Historical information

This book, marked ‘W. College, 1890’, has been in the collection of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society for a great number of years. It is presumed that the ‘W’ stands for Warrnambool and that the book belonged to a pupil or teacher from the Warrnambool College run by James Scott. This school commenced in 1887 in ‘Airlie’ in Henna Street and was at ‘Ashton’ (now part of Emmanuel College) from 1889 to 1899. The owner of the book, ‘N.’ (or W). H.’, has not been identified but it looks like a teacher’s handbook, rather than that of a pupil.

Significance

This book is important, firstly for its antiquarian interest and as an example of a 19th century school text book and secondly for its association with James Scott’s Warrnambool College, a prominent private school in Warrnambool in the 19th century.

Physical description

This is a hard cover book of 328 pages, with some pages at the back listing other books published by Ward and Lock. The cover is dark red with gold and black lettering on the front cover and on the spine. The book has a Preface and an Introduction and there are several ornamental scrolls at the beginning and end of the text sections. The inscription is handwritten in pencil.

Inscriptions & markings

‘N (or W) H.’
‘W. College, 1890’