It’s time to line up and head back into the classroom this week for Territory school kids. Here, Mrs Newbold greets her full compliment of students of Ross River School, about 80 kilometres west of Alice Springs in 1965. On Arrernte country, but run as a pastoral lease from 1896, the school mostly serviced the little ones of Loves Creek Station. From all accounts, the classroom which was also known as ‘cabin 13’, was a little spooky, too spooky in fact for local tourists to stay in, so instead became the schoolroom. Former students recall some sort of portrait above the fireplace with eyes that seemed to follow you around the room.

Image: Robin Smith Collection, Northern Territory Library

Published: 21 July 2019