Sorell had two schools for both sexes operating as early as 1820 said Mr John Wade before giving evidence to the Imperial Parliamentary Commissioner, Mr J.T. Bigge.

The first school in the municipality was built in Sorell in 1821 and was on the site between the present school building and the headmaster’s residence. Charles Edward Hippesley Cox was the first headmaster and he received £20 per annum as well as having a convict servant with a ration and a half from stores. It was a very fine stone building. There were 57 pupils at this time.

By November 1888, the school consisted of two rooms and the old building was used as a residence until it was demolished in 1921. In 1926, the front room was reconstructed on a larger scale and an iron roof replaced the original shingles. Further sections were added in 1935, 1947 and 1952 and in 1955 a new room was built. In 1939, the schools at Cherry Tree and Wattle Hill amalgamated with Sorell, as did Forcett in 1949 and Cambridge seniors and Nugent in 1950.

Some highlights in the school’s development include:

• 1930 introduction of Agricultural training
• 1931 presentation of a century old bell by Mr Charles Birchall
• 1933 presentation of a 300 year old sundial by Mrs G.R. Davis
• 1936 introduction of home arts training for girls
• 1947 introduction of trades classes for boys

In 1827, a children’s census was taken of the lower settlement and upper settlement at Pittwater and Carlton area and below are the names of children in the district, their age and whether attending school. There is also a section about children with special family needs. The information was gathered from microfilm at the Archives Office of Tasmania. Children could attend school from age 3 to age 15.

Children at lower settlement Pittwater

Name of child	Age (in years)	Attends school
Rawlings, James	8	Yes
Rawlings, Alfrede	7	N
Buckingshaw, Mary	12	N
Buckingshaw, Eliza	2	N
Buckingshaw, Sarah	3	N
Kennedy, Ann	5	N
Kennedy, Harriett	15mo	N
Arnsow, Mary ?	9	N
Hursy, Eliza ?	2	N
Evans, James	7	N
Gangil, John	9	N
Gangil, Jacob	7	N
Gangil, Mary	5	N
Gangil, Alice	3	N
Gangil, Isaac	10mo	N
Patterson, Sarah	9	N
Patterson, William	7	N
Patterson, Mary	5	N
Patterson, Thomas	4	N
Patterson, Emma	15mo	N
Pross, Charles	2	N
Reilley, Thomas	8	N
Reilley, George	5	N
Reilley, Eliza	2	N
Bingham, George	17	can read and write
Bingham, James	15	cannot read or write
Bingham, Robert	13	N
Patterson, Eliza	15	can read and write
Wade, Lewis	9	Yes
Kemp, Richard	5	N
Kemp, Mary	3	N
Kemp, Ann	2	N
Howell, Thomas	3	N
Howell, Nancy	18mo	N
Newport, Mary	4	N
Newport, Joseph	10mo	N
Kane, Ellen	6	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Kane, Eliza	3	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Kane, Sarah	1	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Newport, Mary	13	N
Reardon, Susan	15	can read and write
Reardon, Sarah	12	Yes
Reardon, Bartholomew	10	Yes
Reardon, Robert	8	Yes
Reardon, William	5	Yes
Reardon, Edward	1	N
Roustey, William?	9	Yes
Young, Henry	13	Yes
McCandrew, Ann?	3	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
McCandrew, Mary	1	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
McNamara, Ann	14	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
McNamara, Mary	3	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Dolan, James	1	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Coggins, Margret	12	Roman Catholic can read & write
Coggins, Catharine	10	Roman Catholic can read & write
Cunningham, Ann	17	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Cunningham, Mary	14	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Cunningham, Patt	11	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Cunningham, Margret	2	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
McGowan, Honorah	15	Roman Catholic can read & write
McGowan, John	13	Roman Catholic can read & write
McGowan, James	3	Roman Catholic cannot read or write
Wolley, George	9	N
Wolley, William	4	N
Wiggins, Charles	5	N
Walker, Thomas	2	N
Walker, Susana	6mo	N
Wiggins, Martha	4	N
Wiggins, Samuel	8mo	N
Gill, Esther	5	N
Gill, Mary	3	N
Gill, Elizabeth	1	N
Gatehouse, Charles	8	Yes
Gatehouse, Mary Ann	7	N
Gatehouse, Harriett	3	N
Gatehouse, George	2	N
Allemby, Jane	3	N

