Read Part 1: Richard Gill: A School is Born

The thought of visiting a building where a new school might be founded filled me with a mix of dread and excitement. In my time I have been shown many buildings people thought might be appropriate for a concert hall or a theatre. The expectation was frequently dulled on seeing the building and it generally being agreed that “it needs a lot of work”, and so on. Would this be any different?

Richard GillKim Williams, Dr Wendy Brooks and Martin Rush at the site of the new school. Photo courtesy of Muswellbrook Shire Council

As we drove a little way out of the centre of Muswellbrook, we approached the site which houses the existing Council Chambers. Before me was a beautiful building on level ground, creatively designed, spacious, full of light, welcoming in every way. “This is it,” said Martin Rush, the Muswellbrook Shire mayor, “and it’s rent free.” These days I tend to cry easily at such moments, but I was completely overwhelmed. I could not wait to explore the spaces, imagine the children wandering through the...