This week’s photo, taken in 1911, is of 29 sixth class Kelso Public School students with their teacher and Kelso Public School principal, Frank Middenway.
The photo was taken outside the old brick school building, which was demolished in the late 1960s to build the current public school in Gilmour Street.
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A Union Jack flag, along with a small drum and a pair of drumsticks, are in front of the students. The flag has an interesting history.
Mr Middenway arrived in October 1908 as the new principal and departed in October 1915 when the replacement principal John Barkell arrived.
The Union Jack flag had arrived at Kelso in May 1908 from the Kelso Primary School in Scotland. It was specially presented to the school in NSW.
The presented flag had been organised in conjunction with the Bathurst Empire League.
At one of the Bathurst Empire League’s previous meetings, Will Gray had moved that “the new flag be unfurled at the Bathurst Showgrounds after it had been dedicated during a special afternoon service on Sunday 24th May”, to be held at Holy Trinity Church at Kelso.
Jack Rivett didn’t agree and felt “that Kelso should raise some little function of its own in connection with the matter”.
President Dr Machattie felt that “the Kelso children may be got together at 9 o’clock on Monday morning, and then and there perform their little ceremony, and afterwards bring the flag over to Bathurst”.
After the objections from the Kelso representatives were aired and it was thought that there would be some difficulty with arrangements, Mr Gray withdrew his motion. Mr S.G. Mitchell moved that the flag presented to the Bathurst School by Earl Bathurst again be used this year and that the new ‘Kelso’ flag could be used the following year.
Mr Whalan, who was acting chairman, said he thought they should let the matter go, and then put Mr Mitchell’s motion, declaring it carried.
The combined choirs of South Bathurst and Kelso performed in front of a large crowd during the dedication service, with many other Bathurst school pupils attending.
Another special ceremony was later conducted before a good number of parents and Kelso residents, along with Kelso Public School pupils, who assembled in the school’s grounds to witness the unfurling of the flag sent from Kelso, in North Britain (Scotland).
A new flagpole had been installed for the occasion, a little taller than the previous one. James Harvey, who had come to Kelso as principal in August 1905, was in charge of proceedings and informed those present that he had previously dispatched an Australian flag to Kelso in Scotland.
It was felt that the exchange of flags was a great means of education and tended to strengthen feeling and sentiment with the Empire, especially after the outcome of the recent Boer War. Captain Pringle, who knew “the old Kelso in Scotland”, as he had been born within 10 miles of it, had been asked to speak by Mr Harvey.
Kelso had been the captain’s birthplace and he went on to refer to many of the deeds of valour for which the Scotsmen were famed.
Mr Harvey then displayed a number of photos of the Kelso Public School and some of the students that had been sent from Kelso overseas “with all good wishes from kith and kin across the sea”.
The school children, headed by Major Machattie and Captain Pringle, then marched past and saluted the Union Jack. Cheers were given for the flag and the company sang the Australian national anthem.
The donated flag was used as part of Empire Day celebrations at the school for a number of years and on special occasions, the latter especially during the Great War 1914-18.