In August 1888 Annie Fawcett Story wrote to Mr Edwin Johnson, the Undersecretary for Public Instruction in New South Wales, outlining her plan for the introduction of cookery classes in state schools. She would start with classes at Fort Street and at the practising school at Hurlstone Park and proposed students would be drawn from the senior class. The weekly lesson would be the first for the morning. Groups of no more than 15 girls would have both a lecture with ‘practical illustrations’ followed by a practice session. Lessons would proceed for 24 weeks over the last 6 months of each girl’s school life. She recommended that pupils buy the necessary materials themselves and the food they produced be sold to teachers and pupils at the school. Each pupil would sit an exam at the end of the course.[1]
The newly elected Minister for Public Instruction, Joseph Carruthers, was a strong advocate for technical education and supportive of Annie’s programme.[2] She was duly appointed to conduct a trail at Fort Street School which resulted in the Chief Inspector, John Charles Maynard, recommending that the existing class be continued, and the system extended should the Minister wish to do so. The Minister (Carruthers) approved and Annie was appointed Instructress of Cookery in July 1890 on a salary of £350 per annum and tasked to draw up a full programme.[3]
She was quick to move to consolidate her position, recommending that Fort Street ‘be endowed with a complete school of cookery’ and become the headquarters of cookery in connection with the Public Instruction system’. Her proposed programme included classes in elementary cookery and plain cookery for students in the fifth class and classes for girls who were old enough but might not proceed to the fifth class, as well as classes to enable teachers to be trained to teach elementary cookery.[4]
By the middle of 1891 classes were being held at Fort Street, Blackfriars, Parramatta and at Hurlstone teacher training college with plans to extend them to Newtown and to Goulburn.[5] Enthusiasm for extending the teaching of cookery led to the suggestion that classes in the public schools and at the technical college should be amalgamated under the one superintendent, who would be Annie Fawcett Story.[6]
While Annie seems to have had the support of both the Undersecretary, Johnson, and Chief Inspector, Maynard, who were anxious to see cookery placed ‘on a proper single basis’, this proposed reorganisation brought her into direct conflict with Frederick Bridges.[7]
Bridges, a veteran of thirty-seven years of service in the interests of public education, had been promoted from Deputy Chief Inspector to become the first Superintendent of Technical Education in November 1889 when the old Board of Technical Education was dissolved, and technical education came under the administration of the Minister of Public Instruction. In this role he had control over technical education state wide, and in particular over the Sydney Technical College, soon to move in to new purpose built accommodation in Ultimo.[8]
Bridges is described as ‘strict and even authoritarian’ to which might also be added conservative. Although he was not against cookery education per se, Bridges was not in agreement with Annie as to how the programme should be conducted and he was certainly not about to relinquish any of his responsibilities at Sydney Technical College to her. He felt it would be a great mistake if the lessons in cookery were ‘confined to cooking by means of gas stoves', rather he held that girls should ‘be taught to cook with such appliances as are likely to be found in their homes’.[9] He was also opposed to the idea of fitting up a central school. In his opinion this involved unnecessary expense given that ‘such a school would take up work that properly falls to the technical college’. Asked to respond to these objections, Story called Bridges’ attitude to gas stoves ‘a not uncommon, but superficial and fallacious view’ of the importance of the source of heat in cookery. In respect of the need for a central school she argued that there was no suggestion of superseding the work of the technical college: ‘The Technical College teaching is of an entirely different scope and kind, and is meant for adults and professional cooks but it can no more train public school teachers to teach the cookery course to the children in their school than it can train them for the other part of their work’.[10]
It was finally decided that gas stoves would be used and that the training of cookery teachers would be done in connection with the existing system for training teachers under the department of Public Instruction at Hurlstone Training College.[11] In deference to Bridges’ objection to the title ‘Superintendent of Cookery’, Annie was finally appointed Directress of Cookery, responsible for cookery classes in the public schools, for the training of teachers for the public school system and for all suburban and country technical college cookery classes.[12] Bridges retained control over cookery classes at Sydney Technical College, where the instructor was Mrs Wicken. This rather complicated arrangement meant that Annie had two masters, reporting to Bridges, on matters to do with technical education, and Maynard, the Chief Inspector, on matters to do with classes in the public schools. She also had a direct line to the Undersecretary, Edwin Johnson, regarding ‘important administrative matters’.[13] The first serious test of this arrangement came in December 1891.
With the impending departure of Miss Nisbet, who was assistant to Mrs Wicken at the Technical College, a replacement was sought, and Bridges suggested Mrs Isabel Ross.[14] Ross came with impressive credentials but Annie objected to her on the grounds that, in her opinion, Ross could demonstrate ‘no evidence of any experiment or success in teaching’ and because she was too old: ‘I do not consider her a suitable person to commence a teaching career at the technical college which has for its ‘Instructress in cookery’ a lady of mature years [ie. Wicken] for whom a young assistant would be more appropriate’.[15] Annie’s recommendation was upheld by the Minister (Suttor).
