30 ft x 15 ft and that in that week he had an enrolment of 66.
• In November 1922 William Murphy was notified by the then Minister for Education, Albert Bruntnell, who had succeeded Thomas Mutch, ‘I very much regret that I have no alternative than to finalize the resumption of the 2 acres taken from you on 26th March, 1920.’ 1

THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING

The new school building on the new site was erected by day labour at a cost of £594.10.6.

The old school building was vacated and the new one was occupied on 24 October 1922.6