FROM THE NEWSPAPERS - 1947- Funding Announced for Yallourn's New Kindergarten

FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR YALLOURN’ S NEW KINDERGARTEN
Unfortunately, the original copy of this newspaper report was in such poor condition that some guess work has been used to ‘fill the gaps’ in certain paragraphs of the story. However, it is a most important news item in the history of the town of Yallourn and should be placed on record for others to read in future years.
The article, published in June 1947, reports on the A.G.M of the Yallourn Community Kindergarten Association; the meeting was held in the Yallourn Library and a large crowd was in attendance.
The issue regarding a new kindergarten for Yallourn had been a contentious topic for a considerable length of time; and the eventual realisation of a modern facility was a direct consequence of the unwavering efforts of the residents, particularly the mothers, of the town.
This news article is highly significant in the history of Yallourn because it actually ‘pin-points’ the arrival of the Member for North Gippsland (Mr Johns M.L.A.) to the meeting and his important announcement, to the members in attendance, that funding had been made available for the construction of a new kindergarten in Yallourn in 1948.
It was an occasion for celebration for those people who had campaigned so determinedly and tirelessly to win a vital ‘breakthrough’ in the education of the young children of Yallourn.
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June 12th 1947 ‘MORWELL ADVERTISER’ Page: 3

Yallourn Kindergarten Association
Last Thursday night the Library Meeting Room was filled almost to capacity for the annual meeting of the Yallourn Community Kindergarten Association.
Apologies were received from Mr. R. A. Hunt, Dr. J. A., Andrew and the committee of the Traralgon Kindergarten Association. The president Mr. R. Edmondson opened the meeting and, in the course of his talk, he again emphasised the additional local reasons why this community needs a kindergarten and the great benefit it will be to both parents and children.
He also made special reference to the play centre, which had now been operating for over two years. As a member of the Primary School Staff, he said there has been a marked improvement in the attitude of the little children commencing at the school, even though they have had only half a day a week organized play.
The year closed with the sum of £573 4/2 in the bank. A special vote of thanks was tendered to the hon. secretary. Mrs. A. A. Hayward and also to Mrs. N. E. Westmore for the continuous and untiring services they have given during their terms of office.
Mr. J. A. Johns, M.L.A., called at the meeting on his way home to Maffra and announced that tenders submitted by Messrs T. B. & W. Cochran for £5,996 have been accepted by the S.E.C. for the erection of the Kindergarten building.
This news was of course greeted with enthusiasm. The committee appreciates how much Mr. Johns has done in helping its cause. Before introducing the guest speakers, Mr. Edmondson called for nominations and election of the new committee was conducted.
The new committee is as follows: Mesdames Botten, Goldsmith, Griffiths, Harries, Hayward, Ladhams, Lazarus, Mee, Milne, McLaren, K. Murray, Riley, Rowe, Thorpe, Tulloch, Westmore, Sister Reid, Mr Edmondson and Rev. White. Office-bearers will be elected at the next committee meeting.
Dr Barbara Meredith, who has just returned from the Conference of Pre-School Education in Adelaide, gave an interesting address about the conference and gave the audience much food for thought. She stressed the importance of home life in conjunction with Kindergarten training, and especially the tremendous importance of happy relationships between parents to save confusion in the child's mind.
In quoting Dr. Sabire who said that it has been proved that an unhappy home does more real harm than does the loss of either one or other of a child's parents.
It has always been the intention of past committees of Yallourn Community Kindergarten Association to run the Yallourn Kindergarten in separate groups, morning and afternoon allowing the children to get time to sleep and meals ********* in exceptional circumstances.
Miss Daws ( probably Dawson) **********also a committee member ******* spoke with much enthusiasm about this scheme and the wonderful influence it has had on families from poor homes-from babies in Health Centre and Crèche right through child hood, adolescence to parent and adult education, libraries, etc.

