These trials and tribulations were observed when reading the Ewlyamartup file at the Battye Library.

Ewlyamartup school opened in 1905 with M. Scadden as teacher and everything must have gone quite well as she never complained to the Education Department. There was also a mention of another schoolteacher by the name of Beatrix May Brady, who may have only spent a short time there.

1906
Our files revealed that the Steicke’s left for South Australia and let their property to Mr Oehms and Mr Harris left for England. Mrs Oehms has consented to board the teacher. The Education Department paid Mr Steicke £I45.5.11 for repairs to the school.

1907
Mr William Close (Cassarine) requested the shifting of the school and a query was sent to the school as to whether Mr Chas A. Harris, J.B. Steicke, E.H. Kube, E.A. Hoffman, J. Scadden, John G. Reimers, Arnold E. Piesse and J. Wilson were still in the district.
Mrs Ogden was teacher, and the roll call was Ben Steicke, Royston Kemble, Beno Kube, Clarence Warren, Stella Oehms, Isabel Ogden, Florence Kemble, Gertrude Hueppauff, Helen Ogden, Clarrice Oehms, Linda Kube, Lena Hueppauff, Christie Penny, Maley Hayward and Richard Toby (seven boys and eight girls). W. Warren was listed as a station manager for A.E. Piesse.

1908
In September of this year the school closed without any references in the file as to why. When pupils number less than ten it was classed as a provisional school.

1912
The Ewlyamartup school was shifted from the top of the hill where the railway line now runs to a five-acre area adjoining the railway siding. It reopened on 6th November 1912 with Miss Rose Scott as teacher,

1913
The year commenced with a broken window. When Miss Scott enquired who broke the window there was no answer and she had to appeal to the Education Department to have it repaired. This news was not joyously received at the Education Department as the school had only operated for roughly one month. After further questioning of the pupils, it was discovered that Vernon James and Irvine Coventry had competed to see who could throw stones over the school Vernon at fourteen years did not break the window and Irvine at eleven years owned up. Mrs Coventry said she would pay for half the cost but Mr. James said she was not paying for it as Vernon was not going to school he was a working lad. Enquiries in August the following year to see if it had replaced didn’t even rate a reply so presumably it was.

1914
Miss Bose Scott reported e leaking tap. Miss Scott wished to purchase some rabbit netting as rabbits were becoming quite a problem. This was obtained and the fence was built.
No further reports appeared until 1917. These were war times as the 1914-1918 war was in progress.

1917
A garden was commenced.

1918
Miss Scott wished to purchase some rabbit netting as rabbits were becoming quite a problem. This was obtained and the fence built.

1921
Miss Myrtle Martin was the teacher.

1922
Miss Martin, the teacher, requested some hinges for a gate. Rev. Burbidge of Katanning had visited the school and wrote to the Education Department stating some repairs were needed.

1923
J. Garlick received one pound for repairs to the school.

1925
Laura Robinson was teaching at Ewlyamartup. Kleeman’s of Katanning repaired a door catch and put up five new blinds. There were twenty six pupils enrolled in 1925.
Mr C.R. Harris wrote to the Education Department requesting that school should be held in the hail as the school building was only 9ft 9inches in height and the chimney smoked and the school, being an iron building, was very hot whereas the hall was a high concrete building. Mr Rockcliffe was the school inspector.

1926 
A verandah was added to the school in an endeavour to help conditions.

1927
Miss Sylvia Kemble, although she was only seventeen and riot qualified, kindly taught the children at Ewlyamartup from Easter until the end of the year. There was a severe shortage of schoolteachers. Mrs Oehms boarded the teacher.
The school closed for five to six weeks owing to lack of accommodation.

1930
Mrs Bliss requested the school be shifted. This was refused and a concrete floor was laid in the porch and an application for a wall blackboard was made.

1931
Four Wells boys joined the Ewlyamartup school and travelled six miles to attend.

1932
Miss Cameron was teaching.

1935
Miss N. Douglas was teacher and reported a severe windstorm had blown the boys toilet upside down

1936
Leslie Johnson started teaching Miss Florence Craig took over on 5th June 1936 and a wall blackboard was obtained.

1937
Mr J Browns was teaching.
The chimney was rebuilt, and repairs done while pupils on vacation commencing 22nd August 1936 – Cost £115/7/00.
Mr Larsen completed the year and continued teaching for another two years.

1939
Twelve boys and ten girls enrolled.

1940
Mr Bernie Withers taught swimming lessons as extreme heat ranging from 108°f – 113°f was recorded. The children’s swimming was very much improved.

