Emu Hill School

Author

Shire of Narembeen

Place Number

24761

Enlarge Map

Show Property Street View

There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.

Location

Emu Hill Townsite Emu Hill

Location Details

south of Narembeen

Other Name(s)

Latham's farm "Hythe"

Local Government

Narembeen

Region

Wheatbelt

Construction Date

Constructed from 1913

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	31 Jul 1996	Category 5	Category 5 An historic site without built features. Recommend that the site is recognised by means of a plaque, place name, interpretive material, or an architectural or urban design, in due course.

Statement of Significance

The site represents considerable associations with the pioneers of the district and demonstrate a way of life.

History

CG Latham took up a 160 homestead block and developed 965 acres on conditional purchase in 1910. It subsequently bordered immediately south of the private townsite of Narembeen after his neighbour Tom Savage sold part of his farm to Connelly and Hale. C G Latham was a pioneer of the Narembeen district, taking up his land in 1910. He was a foundation member of the Bruce Rock Roads Board and the inaugural Chairman of the Narembeen Roads Board. He was a Minister in the Mitchell Government and Leader of the Opposition He led the Country Party from 1930 to 1942 and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1946. In 1960, the year he retired, Charles Latham was knighted for service to the public.
Education was an important issue for the settlers in the developing communities, and by 1911 the Emu hill settlers recognised the need to educate their children. The secretary(Alf Henley) of the Emu Hill and Eastern Districts progress Association wrote to the Inspector general of schools requesting a school. In 1913 the Emu Hill School was built on the corner of Latham's property, after some discussion with regard to the site.
School opened with only 5 students on 14 February 1914. Enrolment improved only marginally, and the Education Department suggested the school drop to Assisted status where the parents subsidise the teacher's salary. In may 1915 that arrangement was put in place with a new teacher, and the enrolments increased such that the Education Department assumed responsibility for the teacher's salary.
On the 22 February 1915, the first wedding in the Narembeen district took place in the school room. Mary and Randolph Hilton were married, and the bride was "given away" by Charles Latham. Fricker's house was used for the wedding breakfast before the entire community returned to the school room for the evening dance. Social evenings and dances were held in the school room, which was the only community venue in the region.
In 1916 Fricker cropped the block around the school to supplement the teacher's salary. After the Wadderin School opened in 1919, the Emu Hill School closed only a few months later when it could not maintain the minimum number of eight students to keep the school open. It was later relocated to its existing site in the Narembeen School Precinct.

Condition

Site

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	Bristow I; "Seedtime & Harvest A History of the Narembeen District 1888-1988".	Shire of Narembeen	1988

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Present Use	VACANT\UNUSED	Vacant\Unused
Original Use	EDUCATIONAL	Primary School

Historic Themes

General	Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES	Education & science

Creation Date

08 Apr 2002

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.