In 1845, when Brightwater was still part of Spring Grove, a growing number of families were settling in the area with about 100 children who were totally without any means of education.
Many settlers had a desire that their children should receive a good education - but there was no school. The answer to this problem came from Matthew Campbell.
He had been presented with a wooden building in Bridge Street, Nelson, that was formerly the property of the British and Foreign Bible Society and was no longer needed. Arrangements were made for the building to be dismantled and transferred out to Spring Grove. Once there the building was rebuilt by volunteers with donated materials.
On Sunday the 18th of May, 1845, Spring Grove School officially opened with 60 to 70 pupils, but initially only as a Sunday School with subjects taught including scripture, arithmetic, and history.
The opening day records show that a large number of children attended and were formed into classes to which teachers were appointed, most of whom had formerly employed themselves in the school at Nelson.
Mr C. White was appointed as superintendent of the school. A letter to Major Richmond indicates that the date of the opening as a day school was October 1847, however, this has not been verified.
The school committee of those early days were keen men who often walked two or three miles to attend the meetings at Spring Grove. Some of them could not read or write themselves but the education of their children of the greatest importance to them.
The school building became a place for the community to meet and was used for many purposes, as old newspaper advertisements show. In December 1853 a meeting was held at the school to discuss the proposed constitution of the Colony.
In June 1868 a “Volunteer Ball” was held. April 1872 a course of lectures and entertainments were held during the winter months. In the late 1870s parades of the Volunteers took place each Monday evening. The “Sparrow Club” held fortnightly meetings in 1892.
Mr. Edmonds became the Master in the mid 1860s. The 1866 report showed that his appointment had produced some great results. The daily attendance had increased and the improvement of the boys, notably in writing and arithmetic, was very gratifying, with the whole of the first class showing creditable knowledge in fractions.
Other Masters were Major Franklyn, F. V. Knapp and J. W. Humphreys. In 1931 a new school at Spring Grove was opened by the then Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore. A gala afternoon was held as part of the celebration.
One hundred years later, in 1945, six hundred people gathered at the school to take part in the Centennial celebrations with a bonfire, a ball and a thanksgiving service.
Little did they know that the school that was such an integral part of the community would shut its doors thirty years later, in 1974.
Pupils then had the choice of going to either Brightwater or Wakefield schools.
By Robyn Parkes.
