Form 1 WAIVER THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES DECLARATION RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF THESIS This is to certify that 1... ... /1.�41..... Z.l'..�(� ......... �<�.��········ ..... being a candidate for the degree o£..!ft1.?.�'3..... (!..�... &.?.t?..C:.�.T../P..�'(_.... am fully aware of the policy of the University relating to the retention and use of higher degree theses, namely that the University retains the copies of any thesis submitted for examination, "and is free to allow the thesis to be consulted or borrowed. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act (1968) the University may issue the thesis in whole or in part, in photostat or microfilm or other copying medium." In the light of these provisions I grant the University Librarian permission to publish, or to authorise the publication of my thesis, in whole or in part, as he deems fit. I also authorize the publication by University Microfilms of a 600 word abstract in Dissertation Abstracts International (D.A.I.). Date ...................� ..... � ...... }.. : ....... C....<f ..... ................. THE BEGINNINGS OF EDUCATION IN NEW SOUTH WALES 1788 to 1848 A Study of the relationship between Church and State in the development of education in early N.S.W. with special reference to the role, significance and contribution of the Chaplains, Missionaries and Protestant Clergy. IAN J. WING MASTER OF EDUCATION 1979 - 2 - CONTENTS SYNOPSIS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION i. The Present Day Significance of the Early Years in Education. ii. Responsibility. iii. Role of the Church - Informal Responsibil­ ity. iv. Approach. CHAPTER 2. THE BACKGROUND TO EDUCATION IN THE COLONY OF N.S.W. i. The Colony in 1788. ii. Education in the Early Days. iii. Advances under the Governors. iv. Church and State. CHAPTER 3- BRITAIN'S INFLUENCE i. Local Environment and Overseas Influences. ii. Historical Aspects. iii. Home Government Attitude and General Phi I osophy. iv. Religious Influences at Home and their Effect in the Antipodes. - 3 - v. Australia as a 1 New 1 Land in Education. CHAPTER 4. ROLE, SIGNIFICANCE AND CONTRIBUTION OFi THE CHAPLAINS. i. Importance o.f the Chaplains in Early Education. ii. The Rev. Richard Johnson. iii. The Rev. Samuel Marsden. CHAPTER 5. MISSIONARY AND CLERGY CONTRIBUTIONS. i. Aid from the Missionary Societies. ii. The London Missionary Society Men. iii. Clergy Contributions to Education. CHAPTER 6. THE END OF AN ERA. i. Aims of Leadership. ii. Thomas Hobbes Scott. iii. William Grant Broughton. CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY. - 4 - SYNOPSIS The formative years in education in the Colony of New South Wales spanned the sixty years from 1788 - when the colony was estab­ lished - to 1848 - when a Dual system of administration was instig­ ated. During this time, the major influence on the development of education was the Church. In the very early years, the chaplains were the signif­ icant administrators and initiators in the actual foundations of education. By the very nature of their office, the historical setting in Britain and lecal environmental factors, education was seen as part of the Chaplain's duties. The arrival of several Congregational missionaries enabled the next stage of development to take place. The initial found­ ations provided by the Chaplains were built upon by these men and the provision of education became more widespread. Finally the stronghold over the administration of education by the Anglican Church was weakened and the Anglican dominated and control led system gave way to a dual system shared between various denominations of the Church on the one hand and the State on the other. This dual system with a shared responsibility for education has continued into the 1970's. The resulting friction over educ­ tional matters has similarly accompanied us to the present. It is - 5 - this continued dual responsibility in education and its resulting friction which is the major feature of our education system which has been carried forward from our foundation years. CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1. THE PRESENT DAY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS IN EDUCATION. When one observes the multiplicity of administrative pat­ terns at work in the provision of formal education in N.S.W. in the 70's even the less curious-minded are to some extent tempted to ask such questions as, Was it always thus:? and Why? We find that the existence of a State system of education on a very rigid and centralised pattern works alongside a well established collection of private schools, with both of these sections of the educational community forced into an appearance of mock unity by the necessity of preparing pupils for the same external examination. The unity, however, does not really extend much further than this. The continued reliance upon the State for funds and the very real pressure exerted by the inspectorial system does little to further the close co-operation of these two sectors of the education field. Within the State system, the centralised decision-making process has continued for many years with the resulting high degree of conformity in each education unit. The private system, however, exhibits a fairly marked variety of education institutions just as it has continued to do over the past two hundred years, in N.S.W. - 7 - Although both 'systems' are influenced by similar pressure groups within our society, it is clear that a large proportion of the private schools system remains tied to the various religious denom­ inations which were responsible for their foundation. This, of course, is nothing new and hardly surprising when one considers the very large role which the Church played in the foundation and estab­ lishment of education in N.S.W. Church influence is not, of course, restricted to the private system alone. There has been over the past few centuries a very definite Church - State relationship in education which has, I believe left its mark on the present system. Throughout our very short history as a nation, the type of relationship that has existed between Church and State at any part­ icular time has had a continuous influence on the type, quality and extent of education which has been offered to our children. It is significant then, if we are to fully understand the pressures and idiosyncracies of our present day system of education in N.S.W., to examine in detail the role and significance of the Church in the foundation and developirent of education in the first six or seven decades of the history of the colony of N.S.W. I I. RESPONSIBILITY In examining the history of education in N.S.W. until the mid nineteenth century we note that it is chiefly a history of Church and State with respect to both the provision and administra- - 8 - tion of education at all levels. While these constantly changing roles of Church and State were affected by the new ideas from abroad (especially from the Continent and Great Britain), as wel 1 as social, economic and political pressures brought to bear from within the colony itself, the initial direction of education was to be in­ fluenced predominantly by the convict element in the population, the imposition of English educational institutions and customs, and the background of the first educational administrators - the chaplains. In many ways, a totally unique system evolved which reflected the unique set of circumstances that surrounded the formation and estab­ lishment of the penal colony. By the turn of the century, the system of education in the colony differed vastly in character from the model transported to the colony from England via the minds and lives of the members of the first fleet. In England, education was provided by private enterprise or church societies unti 1 1870 when the first State elementary school was established, although the State had provided aid for Church Schools from 1833 onwards. The scene of elementary education in England during the closing years of the eighteenth century was a most depressing one. The Government seemed complete­ ly unconcerned with this state of affairs and was content to leave the responsibility of providing and administering education to the Churches, chiefly the Church of England. A number of types of schools had been established: the Dame Schools, the Common Day Schools, the Charity Schools, the Schools of Industry and the - 9 - Sunday Schools. The Sunday School movement and the Charity Schools were successful in attracting a large number of pupils and instruction was chiefly religious in nature although some scant attention was paid to the teaching of basic reading, writing and arithmetic. It was against this background of Church of England controlled education of a relatively poor standard that the con­ vict settlement arrived in N.S.W. in 1788 under the leadership of Governor Phillip. No schoolmaster was sent as part of the first fleet, and so the responsibility was taken up by the Rev. Richard Johnson who immediately set about establishing schools - first at Sydney itself and subsequently at Parramatta and Norfolk Island. Fees were charged in these early attempts at educative institutions but financial help was forthcoming from The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. As time progressed the state was prepared to accept more responsibility in the provision of element­ ary education and then as a further result of this some of the early teachers were paid by the N.S.W. Corps. (the Chaplain still being in charge of these early teachers). The various missionary societies were also of some assistance - the most prominent and helpful being the London Missionary Society. Following some successful experimentation with the support of education in Norfolk Island by the imposition of levied duties on liquor as wel 1 as fines, Phillip King as the third Governor of the colony largely financed education from Colonial Office sources.