A historical enigma in East Maitland which for half a century has confounded historians has been solved.
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It has been established that St Peter's Parish Hall, a historic brick building fronting Banks Street, East Maitland, was built in 1867-68 as a denominational school - that is, a primary school operated by the Church of England pursuant to the Public Schools Act of 1866.
It functioned in that role for 14 years having been built to replace an old and dilapidated School House whose location on Stockade Hill had proven inconvenient.
Previous theories which dated the building at 1829, or around 1840, have been shown to be erroneous.
The discovery of historical letters in the New South Wales State Archives proved that the building now used as a parish hall was built as a denominational school in 1867-68.
The reason why the letters existed at all was to justify a grant of £400 of public money towards the anticipated cost of £1200 for building the school.
From 1848 education in New South Wales had operated on a dual system, under which each major religious denomination ran essentially its own education department in competition with public (national) schools run by the National School Board.
Churches had long jealously regarded the education of their youngest members as their own responsibility, and not that of the state.
From 1848 to 1882 the churches fought a gradually losing battle against the withdrawal of state aid for denominational schools.
At one end of the building, facing Banks Street, was a residence for the school master and his family comprising three rooms on the ground floor and three attic rooms above.
Behind and adjoining the residence was a large school-room.
The roof was originally shingled, and to this day the shingles remain underneath the galvanised iron roof.
The discovery of historical letters in the NSW State Archives proved that the building now used as a parish hall was built as a denominational school in 1867-68
- James Waddell
When state aid for denominational schools ceased on 31 December 1882, many closed, including this one. Their place was taken by an expansion of the existing public schools.
Yet within a short time, the former school (now St Peter's parish hall) was put to use for another public purpose.
The administration of Crown lands in New South Wales was reformed and decentralised under the Crown Lands Act of 1884, which made necessary the opening of Land Board Offices in regional centres.
From 12 years from 1885 a temporary Land Board Office was located in the parish hall, administering the area from Port Macquarie to Gosford, and the hall was given over to a large staff of board members, surveyors, clerks and draftsmen.
Eventually the Lands Department built a permanent office on Newcastle Road, East Maitland, which was opened in 1897.
Thereafter the parish hall was used for Sunday School classes and for many other church-related purposes including meetings, dances and countless social and cultural activities.
During the 1939-45 war it served as a First Aid post for the National Emergency Services and their air raid wardens and it was visited officially in 1942 by the Governor, Lord Wakehurst.
Later still it served as an evacuation and relief centre in times of flood.
During the flood of February 1955, an estimated 1500 hot meals were served daily in the hall for victims and rescuers, including surf boat crews.
