Bitter roots, sweet fruit

Karen Cummings' history of schools in Collingwood, Abbotsford and Clifton Hill won a Victorian Community History Award in 2009.

A total of 169 schools and colleges plus 9 kindergartens are described in this comprehensive study of education in the Collingwood area. As well as providing a history of each educational establishment, side panels provide additional information about staff or families attending a school. A listing of name changes is provided plus any changes of address. The amount of information provided for each school varies depending on availability of information - for some, especially small schools that existed only for a few years, available information is limited. Much of the information was obtained from the files of the Victorian Public Record Office, newspapers and books. An extensive bibliography and notes section are provided. At the beginning of each section of the book a summary article is provided on topics such as State aided schools to 1872, Denominational schools, Common schools, State education from 1873, Technical education, Secondary education, Private schools, Kindergartens etc. There is also a brief history of Collingwood together with an outline of the development of education in Victoria.

As well as providing an insight into an aspect of Collingwood's history, this well illustrated comprehensive account of education in Collingwood will also be a valuable resource for anyone studying the history of education in Victoria.