Below is a list of people who were among the first settlers of the Huon Valley region and who were vital to education in the Valley. If you have any information or photographs that could be of value to this page that you would like to add, please feel free to contribute.

Resource: "The Cyclopedia of Tasmania" Printed 1900.
Kindly supplied by Peter Clark.

For more information the Families, visit the Colonial Tasmanian Family Links database:
http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=8

Crawford originated from Hagley, near Deloraine, where he was educated. He completed his studies at Launceston Church Grammar School. As a boy he took a State School exhibition, and as of 1900 held the record for the highest number of marks ever obtained in the colony by a boy under twelve years of age, having got 1105 out of 1200. At the Church Grammar School Crawford was under Rev. W.H Savigny and Mr E.A Nathan.

After leaving school in 1885, he took up teaching, and went through his preliminaries with W.H Kidd, of Charles Street State School, Launceston. Crawford was next engaged at the Central State School in Hobart, where he remained for a year. During this time he studied at the Model School, Battery Point, under E McPhee. From Hobart he took charge of the Woodsdale school, in the Oatlands district, for a year, and then, after serving three years at White Hills and four at Mangana, he was appointed to Franklin in August 1896.

He married Miss Irvine, daughter of Peter Irvine, a well-known mining identity of the East and West Coasts. Crawford took a great interest in all social functions. He was a member of the Masons and was associated with the M.U.I.O.O.F. Robert Crawford was choirmaster of the Church of England, and his annual cantata, in which his schoolchildren preformed, was a social event always happily looked forward to. He resided in a neat little cottage adjoining the schoolhouse, and did some small-scale orcharding.

The principal, Mr. J.A Mulligan, was born at Bridgewater in 1868, and was the youngest son of William Mulligan. He was educated at Bridgewater, Perth, and Brighton, and trained as a pupil teacher, and passed all the examinations with credit. After serving five years at the Central State School, Hobart, under Mr. W.J.J. Reynolds, Mulligan took charge of the half-time schools at the Cascades, Impression Bay, Tasman's Peninsula, and other places on the East Coast.

He was then appointed student in training at the Model School, Battery Point, after which he took charge of the Woodsdale public school in the Oatlands district. Two and a half years' service there saw him removed to Cleveland for a year, and then to Ross for eighteen months. Mulligan had been in charge of the Geeveston State School since approximately 1894, and the average attendance spoke volumes for his ability as a teacher. He was a member of the Foresters' Friendly Society, and a lay reader for the Church of England at Franklin.

Mulligan received incalculable assistance in his school duties from his wife, who was infant and sewing mistress; also from Miss E. M Geeves, who had been appointed fourthclass assistant at the turn of the century.

After finishing his pupil-teacher course he was appointed assistant teacher in the Goulburn Street State School, in Hobart, for a year; and on leaving Wattle Hill he was again appointed an assistant teacher at Goulburn Street State School, and also at the same time had charge of the Hobart Night School for eight months previous to his appointment to the charge of the Garden Island Creek School. When the school was opened at Glaziers' Bay, Judd was given charge of it, where he remained in to the new century.

Green was born at Rokeby, Tasmania in 1861, and was the only surviving son of Joseph Richard Green, who died at Richmond in 1898, at the ripe age of eighty, after a life of usefulness in the district. Joseph Richard Green junior was educated at a private school belonging to Mr. J.O McArdell, of Mornington, Bellerive, and on completing his education went into the Government service. He was first employed as assistant in the Murray Street State School, at Hobart, and became a Smith Exhibitioner at the Model School, Battery Point. In 1886 Green was given charge of the Mole Creek State School, and in 1896 he received his post at Port Cygnet.

He was married in 1885 to Miss K. Reardon, daughter of Edward Reardon, of Sorell, and had a family of five children as of the turn of the century.

Miss Oldham was a native of Hobart, and was educated privately, taking her A.A. degree in 1883. On finishing her education she joined her sister, and assisted in carrying on a school at "Claremont," Elizabeth Street, Hobart. On the death of her sister she gave up the school, and in 1899 joined the Education Department, receiving as her first appointment the Wattle Grove School. Miss Oldham had proved her efficiency as a teacher under the department, and was to be congratulated on the progress her school made in the daily average attendance of scholars.

The congregation increased in leaps and bounds until the turn of the century it had been decided to erect a substantial stone structure near the church, capable of seating some 600 persons, and converting the church into a hall and reading room for the use of members. St. Mary's Convent, near the church, was founded in 1896, and a portion of St. Mary's school building was handed over for use of the sisters, who made the undertaking a decided success. Four sisters were in charge of the school, and they imparted primary school education to about ninety scholars.

Music was also taught. St. Mary's school was founded in about 1875, and under the Pastor Father Patrick Joseph O'Flynn's able direction it was brought to a state of perfection. The area that was owned by the persuasion at Port Cygnet comprised a gift of about four acres, the spontaneous offer of Mr. Fitzpatrick, father of Matthew Fitzpatrick. There was also a well-appointed presbytery near the church. Father Murphy was the pioneer of the Huon district; but Father Holehan established the Port Cygnet church, and was the first priest in charge. Father McKernan then ministered for a short time, and he was succeeded by Father Kelsh, Father O'Reagan (who built the presbytery), Father O'Reilly, and then Father Holehan again for about five years.

Father O'Flynn was next appointed to the charge, and remained there in to the 1900's, daily giving earnest of his desire to promote the supreme interests of the flock.