Just a year after the site of almost four acres was dedicated, the little wooden West Glen Innes Infants School was opened to great fanfare.
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This was noted in The Glen Innes Examiner on Thursday January 28, 1926.
"Progress Association Wins Through" emphasising the huge lobbying effort the Progress Association and Parents had to put in to get it.
"That interest which characterised the agitation for the school throughout was well sustained at the official opening ceremony yesterday morning when West Glen Innes old and young attended en masse."
In the absence of the Mayor, Ald McIntyre, Mr Jim Plante, president of the West Glen Innes Progress Association presided... and explained that the new school had been achieved after a long period of agitation and hard work.
"There had been many obstacles to surmount, but perseverance had won through, and that day had come."
Jim and Grace Plante arrived in Glen Innes in 1917 with three young children Jean, Lilian, and Everard (always known as Mick).
He was here to start a training nursery to educate soldier settlers in orchard management.
That nursery was on the Inverell Road, the site later 'Innisfree'.
Jim had good reasons to be leading the push for this project. His children had a long walk from home on the corner of Dumaresque and Meade Streets to the school on Church Street.
When the school opened Violet Didrickson was the first head mistress of the 19 children enrolled and Mick Plante was one of them.
By the end of the year enrolments had increased to 84.
The adjacent park is named in honour of Dorothy Mellings, who served at various schools in NSW prior to transferring to the West Glen Innes Infants School where she remained for a memorable 28 years.
Many of the early teachers stayed only a short time Misses V lambert, M Mewkill, Airlie Hunt, Fawcett, Hindmarch, Beavan, Hazelwood, Edna Falk and Bennett.
However, so many former students will remember Mrs Weir, Annette Law , Margaret Kiehne, Patsy Evans and Lyn Starkey.
We'd love a full list for our archives.
Former student Margaret Walmsley nee Weiss hopes someone can identify the pupils in this 1955 photograph of West Glen Innes Infants School.
She is in the front row third from the right. Pam Slee is also in the photo, 1955.
If you are able to identify phone 6732 1035 or email research@gleninneshistory.com.au.