 Children at upper settlement Pittwater

Name of child	Age (in years)	Attends school
Downward, Joseph	20	can read or write
Downward, Frances	17	can read or write
Downward, Edward	15	can read or write
Downward, Frederick	14	N
Downward, Jaimes	11	N
Downward, Alice	10	N
Downward, Ellen	8	N
Downward, Thomas	5	N
Downward, Margret	3	N
Downward, John	2	N
Hayton, George	3	N
Hayton, James	1	N
Glover, Eliza	15	can read or write
Glover, Henry	13	N
Glover, Charles	5	N
Billett, George	16	can read or write
Billett, James	18	can read or write
Billett, John	4	N
Billett, Walter	4mo	N
Willice, John?	6weeks	N
Kidner, Thomas	5	Yes
Kidner, Eliza	3	N
Kidner, Jean	1	N
Kidner, Ann	6	Yes
Allums, Emma	18	can read or write
Allums, Eliza	16	can read or write
Allums, William	13	N
Allums, Jacob	11	Yes
Allums, Mary	9	N
Allums, Robert	7	N
Allums, John	6	N
Allums, Edward	4	N
Birchell, James	17	can read or write
Birchell, William	15	can read or write
Birchell, Charles	12	Yes
Birchell, John	10	Yes
Birchell, George	8	Yes
Birchell, Eliza	6	Yes
Birchell, Susan	4	Yes
Birchell, Henry	2mo	N
Kimber, Edward	21	can read or write
Kimber, John	19	can read or write
Kimber, William	15	cannot read or write
Kimber, Maria	10	N
Kimber, Thomas	8	N
Kimber, Jane	4	N
Laing, John	11	Yes
Laing, Alexander	9	Yes
Laing, James	7	Yes
Laing, Susan	4	Yes
Laing, Helen	2	N
Stacy, Susan	6	Yes
Stacey, John	2	N
McQuire, Mary	3	N
Fittiss, John?	21	can read or write
Fittiss, William?	14	N
Foreman, Jane	6	Yes
Foreman, James	2	N
Foreman, Daniel	1	N
Anglum, Elizabeth?	11	Yes
Wood, Jean	7	Yes
Wood, John	5	Yes
Wood, William	3	N
Wood, Joseph	1	N
Duncomb, Sophia	17	can read or write
Duncomb, Jean	13	N
Hambley, Lucy	11	N
Dogherty, Elizabeth	9	Yes
Dogherty, James	7	Yes
Dogherty, Mary Ann	5	N
Dogherty, John	2	N
Steers, George	8	N
Larsom, Mary Ann	15	can read or write
Larsom, Richard	12	N
Larsom, Jemima	9	Yes
Larsom, Elizabeth	7	N
Larsom, Jean	4	N
Gatehouse, Mary	18	can read or write
Gatehouse, Grace	14	N
Gatehouse, Sarah	13	N
Gatehouse, John	12	N
Gatehouse, Charles	7	N
Gatehouse, George	9	N
Walker, Helen	2	N
Cox, Mary	2	N
Cox, Samuel	1	N
Wade, Ann	17	can read or write
Wade, Mary	15	can read or write
Wade, John	13	N
Wade, Henry	11	N
Wade, George	10	N
Wade, Margaret	6	N
Garrett, H. Maria	3	N
Green, Caroline	11	N
Green, Jean	8	N
Green, John	6	N
Ganard, George S.?	1	N
Culliford, George	4	N
Culliford, Ann	3	N
Culliford, Susan	1	N