FOOTNOTES
1. The print of the original copy of the newspaper was extremely difficult to read and the digitised reproduction contained numerous errors.
2. ****** shows words that were illegible in the original article
3. It was documented, in other sources, that Mrs Meredith (M.B., B.S) was the Director of Baby Health Centres in Victoria, and also Maternal and Pre-School Welfare in Victoria.
4. Dr ‘Sabire’ should probably read Dr ‘Sebire.’ Further research indicates that Irene Sebire was a well-known expert in child behaviour at the time; and it is believed that she was Director of Child Guidance, Department of Health, NSW. Dr Sebire was the author of various books and papers related to child psychology.
5. The name of the other guest speaker at the meeting was probably Miss Dawson, who was a member staff of the Health Department. Miss Dawson’s name was virtually illegible but other newspaper articles point to her status in the State Health Department and her attendance at that meeting in June 1947.
6. Mr James Arthur Johns was the Parliamentary Member for Gippsland North in the Legislative Assembly. According to the Parliamentary records of Victoria, Mr Johns’ term of office was from November 1945 until November 1947. He was born in Otago (New Zealand) in 1893, served with the AIF in World War: 1 and was a member of the Maffra Shire Council from 1942-1954. Mr Johns died in 1950 at Maffra.
7. The new Yallourn Kindergarten, in Uplands Road, was opened in July 1948. Fifty-five (55) children attended during the first year of its operation.
8. Mrs McLaren was the first Directress and other teachers included Mrs Gunn and Mrs Coffey.
9. According to supporting documentation, the new kindergarten was described as a ‘most modern facility’ with up-to-date facilities such as panel heating and designed natural lighting. The building was particularly spacious and measured 1118 square feet (with the play annexe of 96 square feet)…
“First aid facilities will be provided in each toilet room. Considerable attention has been given to equipping the toilet rooms, as they are considered an important training ground for the child. Both nurseries and toilet rooms will open on to a covered play verandah, giving access to the playground with its sandpits, and a tan play area. Provision has been made for an electrically equipped kitchen, a toy-repair store and an administrative section. Mothers will be provided with a waiting room and a covered area in which to leave prams.”-‘Live Wire’.
10. The names of those children who had been enrolled at the Yallourn Kindergarten in February 1949 along with the designated starting dates and groups were also published in the ‘Live Wire.’ Many of the local family names below will be well-known to readers…
Meryl Baker, Heather Smith, Dawn Smith, Lance White, Ian Hill, Margaret Williams, Colin Webster, Bronwyn Curtis, Coral James, Bruce Lewis, Ronald Fisher, Glenys Williams, Peter Sutton, Francis White, Kenneth McLeod, Margaret Duxbury, Walter Webster, Carol White, Robyn Cairncross, Robert Guymer, Patricia Jones, David Dickson, Jill Chittem, Janet Thomas, Glenda Dainton, Andrew Deerman, Elizabeth Armstrong, Maxine Humphrey, Sylvia Vincent, Peter Campbell, Barry Brisco, David Tormey, Barry Buckley, Lesley Green, Ross Graham, Mary Hutchinson, Helene Tyers, Janice Thornton, Pauline Talbot–Wilson, Richard Sullivan, James Carlisle, Robert Waterson, Antony Hoffman, Colin Broberg, Wendy Gray ,Kevin O'Connor, Peter Allford, Kenneth Dunstan, Margaret Wood, Barry Hyde, Patricia Robertson, Stewart Price, Robert Whitmore, Spencer Sandilands and Robert Curl.
11. The play centre groups, for ‘four year children not previously enrolled’ at the kindergarten, were also published in that edition of the ‘Live Wire’ article. The children were…
Peter Jenner, Kelvin Wright, David Adams, John Duncan, David Boyes, Allan Hawkin, Colin Lawton, Geoffrey Walton, Yvonne Jones, Paul Evans, Graeme Smith, Kenneth Hender, Francis Jones and Maurice English.
12. According to the ‘SEC Magazine’ Volume 11, No:17 page 30…
“ …at opening ceremony on behalf of the SEC, General Superintendent Hunt formally presented the kindergarten to the community, endorsing the value of kindergartens and congratulating the committee of the Kindergarten Association for their hard work and fundraising” ( 1948).
13. The entire ‘Live Wire’ article, with dates and groups for the kindergarten’s first session for 1949, can be found on this website. Type ‘kindergarten’ into the search field at the top right corner of this page.
14. The following quotation was supplied by the Yallourn North Action Group and is posted on the Virtual Yallourn website…
“After much voluntary work by a large body of women, the town gained an important amenity on 3rd of July 1948 when the Kindergarten opened. Set in Uplands Road between Church Street and Broadway West, the building was modern for its time accommodating 55 children. Costing around £6.000… With the closing and demolition of the Yallourn Township, the building was relocated to Yallourn North to become the Yallourn North Bowling Club.” (2012)
15. It is hoped that all the names listed in the story have been transcribed accurately and our sincere apologies for the incorrect spelling of any family names.
16. If any readers have photographs of those early days of the Yallourn Kindergarten please forward them to Julie for posting on the website. Thank you.
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The research, writing, posting of accompanying photographs and presentation of this article were completed by Julie George and Roger Spaull for the Virtual Yallourn website in November 2015. This story is part of a Virtual Yallourn history project entitled ‘From the Newspapers’ which has been undertaken throughout the past year. A list of titles in the series can be obtained by contacting Julie.

The above extracts from the ‘Morwell Advertiser’ and the ‘Live Wire’ have been faithfully reproduced. The only amendments to the original copies are the font style, font size and spacing, so as to enhance the story for purposes of posting on the Virtual Yallourn website.