Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I was absolutely pleased and proud to have the opportunity to speak just a few weeks ago at the 150-year anniversary celebrations of Dungowan Public School. The school, in its various forms, has operated continuously from 1874. It's a bush school in the beautiful Dungowan Valley, slightly to the east of Tamworth. It's beautiful Australian farming country. There were students and dozens of former students there, as well as teachers, former teachers and members of the Dungowan Valley community, to celebrate what was a wonderful day. All of them together sang the national anthem and watched wonderful performances from the school choir and other musical performances. I spoke to the school captains after the event, who both proudly told me they were looking forward to enrolling in Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School the following year.

I have a personal connection with the school; my great-grandfather taught there and was the principal from 1910 to 1932. William John Roberts was a proud former teacher at that school. He employed his wife, my great-grandmother, as the needlework teacher—no doubt a voluntary contribution—over the course of those 22 years. It was a school that was established in 1874, before Australia itself existed. The great educational reforms led by Sir Henry Parkes in New South Wales meant that it was one of the first schools in New South Wales and in Australia to be part of our public school education system. I was really pleased to see the pride and resilience of that country community and the pride they have in their local school.