1941
Mr Bernie Withers continued as an enthusiastic teacher.

1942     
Mrs West had renovations done costing £12/2/6 on 11th July. Mrs Hart also taught for some time in 1942.
Two tanks were to be cleaned, the cost not to exceed ten shillings (10/-). Two letters were written requesting a sanitary pan over two months before it was obtained.

1943
Miss Mary Davern was the last teacher, as the school closed in December of that year.
With only seven pupils enrolled in 1943 the parents protested to the closure of school – those being Antonio, Hanna, Hueppauff and Halden.
Miss Nellie Antonio wrote to the Education Department with an estimated cost of three pounds for Kevin Antonio to transfer all furniture books etc., into a closed railway van. Kevin received two pounds for his troubles.
An application to buy the rabbit proof netting was received from Mr Fred Hanna, which was refused.

1944
Mr Claude Garlick rode around the district on his motor bike to get names of intended pupils for a bus run and, in 1945, Mr Paddy McAuliffe commenced the Ewlyamartup bus service

DOROTHY RANGOTT, now Mrs Lyall Slater, gave a vivid account of how she drove a horse and sulky about seven miles to school. They would go slow until they were nearing Daly’s property and, if the Daly girls wore coming with their horse and sulky, they would race to school. In her last year of school, she rode a horse. Dorrie left Ewlyamartup school to attend Katanning school where she was a head girl and helped the flag for the Centenary celebrations in 1929. She later taught dressmaking at night classes at Katanning High School.

MARGARET HEUPPAUFF, now Mrs Ted LeQuaitermaine, remembered very clearly how Mr Bernie Withers was a super sports teacher. He also excelled at teaching singing. The teacher who followed him claimed the singing was first class. He also taught woodwork and built a boat.

TED HEUPPAUFF went to Ewlyamartup school from 1937 to 1940. Jim Walsh, Fred Bliss and Albert Bliss were his best friends. He enjoyed woodwork and science with Bernie Withers.

FRANK HUEPPAUFF remembers the parents holding euchre parties to raise funds for schoolbooks.
He also remembers how the children helped to clear some of the block and Mr Eddie Hueppauff ploughed and seeded it with wheat and Mr Charlie Antonio stripped the wheat with his A L harvester. The proceeds went towards the cost of books.

EVELYN HANNA, later Mrs Ted Baxter, recalled Miss Cameron being extra severe one day, so Tom Antonio and Hughie Stanford made an animal trap along the road where the teacher would be walking home.

JOSEPHINE ANTONIO, now Mrs Alan Emery, has some bad memories of when an epidemic of measles kept all but Tom, Peggy and herself from attending school. She also recalled the time when Miss Douglas gave her the cane and her hand started to so the teacher had to bandage it.                         

MABEL FIDOCK, later Mrs Reg Crosby, claims Ewlyamartup children were no different in the early days than any other early school. Some of the children had a problem with head lice. She sat next to Willie James and one day he scratched his head, a louse fell on his pad he quickly put his finger on it and exclaimed “it’s dead”! Willie was a quite a lad. He was in trouble with the teacher, so he jumped out of the window and went home.

ELIZABETH HUEPPAUFF, who was a bright student, would have liked to go to high school. Betty travelled to school about four miles with her brother Alfred and took cousin Ted with them in horse and cart. She later married Walter Dablestein and is still an ardent reader.

KEVIN ANTONIO had memories of the school doctor visiting the school. Also, of a fancy-dress party when he played William     Tell. He jumped through the window and cut his head.

LLOYD GARLICK enjoyed his gardening at Ewlyamartup school and kindly loaded a photo to prove it. I appreciate it as photos of school days are treasures. Lloyd attended this school for a short time in 1923. He then travelled to Katanning school with horse and sulky, picking up the Clapp girls on the way. In 1927 – 1930 he returned to Ewlyamartup school.

The Garlick family home – c 1920’s

LINDA KUBE, Now Mrs Leppard, remembered a special day at school when a visit from Katanning Road Board members and politicians was arranged and parents awaited their arrival as they wished to ask for a bridge at what was known to them as Reimers Creek. The creek is situated on the Pingrup Road about eleven to twelve kilometres from Katanning. The visitors were very late for their appointment as they had been bogged in the creek, so the bridge was built and was only replaced in 1981.

ROBERT COVENTRY had vivid recollections of lunch times at school when the children watched the farmers of the area driving the horses loaded wagons of bagged wheat to the siding.

KEITH HEUPPAUFF realised school at Ewlyamartup was really great after his brother and sister had to do correspondence schooling after the closure of the school. He claimed the best part of correspondence was a trip to Perth at the end of the year when the children were shown through many factories.