Return to Chain of Ponds School

 On the site of Chain of Ponds School. (l-r) author Garry Smith, GDHS archivist Keith Brown, Harold Hazell & Lyn Polsen (nee Hazell)

This article is by guest blogger and Alchin family chronicler Garry Smith

When the Chain of Ponds School burned down in October 1916 only the stone chimney and the water tank were left standing. The children still in attendance in that year were transferred to Lade Vale School. Among the many local names in attendance at the school during its history were Alchin, Hinds, King, Robinson, Waters, Bayley, Hately and Hazell; I am related to some of these families.

Among the recent visitors to the site of the long gone school was Harold Hazell and his daughter Lyn Polsen (nee Hazell). Although I was there to represent the Alchin family, it is noteworthy that Harold’s grandmother, Mary Jane Hazell (nee Alchin) (1875-1941) was my great aunt. She was the daughter of Charles Alchin (1837-1908) and Mary Alchin (nee Stear) (1843-1897) – my great, great grandparents. That makes Harold and me second cousins.

At the school site, our arrival was greeted by a stampede of kangaroos; nineteen Eastern Greys according to Keith’s excellent counting skills. The evidence of their occupation, along with numerous cow pats, was obvious.

Keith, Harold, Lyn & Bob Spiller gather round a potential archaeological “dig site”

The family connections were there to explore later; we gathered on the site of the destroyed school to examine the area and look for remnant evidence of the school. Bob Spiller, along with local historian Keith Brown, soon had relevant elements of the area pointed out by Harold, including the school paddock area and the actual school building site.

"Please sir, may I leave the room?".  Keith Brown and Garry Smith, standing behind a former toilet site and supervised by Harold Hazell, demonstrate the etiquette required of young scholars at the Chain of Ponds school in asking their teacher if they could take a bladder break.

A rather unusual Alchin family connection for me was the involvement of Ernest Alchin in 1910 as the successful tenderer for the disposal of the “soil” from the water closets at the school. Ernest William Alchin (1878-1953) was the son of William James Alchin (1827-1913) and Jane Johnson (1843-1922), my great, great uncle and aunt; you must find family wherever you can.

Can you spot a family resemblance? Second cousins Garry and Harold examine a piece of slate from a mixed pile of stones which probably made up a chimney or tank stand.