Origin of the name “Moorefield”

 

1796 – Patrick Moore was convicted in county Meath, Ireland and transported to NSW for life.

1797, May 27 – Moore arrived in NSW aboard the “Britannia”.  He worked as a blacksmith in Parramatta and co-habited with Rose Green.  They had three children all of whom eventually predeceased Patrick and Rose.

1806 – Patrick was granted a conditional pardon.

1812, August 25 – Irish emancipist, Patrick Moore, was granted 60 acres at Botany Bay which he farmed.

1851, September 29 – Patrick died and the property passed into the hands of a second Patrick Moore who was the Irish born nephew of the original Patrick Moore.  Patrick (nephew) increased his landholdings at Kogarah to 163 acres a lot of which was Patmore’s Swamp.

1877 – Patrick (nephew) died and the estate (which included a magnificent two storey mansion facing President Ave) was passed to his wife and only son Peter, then aged 21.

1884 -Peter Moore embarked on a bold speculation to establish horse racing in the now developing St George district.  His racecourse, to be called Moorefield Race Course, would be on a scale comparable with any course in Sydney.

1888, October 13 – First race meeting at Moorefield Race Course was a resounding success.  A crowd of over 3000 filled the ground.

Ø Earnshaw, Beverley. The land between two rivers : the St George district in federation times, Kogarah, N.S.W. : Kogarah Historical Society, 2001.

  

Moorefield Girls High School & James Cook Boys High School

 

1954 – The initial First Year intake of Moorefield students was “housed” in four spare rooms of the then new Jannali Girls High.  The following year these students were split and those who lived on the St George side of the Georges River attended Hurstville Girls Junior High while those who lived on the Sutherland side of the Georges River attended the new Port Hacking High (co-ed).

1954, July – 19 (27?) acres (bordered by Princes Highway and President Avenue) purchased from Sydney Turf Club by the Education Department for £60,000.

1955, January – Moorefield Girls High School originally opened as Hurstville Girls Junior High School having moved into buildings vacated by Hurstville Central Home Science School which had moved to and became Penshurst Girls High School.  There were 3 First Year classes and the 2 Second Year classes were students who had transferred from Jannali Girls High School. 

1955, November – Monier Builders P/L tendered to build two secondary schools to serve surrounding districts.  Maximum enrolment 1000 pupils each school.  A Technical College was to be erected on an adjoining site of 9 acres.

1956 – Minister for Education, Mr R J Heffron approved tender of Monier Builders Pty Ltd for Stage One of high school project for £160,000.  Stage One to consist of a manual training block, a home science block, assembly areas and paths, toilets, shelters and special food preparation units.  The two new blocks to be used as temporary classrooms until Stage Two was complete.

Hurstville Girls Junior High now had 4 First Year classes, 3 Second Year classes and its 2 Third Year classes who undertook the Intermediate Certificate.

1957, February – First stages of both schools were occupied at the beginning of the school year by First Year students only (359 boys and 408 girls).  Other years remained at Hurstville Girls’ Junior High School until completion of Stage Two.  The total cost of Stage One, for both schools was £160,000.  Work on boy’s was school temporarily suspended.

1957, April – Projected completion date of the girls’ school with the exception of Administration and Science Blocks.  Classroom Block was completed and 275 girls in Second, Third and Fourth Years transferred from Hurstville Girls Junior High.

1957, July – Projected recommencement of work on boys’ school.

1957, December – Projected completion of both schools.  Expected cost of Stage Two, £345,000.  Total enrolment at Moorefield Girls High School was 681 students.  Total building cost of two schools was eventually £512,000.

1958 – Nineteen Fifth Year students were the first Moorefield girls to sit for the Leaving Certificate.

1959, August – Enrolment at James Cook Boys’ High had increased to 950.

1973 – Library & Science Block                       

???? – Gymnasium