Born To Teach And To Guide….

Barbara Wright (nee Atkin) 1907 - 1986

Barbara Eleanor Atkin and twin brother, Walter, were born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1907. The family, which included a sister, Mary, lived in Egypt until Barbara was eleven when they moved to the Manchester area in England.

Most of Barbara’s education was at Merchant Taylor’s School for Girls in Manchester and at the age of twenty-one, she sailed for Australia on the “Hobson’s Bay”, arriving in Brisbane in March 1928. She enrolled at the Teacher’s College in Turbot Street in a short course designed to put teachers into one-teacher schools throughout Queensland. To help support herself, she tutored others who were having trouble with the course.

It was a great day for the school, when in 1929, Miss Atkin began teaching at the Strathdickie State School, a school with mostly all boys at that time. No one wanted to board the “Pommie” teacher, but Mr and Mrs J B Lewis came to the rescue. She became part of their family. Requiring transport, the Lewis children taught her how to ride a horse.  Despite a ‘buster’ or two, she was soon at home on horseback.

Barbara’s kind disposition and willingness to help her pupils and school were appreciated and she worked well with the school committee. In the school room, two things were enjoyed by the children - her keeping strictly to the timetable for lessons and recess and her reluctance to use the cane, so different from how it had been previously. Some boys who had trouble with formal learning were put to work in the garden. She must have been on the right track as they became successful farmers in later years. Some children were taught by Miss Atkin for all their school years.

One day, a strange man arrived at the gate and Barbara greeted him affectionately. Excitedly, the kids all whispered, “Teacher’s got a boyfriend!” However, teachers are knowing people and when Miss Atkin returned to the classroom she announced, “Just in case you are wondering, that was my twin brother, out from England!”

Friday afternoons, Barbara and the teacher from the Lower Gregory School, Miss Pacey, often rode out on their horses and met half way along the road between their schools to discuss the week’s work – such a different sort of staff meeting.

Barbara joined in the social life of the district. She was a good tennis player, at weekends joining in the district’s competitions. Each Tuesday, she played bridge with neighbours, the Jordans and on Thursdays carried her gramophone and records over to Hinschen’s home, so all could enjoy a musical evening.

Barbara taught at Strathdickie School until 1937 when she resigned to marry station hand, Jim Wright. They initially lived on a farm in Wright Road, Strathdickie before moving into Proserpine, rearing five daughters and one son. Barbara sewed all their clothes and provided healthy meals despite money being tight at times.

In 1962, Barbara was appointed as the very first lay teacher at St Catherine’s School, fulfilling this position for some years. She also tutored high school students in English and Maths - dedicated to assisting students both in the classroom and after school hours.

A captain in the Girl Guide Movement for many years, Barbara arranged Friday night dances for school children at the Diggers’ Hall. These were very well attended and much fun. Barbara always rode a bike, so bike-hikes were another guiding activity she encouraged, often to Perske’s Crossing at the river.

One of her friends once said of her, “Anyone who went to Barbara with a problem came away feeling better about it, even it wasn’t solved.”

Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum and daughter, Bernardine Stevens.

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