The majority of these small schools, nearly all one-teacher, have now closed due to falling enrolments, improved transport or State government economic decisions.

Those no longer viable, that operated the longest, were Limbri (108 yrs), Goonoo Goonoo (104 yrs), Bowling Alley Point (101 yrs), Gowrie (85 yrs) & Moore Creek (81 yrs).

There were actually 36 of these now closed small schools operating within a 40km radius of Tamworth City over 148 years from 1860 to 2008, with 27 of these schools all operating at the start of World War I.

The latest of these to close were Piallamore (1965), Goonoo Goonoo (1966), Garoo (1966), Bithramere (1968), Garthowen (1969), Moore Creek (1969), Gowrie (1969), Bowliong Alley Point (1970), Loomberah (1978) and Limbri (2008).

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Well I remember a couple of these, Garoo & Goonoo Goonoo, having taught at both of them on District Relief Staff for a couple of weeks in 1965.

Many Tamworth district residents will remember their days growing up in some of these great little country schools, a comprehensive list of which is as follows - Attunga Springs (1880-1914), Bective (1887-1957), Bective Soldiers Settlement (1929-1942), Bithramere (1911-1968), Bona Vista (1884-1914), Bowling Alley Point (1869-1970), Brown Springs (1916-1947), Byamee (1928-1960), Calala (1920-1954), Cockburn River (1870-1947), Duncans Creek (1887-1948), Ferntop (1912-1927), Garoo (1954-1966), Garthowen (1913-1969), Grey (1887-1905), Hallsville (1882-1968), Loomberah (1911-1978), Limbri (1900-2008), Moore Creek (1878-1969), Mulla Creek (1903-1914), Oakvale (1905-1947), Phillip (1909-1940), Piallamore (1912-1965), Sugarloaf/Tamarang (1891-1907), Tangaratta (1911-1928), The Forest (1883-1946), Upper Dungowan (1874-1921), Upper Nemingha (1910-1912), Walhallow Forest (1887-1892), Warral (1911-1925), Winton (1892-1940) & Woodlands (1897-1921).

Along with many others throughout Australia, all these listed closed Bush Schools have their own special tales to tell, but here we concentrate on one - that of Gowrie School in our Peel Valley.

Reflecting the increased number of settlers entering the Peel Valley, Gowrie residents applied to establish a local school in 1880, the year in which the Public Instruction Act made school attendance compulsory.

The School eventually opened on a 9 hectare block in 1884, a weatherboard building capable of accommodating 45 pupils, together with a 3 room plus kitchen residence.

Enrolment at the school in the early years was unstable, with the numbers at times dropping to "provisional' status, and not "primary school" status.

This reduced the teacher's salary to the extent that during the 1890's a male teacher with a wife and 2 children received only 95 pounds per annum.

There was cause for celebration in Gowrie in 1892 when the school won a medallion at the Chicago Exhibition for sewing-design samples.

By 1901 the school enrolment had dropped to 11. This led to the school being degraded to a "half-time" school in 1902, sharing its teacher with Sugarloaf School on alternate days.

Gowrie School closed in 1906, but soon re-opened in 1907, only to close again in 1910, then re-open in 1911 as a "half-time" with Grey School. With 21 pupils in 1913, Gowrie School progressed from "half-time" to "provisional", thence to a Public School in 1915, retaining this status until its closure 54 years later in 1969.

Enrolment in 1919 was 29, growing to 50 in mid-1920. In 1928 a horse-drawn bus brought schoolchildren from Goonoo Goonoo to Gowrie School.

In 1921 the Education Department stated the school buildings were "old-fashioned, dilapidated, cracked, destroyed by rats and white ants."

Ventilation, lighting, shade and shelter were all deemed below standard. Some assistance funding was applied but this was restricted due to enrolment uncertainty. A fire had broken out in the residence in 1935, thought to have been caused by rats.

The residence was condemned in 1939, with the school building demolished and replaced by the disused school building from Warrah Creek. Being so close to Spring Creek, Gowrie School had to be closed several times because of floods.

The school building was used for many local purposes, including Cricket & Tennis Club social events.

In 1931 Cecil (Pop) Jones arrived at Gowrie Public School, going on to become the longest-serving teacher for 23 years, until 1954. By his arrival the school enrolment had fallen to 17.

When the residence was condemned and sold he moved to live in Tamworth, as did subsequent Gowrie teachers.

Chris Peoples (1968/69) was the last teacher at Gowrie School. There had been 24 teachers at the School over the 85 year period of its existence, starting with John Reily (1884-1886).

The Education Department introduced a bus service that took Gowrie students to other schools, resulting in the Gowrie School closure on December 11, 1969.

Most of the children travelled by bus to Hillvue School in Tamworth, which opened in 1970. Interesting to note that 7 of our Bush Schools closed in the period 1966 - 1970.

The Gowrie School building was left in place to be used as a community meeting place, but unfortunately was destroyed by fire on the night of December 18, 1971, with only the steps and stumps surviving.

The Whitten, Brockhurst, Ausling, Marshall, Reading, Cook & McGaffin families were amongst many serviced by Gowrie School over the years.

Of somewhat related interest to this article is the fact that Nundle Public School will celebrate its Sesqui-Centenary in September this year (1872 - 2022) - 150 years! Another school that I taught at for a couple of weeks in 1965 - then Nundle Central School.

Mike Cashman - Tamworth Historical Society