SCHOOL HISTORY
How it all began
On Monday 23rd August 1930, a request was made to Mr B. Walker M.L.A. for a local public school to be built at Avoca Beach. An official application was sent by Mr E. Kealtey on behalf of the Avoca Beach and District Progress Association on the 1st October 1930. On the application were the names of 18 local children. This application was rejected by the Department of Education. In 1932 an application was again made but again denied, even though the Department said "that there was a reasonable chances of a school succeeding".
Letters flew thick and fast until May 1934 where an agreement was made that if the Progress Association built the school, the Department would rent the premises as long as the average attendance of 11 students was maintained for 6 months.
Mr Halloran a local Real Estate Agent donated a block of land and the Progress Association bought the adjoining block for 42 pounds /10/-. Mr Halloran then donated a further portion of land to bring the total up to 2 acres. The Progress Association and families then had to clear the land. The community then had to fight again to have the school built after various problems and finally permission to build a school was granted on the condition the community paid 40 pounds towards the cost.
The building commenced on the 8th February 1935 and the first students attended on the 27th May 1935. It took 4 years and 9 months to get the first school building for Avoca Beach.
First Class - 1935 
Photo of first school building - 1935 
Mr and Mrs Hogg Mr Arthur Hogg was the first teacher to be assigned to the school. He had come straight from Mt White which had just been established. The first intake of students were Betty Miller, Jean Bryant, Peg Chapman, Beryl White, Veronica Parsons, Nancy Bryant, Dorothy Parsons, June Chapman, Colin Callan, Heather Bryant, Isobel Kirkness, John Allen, Doris Miller, Grace Lake, Mackinnon Miller, Betty White and Marie Ives. Further enrolments included Arthur, George and Alice Laidler, Eric and Claudia Pond and Ethel Chapman. These pupils no longer had to walk up to 4 miles to Kincumber Primary School.
The late 1930's and early 1940's (the war years) saw many families pass through the area on a temporary basis. During this time the children even had Air Raid practice where they had to go to the bottom fence and hide in the scrub. During 1946 Mr Hogg went on extended sick leave, and the children had to go to Kincumber until he was replaced. He was eventually replaced by Mr John McLean who is remembered as Mr McCane who introduced the cane more often than necessary.
In the mid 1940's the school was threatened with closure due to falling numbers. During this time the wireless played a crucial role in the school curriculum. Some of the programs included "Kindergarten of the Air" with Ann Dreyer, stories such as "The Little Red Hen" and "The Engine That Could" and older programs such as "The World We Live In" and "Medico" by Sir Herman Black. After finishing at Avoca, the children then had to Gosford High which was the only High School in the area until 1950.
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