 Children in the Carlton district of Gloucester

Name of child	Age in years	Attends school
Cooper, Eliza	12	No
Cooper, Elizabeth	9	No
Cooper, William	7	No
McGinnis, Sarah	5	No
McGinnis, Susan	3	No
McGinnis, Kesiah	18mo	No
McGinnis, Emily	2	No
McGinnis, William	7mo	No
Smith, William	17	Can read or write
Smith, Eliza	15	Can read or write
Smith, Abigail	10	No
Morris, Robert	17	Can read or write
Morris, Henry	14	No
Dodge, Sarah	2	No
Vallely, Mary	11	No
Vallely, Charlotte	8	No
Vallely, Francis	5	No
Vallely, Sarah	3	No
Steele, Edward Sampson	12	No
Steele, Joseph Sampson	11	No
Steele, Anthony Wylie	10	No
Steele, Richard	7	No
Steele, Mary Ellen	5	No
Steele, James Gordon	3	No
Steele, Elizabeth Ann	1	No
Brown, James	5	No

 Children with special family conditions

Orphans, male and female

Morris, Henry	14 years	Carlton	Good character	Father has been a constable of the Carlton, destroyed himself by hanging; an Inquest taken at the hollow tree.
Morris, Robert	17 years	Carlton	Good character

 

Ormon, Mary

9 years

lower settlement Pittwater

In charge of a single man at the lower Ferry, no relation. Recommended to His Excellency – from her tender years and sex, that she be provided for else where.

Males and females having a father living

Evans, James	7 years	Pittwater	Good character	Father had been free, tried for sheep stealing and sent to Macquarie Harbour.
Routley, WIlliam	9 years	Pittwater	Good character	Mother dead, father an outlaw in the woods, charged with being concerned in the murder of Mr Simpson.
Young, Henry	13 years	Pittwater	Good character	Father gone to England, has been an assistant Surgeon on this establishment.
Green, John	6 years	Sorell	Good character	Mother died, father Constable at Sorell holding a ticket of leave.
Green, Caroline	11 years	Sorell	Good character
Green, Jane	8 years	Sorell	Good character

Males and females having both parents living but in distress

Rose, John	2 years	Richmond		Illegitimate, mother’s name Dwyer a convict, child adopted by John Rose, blacksmith
Kimber, John	19 years	Pittwater	Good character	Father holds a ticket of leave, mother and six children sent out from England by Government, industrious but distressed.
Kimber, WIlliam	15 years	Pittwater	Good character
Kimber, Thomas	8 years	Pittwater	Good character
Kimber, Jane	4 years	Pittwater	Good character
Kimber, Maria	10 years	Pittwater	Good character
Evans, James	7 years	Pittwater		Father transported to Macquarie Harbour stealing sheep from Mr Gordon
Newport, Joseph	10 months	Pittwater		Illegitimate, mother free, a bad woman
Newport, Mary	4 years	Pittwater
Kennedy, Ann	5 years	Pittwater		Father had been Scoolmaster at one time in the District, sometimes cracked, inclined to be drunken when he can get it, unfit for labour, wife daughter to an old Marine – distressed
Kennedy, Harriett	15 months	Pittwater
Harry, Eliza	2.5 years	Pittwater		Father found guilty of killing a beast the property of Mr Lewis, sentence Death, transported to Macquarie Harbour.
Gould, Catharine	5 years	Jerusalem		Illegitimate, mother free, bad woman
Lynch, Ellen	6 years	Coal River		Father free by servitude, left the country, mother free, a bad woman in Hobart Town
Perryman, Zilda	4 years	Coal River		Mother a prisoner assigned to Mr Pevor, father in England

Males and females having a mother living and father deceased

Patterson, Eliza	15 years	Pittwater	Good character	Native of Hobart Town, father had been wharfinger, living with sister.
Judge, Catharine	6 years	Coal River		Living with James Stynes on charity, mother a bad character living at the black brush
Cooper, Eliza	12 years	Carlton		Father dead, mother married to Hugh McGinniss Constable of the Carlton – opulent
Cooper, Elizabeth	9 years	Carlton
Cooper, William	7 years	Carlton
Vallely, Mary	11 years	Carlton		Father dead, drowned at the Carlton, mother married to Bernard Quinton – opulent
Vallely, Charlotte	8 years	Carlton
Vallely, Francis	5 years	Carlton
Vallely, Sarah	3 years	Carlton
Cobb, William	12 years	Tea Tree Brush		Father killed by a tree falling on him at New Town, mother a very bad woman living at the Tea Tree Brush
Cobb, Hanna	8 years	Tea Tree Brush
Cobb, John	6 years	Tea Tree Brush