Largs Public School

 

Largs
Tiny historic township north of Morpeth
Located 4.5 km north of Morpeth (172 km north of Sydney, 42 km north-west of Newcastle and just 10 km north-east of Maitland) across the plains, levee banks and raised farmhouses of the Hunter Valley, is the tiny village of Largs.

A sign at the edge of town notes: 'Largs was frequented by cedargetters before being settled by the Lang family in 1821. It developed into a river port and boat-building town but declined when the river changed course.'

Just beyond the sign, unmistakably, is Largs Public School. Established in 1838 it is the oldest public school in NSW. Within the grounds (it is around the corner in John Street) is The Largs Bush School, an early colonial slab hut which contains historical documents. It is open to the public during the school year by arrangement, tel: (02) 4930 1888. The sign outside reads: 'This slab hut was built originally as a tenant farmers home sometime in the 1830s when the land was part of the Dunmore Lang estate. It stood about 100 metres south east of its present position and was lived in continuously until the 1940s. In 1978 it was relocated. The museum was established as a Bicentenary project.'

Largs School was originally known as Dunmore Estate School, as the town stands on what was originally part of the Lang family's Dunmore grant. George Lang, the original grantee, died in 1825 after getting no further than building a slab hut. Another brother, Andrew, along with his parents, William and Mary, farmed the property, adding a flour mill and various buildings. William drowned in 1830 but Andrew and Mary , worked on, building the homestead in 1833.

Andrew's brother, the Reverend John Dunmore Lang, an important figure in Australia's ecclesiastical history and a social and political activist of considerable renown, apparently laid claim to the property in the late 1830s but through the auspices of his mother abandoned his efforts.

Reverend Lang encouraged the immigration of 120 poor islanders from the west coast of Scotland in 1837. Unhappy with their initial allotment on flood-prone land near Morpeth, Andrew offered them clearing leases on the land which is now Largs. He also built the school which doubled as a house of worship. The village became known as both Dunmore and Largs, the latter after a district in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Things to see:  

 

The Old Bush School in the grounds of the Largs Public School

 

Largs Public School
The Largs Public School is located on the corner of Morpeth and Hunter Streets on the edge of the town. Established in 1838 it is the oldest public school in NSW. Within the grounds (it is around the corner in John Street) is The Largs Bush School, an early colonial slab hut which contains historical documents. It is open to the public during school hours but you must contact tel: (02) 4930 1888. The sign outside reads: 'This slab hut was built originally as a tenant farmers home sometime in the 1830s when the land was part of the Dunmore Lang estate. It stood about 100 metres south east of its present position and was lived in continuously until the 1940s. In 1978 it was relocated. The museum was established as a Bicentenary project.'

 

In the Area
A right turn at the T-intersection just beyond the school will take you 1.3 km to another T-intersection. Opposite is Dunmore House and its stone rubble outbuildings. A right turn here will take you to Woodville (2 km) and a left to Maitland.

If you turn left at the T-intersection just beyond Largs School, Largs Ave is the second right. On this corner is the old school of arts (1878). Up Largs Ave, to the right, is St Andrew's Anglican Church (1862). It has been speculated that, in adopting the name of St Andrew's for their church, the locals may have been drawn by the coincidence of Scottish saint and benevolent landlord.

 

Accommodation and Eating
There are no accommodation. AJs at the Largs Hotel offers lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday. See Morpeth for details.

 

 

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Largs