RED HILL SCHOOL RESIDENCE

Red Hill School headmaster's residence in Scully Street, Gulgong

The wrought iron has since been removed, probably at the time when the verandah floorboards were removed and the verandah cemented. The window, window sill, verandah post, doorway, and downpipe are unmistakeable. The number of bricks between the window and doorway match, and so do the two rows of smaller bricks on the right side of the window.

The residence site at the junction of Cooyal and Scully streets was chosen in 1888.

Mr Alfred P Lambert was the headmaster at this time and he was in charge of the school for 26 years, from 1888 to 1914. He and his family moved into the new house on 22nd October 1891. There were 9 children, 7 girls and 2 boys.

The Lambert children were:

• Gladys [born 1885]. 
• Gertrude M.[1888], 
• Kathleen A. [1890], 
• Doris M. [1891],
• Guy L. [1894], 
• Gwendoline [1896], 
• Brenda [1898], 
• Isobel J. [1903], 
• Clive [1911].

All children but Gladys were born at Gulgong.

The seven girls in the photo having a tea party would be the Lambert girls, but the lady in the middle is most likely not their mother, Mrs Lambert. It is possibly one of the teachers at Red Hill.

Sources: BDM; History of the Public School by M J Cock; Gulgong newspaper items.
Researched by Ruth Davis. 

Visual verification and photography by Barry Baldwin.

The same building in 2022