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Abernethy, Kate

Kate Abernethy was born on 27 June 1858, the third of twelve children to teacher James Abernethy and his wife Eliza nee Dougherty. Kate's teaching experience began with helping her father in his school, then in late 1877, aged nineteen, she undertook three months training at Yass Church of England School in preparation for employment with the state education service. She was granted £11.12.2 toward training expenses on the basis she would serve a minimum two years.

Kate was appointed to Majura Provisional School at the end of January 1878, replacing Catherine Corbett, who had resigned after three years, stating the school's low attendance generated insufficient income to support her. As Kate took charge, school inspector Murray proposed a new fee scale for Majura - 9 pence/week for the first child in a family and 6 pence for each subsequent child, an increase of 3 pence/week over the former rate. The local board protested this increase (with Kate's support), but their objection was unsuccessful, as were ongoing requests to fence the school grounds and install water closets (toilets). The absence of a fence prevented pupils riding horses to school, so instead they had 'to come on foot such great distance through long grass and over creeks (which) necessitated their sitting in damp clothes to the injury of their health'.

Despite these issues with the school site, Kate reported an average attendance of 20 pupils over the course of the year. At regular inspection in August, the unsatisfactory nature of the site was reinforced by the inspector's report. His assessment of Kate's efficiency was more approving, noting her judicious discipline, her skill and care with instruction, and the tolerable student attainments.

At the end of her first year of teaching Kate applied to resign – not due to salary or conditions but to marry Francis Lowe McPhail, a second-generation teacher like herself, who was about to take up appointment in the Bathurst District. (Francis' father was Samuel Rae McPhail). Kate's final day at Majura was 31 December 1878, which was also her wedding day. Since she had completed only one year of service, she was expected to repay her training allowance in full but managed to convince authorities to accept her offer to repay half, adeptly arguing that as a teacher's wife she would be assisting in her husband's school so was not 'altogether leaving the Council's service'

Over the next thirty years, Kate supported her husband in his various postings to NSW rural schools including Oberon, Mitchells Creek, Junee, Koorawatha, and Nevertire. They had several children, at least two of whom gained employment with the Department of Education. Kate was widowed in 1923 and lived her final years in Bondi with a disabled son. In 1933, the strange circumstances of her death made the newspapers. A neighbour found Kate dead on her bedroom floor and her son with a head wound lying unconscious in another room. Although police initially suspected they had been attacked, the tragedy was later deemed 'an unfortunate accident', the son having fallen and hit his head while having a seizure, and Kate's coincident death attributed to a 'weak heart'.

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Biography prepared by Joanne Toohey, 2023. Sources consulted include NSW school teachers' rolls 1868-1908, NSW school and related records 1876-1979, historic newspapers, NSW births, deaths and marriages online index and Early Education and Schools in the Canberra Region, (1999) by Lyall Gillespie.

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