Historical information

A text book used by a local Tawonga student in the 1930's. The school she attended was Rosehill Girls School in Albury. This was one of the foundation schools of Scots School, Albury. Rosehill was opened in 1926 by a Miss Lillian Windridge, for both day and boarding students, in a large former residential property on the corner of Crisp and Young Streets and was named after her uncle's property 'Rosehill' near Kyneton in Victoria. It catered from kindergarten to the Leaving Class. The school flourished and extra space was made available at the adjacent 'Springfield' property for more classrooms.
In 1934 lack of space forced 'Rosehill' to move to a new location in Kiewa Street. In 1938, Miss Windridge sold the school to Miss Anna Drennan, a well educated Scots woman with a Masters' degree from Edinburgh University. By early 1939 the school was again overcrowded and was moved to the property 'Woodstock' in Schubach Street, East Albury and the name changed to 'Woodstock School for Girls'. In 1972, the Woodstock Presbyterian Girls School and the Albury Grammar School amalgamated to form the Scots School Albury.
Wilma's family were one of the early families to settle in the Kiewa Valley and had a property at Tawonga. After her marriage, Wilma moved, with her husband, to Mt. Beauty until 1958 when they moved back to manage the farm and remained there for the rest of her life.

Significance

It has a social significance as it depicts the standard of literature that was expected to be read and appreciated by students in the 1930's era. As the school was situated in Albury, it meant that the student would have been a boarder as daily transport to and from the Kiewa Valley would have been impossible at that time, unlike the 'School Bus' run that is available today. At this time there was no 'secondary education' available in the valley and education beyond primary school would have been limited to children of families that could afford to send their children to board at privately run schools.

Physical description

Book of literature by Charles Dickens. Has green cover with black lettering and decoration. It seems to be one of a series of books called the 'Highways and Byways of English Literature".

Inscriptions & markings

On the front cover, at the top, 'Highway and Byways of English Literature'. Centre of page is the title "The Cricket on the Hearth" and the author Dickens. Underneath this is 'Blackies English Texts Edited by W.H.D.Rouse, Litt.D." Across the foot of the page is 'Blackie and Son Limited'. On the first page, hand written in ink is "Wilma Roper, Rosehill G.S.,Albury."