1871

We have three churches, and some zealous members of each. The propagators of slander are active, but few and unworthy, and the police court is only occasionally the corrector of morals. Nearly one-half of our children have removed to Gulgong and Hill End, but our numbers are still sufficient to maintain a Public School. The spirit of unity which exists amongst our population in educational matters made the school important when other affairs were at their lowest ebb. A tender has been accepted for the erection of a new school with accommodation for eighty pupils. Some of the expenses still remain to be collected. The people of Hargraves will no doubt ever feel grateful to the indefatigable members of the school board.

Something has been said about races and a picnic during Christmas holidays, and together with other amusements a grand ball - not the least attractive we - may therefore hope to hear the important event again announced, and to see the inharmonious colours of orange and green again unmeaningly displayed. Theatricals now and then give us a call, out, from the manner they deal with small communities, no one capable of appreciating the slightest elocutionary effort could be guilty of giving them a single son until they promise to 'reform altogether.'

Source: Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875) Fri 22 Dec 1871 Page 3