Hall Museum a popular spot
23 June 2010
The Hall School Museum, the Laurie Copping Heritage Centre, has had some very interesting visitors over the last couple of months.
Apart from our usual 15 - 20 visitors on Market Days, we have also had special visits by the Australian National Museum of Education - the ACT Branch, and the National Trust of Australia (ACT).
Both lots of specialist adult visitors were pleased to see that it is possible to use the Museum in a layered way - writing on slates and other 'hands-on' imaginative 'props' for younger visitors, and much more detailed information on 'readin', writin' and 'rithmetic' for those who can remember when schooling was very different to today!
They also enjoyed writing in old fashioned 'copperplate', with pen and ink!
A special mention is warranted for Mrs Irene Copping, the widow of Laurie, who is in her '90's' now yet still braved the winter chills to visit with her son-in-law, with other esteemed educators, part of the Museum of Education group.
Other esteemed visitors included the grandchildren of the original teacher in 1911 - Mr Charles Thompson. Earlier in the year his great grandson Tony O'Sullivan, ( a different family to the renowned Hall school teacher) son of Mr Thompson's daughter, had visited with his young family. Amazingly he was able to arrange for an exciting and informative visit by his local cub pack - he is one of the leaders - The Pinnacle Southern Cross Pack - the Southwell Group. The youngsters were keen to gain their local history badge: Why not visit the Hall School Museum!
On a freezing night in June, twenty eight cubs aged between 7 and 11 arrived in the dark, and enthusiastically joined in a sometimes 'spooky' programme I had specially devised for them.
Beautifully behaved and focused on the stories from the past in the old school, they were stunned to learn that their cub leader was a direct descendent of the original teacher, Charles Thompson - a great example of Living History!
They were even more amazed when they realised that their fellow cub, Keegan O'Sullivan, was the great great grandson of the first teacher!
What is so thrilling though is the fact that the family is keen to share their family history with us and they have shown great interest, particularly young Keegan, in preserving the unique Hall Village experience at the 1911 Hall School - the Laurie Copping Heritage Centre.
The late Mr Copping, I'm sure, wherever he is, would be thrilled to see such interest in the school he worked so hard to preserve and the history of the Village of Hall. He would be even more thrilled that Canberra youngsters are so eager to learn - and hopefully to remember, and to then pass the knowledge on.
Elizabeth Burness (Local History Storyteller and one of the Custodians of the Hall School Museum)
[our photo (thanks to Bob Richardson) shows cubs from the Pinnacle Southern Cross Pack on their recent visit to the Hall School Museum]