Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
First school building at Cannon Valley Arbor Day
In the past in sugar towns such as Proserpine, there were many districts and in each of these there were one teacher schools. One of these schools was the Cannon Valley School (situated at what is now known as Cannonvale). It served the population of Lower Cannon Valley, the beach and Jubilee Pocket, before the days of regular transport and few cars.
The school opened on April 25, 1910, with 18 pupils enrolled on the first day. In its early years, between 1910 and 1933, most of the teachers were female. One of these was Miss Lurline Argaet who was appointed in 1926.
Her father assured her it would be a great experience and a complete change, especially being "on the coast." The trip to her new post was adventurous: she took trains to Townsville and Proserpine, stayed overnight at the Palace Hotel, and was then driven twenty miles by Mr Doug Debney, President of the school committee to the valley, where Mr and Mrs Stanley, owners of a cane farm, would board her.
Picture this – It was January, the middle of the wet season. Roads were unsealed. Creeks and rivers were in flood. And then, along the way, there was a blow out in one of the tyres. Imagine Lurline’s reaction when Mr Debney dropped into the conversation the fact that the school was a further four miles on from the Stanleys but that there would be a horse for her to ride as most of the children either walked or rode to school.
The warm welcome from the Stanleys and their children lessened her apprehension. She was made to feel at home and Mrs Stanley became very interested in Lurline’s welfare. The Stanley boys were always most helpful.
Despite everything about farm life and animals being foreign to her, riding the horse wasn’t as daunting as Lurline had at first thought. Before long, she became quite adept at catching her horse, tempting him with a piece of bread and fitting his bridle and saddle. Joker, as he was called, was friendly, and although slow, he responded well when Lurline pressed her heels to nudge him forward or change direction. Water over Galbraith Creek was the only thing that frightened him. Joker was always well looked after and saddled by the boys for their teacher’s ride home.
The school was a small, high set, one roomed building with a verandah on blocks, a rainwater tank, out back toilet and a fenced in horse paddock which had large trees.
Lurline developed her own method of teaching and found the pupils very trusting. Grouped downstairs under the trees, some chanting tables, others their spelling, Lurline would be upstairs teaching new work. One afternoon lesson a week, the girls learned needlework and the boys maintained the garden. Being absent or late for school rarely occurred.
Country schools were very important to families – they were the centre of social life. There was a hall, tennis court and cricket club in almost every district. Lurline was very much a part of the social life in the Cannon Valley district – attending dances at the hall and participating in euchre and crib evenings in the home.One one of these occasions, she met Eddie Dray and they married in 1928.
Lurline’s dedication and qualifications were not enough to overcome the regulations of that era, which forced many talented women out of the profession simply because they married – and so, Lurline was required to resign in 1927 after two years of service.
Lurline Dray (nee Argaet) died suddenly at her Airlie Beach home in 1977 aged 69 years.
Story sourced from Proserpine Historical Museum archives. Photo used with permission.
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