Life In The Days of The Old Schoolhouse

Back around the time of the 1850's this block of land we live on was actually the site of the old local school house. Around 150 years ago, this little town of ours was a hive of activity - believe it or not. Apparently there was heaps of people that lived here, many more than the dwindling 300 people we have now. Our town was so busy and populated because it was a gold mining town.

About 50 meters from our front door is the remnants of the old school house that stood on top of this hill we now live on. Unfortunately, over the years the school house has crumbled away and today there is not much left of it at all - in fact there is only the chimney left - barely standing.

As you can see by the photos, every so often more bricks fall off of it, and soon enough it will probably be gone altogether, which I think our landlord will be happy about - then he can build there.

It is quite sad actually, to imagine that 150 years ago children ran around and happily played here and went to school in the old school house which now barley exists and will one day be completely gone.

We have two huge, very old pine trees out the front of our house which would have been here back in those days - I can imagine the children playing, chasing each other around the trees - I suppose one day they will be gone too.

I often wonder what life was like back then. I went to our little cemetery the other day and was shocked to see how many graves were there of such small children. Here I am today, complaining of how far away we live from things and how long it takes to go anywhere, but I now realise how much harder it would have been then, especially if a child became ill - there would be no 40 min drive in the car to the hospital. Help would have been much slower then, and I suppose that is why so many small children died.


.... Just another day ....