In January 1892 Bridges was asked to nominate a trained teacher to take Miss Nisbet’s place. On this occasion he suggested Miss Ina Campbell who had trained at Sydney Technical College and had already ‘given useful assistance to Mrs Wicken at various times’. [16] The ensuing correspondence indicates that this suggestion was discounted, and the decision made to appoint Fanny Fawcett Story, Annie’s daughter, to the position at the Technical College. [17]
Who recommended Fanny in the first instance is unclear but no doubt Bridges suspected that her mother was involved, and clearly resented the challenge to his authority. He requested that the decision be reconsidered on the grounds that by Fanny’s appointment ‘a discordant element will be introduced into the technical college, one that I fear will cause trouble and prove detrimental to the welfare of the cookery classes.’ He went on ‘Mrs Wicken, Lecturer in domestic economy and cookery, who might reasonably expect to be considered in the selection of a colleague, is greatly distressed about the matter.’[18] This last comment earned him a severe reprimand:
It is not the practice, even in the larger public schools, to consult principal teachers with regard to the appointment of subordinate teachers on the staffs and it is not apparent what claims Mrs Wicken has to greater consideration than she has received in this case by the provision of an efficient assistant teacher of cookery. It is presumed, however, that Mrs Wicken was consulted by you touching the appointment of an assistant, and as the nominations were not deemed suitable, the course followed in this and other departments was taken by selecting the officer having the best claim to promotion on the grounds of seniority and other qualifications.
Bridges was asked in what way he anticipated Miss Story would be a ‘discordant element’, the undersecretary confident that there was no reason to believe that ‘her appointment will cause trouble or detriment to the welfare of the cookery classes’. He also reminded the Superintendent of Technical Education that ‘[T]he minister made the appointment with a full knowledge of the circumstances of Miss Story’s qualifications for the office’. [19]
Under directions from the Under Secretary, Fanny called on Bridges ‘to receive his instructions as to the duties pertaining to my appointment’ and was told in no uncertain terms that her appointment had been made without his knowledge and was ‘directly opposed to his wishes and judgement’. He further informed Fanny that she would ‘encounter so much hostility from the teacher of cookery [Mrs Wicken]’ that her position would ‘be something of a difficult one’. Moreover, Bridges was convinced that the interests of the college would suffer in consequence of Fanny’s presence. He also made it clear that Fanny should understand that she was in no way responsible for any matters concerned with cookery instruction in the technical college, she was simply ‘to receive and obey Mrs Wicken’s orders’.[20]
Nonetheless Fanny commenced her tenure at the Technical College in February 1892. To what extent Bridges was genuinely concerned with Mrs Wicken’s situation or simply angry that his recommendations had been overruled or concerned that Fanny’s appointment was the catalyst that would lead to her mother infiltrating his domain, or perhaps all three, is hard to judge. What previous interaction Harriet Wicken may have had with Fanny or her mother is also unknown, but she was no doubt anxious that her position was tenuous, and aware that she needed Bridges’ protection. As it happens the tense situation which no doubt resulted only lasted until early 1893 when Fanny went back to the public school system.[21] She would return to the Technical College to replace Mrs Wicken on Wicken's retirement in 1896, by which time Bridges had been appointed Chief Inspector.[22]
Meanwhile Annie struggled under the unwieldy bureaucracy. She was now responsible for ‘organizing, inspecting and examining public school and technical college classes (other than the latter at Ultimo). Setting and marking examination papers, writing the primer and generally directing the work of this department’ as well as training teachers.[23] The clerical work was considerable and consumed much of her time and, although the record is sparse, no doubt there were many frustrations. For example, correspondence from December 1891 and again from June 1892 hints at squabbling between Bridges and Maynard over who was responsible for arranging and selecting examiners.[24]
Exasperated by August of 1892 Annie wrote to the Undersecretary in the belief that ‘the time has arrived for my position and duties to be clearly defined and a salary awarded me commensurate with my responsibilities’.[25] And she made another bid to have cookery instruction at Sydney Technical College brought under her remit:
I assumed the great object in view in creating the position of directress of cookery was to make all instruction given in this subject under the department of public instruction homogenous, ascending from the primary course in public schools to the professional and full teachers course. The structure from base to apex being built upon one set of principles and forming one harmonious whole. This however has proved not to be the case so far as Sydney is concerned, and in consequence the metropolis is placed at a considerable disadvantage. All the country classes both public school and technical college being under my direction the pupils can proceed smoothly from one course to another without waste of time, no contradictory element is imported, and the greatest benefit is obtained by the pupils for the smallest amount of money spent by the government. In Sydney while I have full power to regulate the instruction for the primary course and that for the full certificate I have at present no means of teaching the intermediate course as the technical college classes which are organized and controlled by me in the country and suburbs have not been placed under my jurisdiction in Sydney.
If this state of things is to continue there exists an immediate necessity for organizing a set of classes to carry on the work from the public schools which in the country is properly taken up by the technical college. I submit that it is neither wise nor reasonable that such an anomaly should exist, as to make this expense necessary, nor that oneclass should be outside the direction of the officer in whom the department has sufficient confidence to entrust with the otherwise entire control of cookery instruction in this colony.
Annie did not get an increase in salary, rather, due to the impact of the depression of the early 1890s, she, like all teachers, had a reduction in salary.[26] Nor was any change made to her sphere of responsibility. Decreases in funding for technical education meant that cookery was one of several subjects where the classes only continued if the teachers agreed ‘to be renumerated only by the fees of the students’ and to meet all expenses such as lighting and cleaning.[27]
In 1894 there were some significant changes to the personnel administering public education. The Minister for Public Instruction was now Jacob Garrard. Annie lost the protection of Edwin Johnson, always sympathetic to her recommendations, who was replaced as Under Secretary by the former Chief Inspector, John Charles Maynard. Last but by no means least, Frederick Bridges was appointed Chief Inspector on Maynard’s promotion, and brought with him his antipathy to both Annie and her daughter. [28]
[1] Museums of History NSW-State Archives (hereafter MHNSW-St. Ac.). NRS 3830, Subject Files Department of Education, 20/12605, Cookery 1882-1892, Story to Johnson, 30 August 1888.
[2] Alan Barcan, Two centuries of education in New South Wales (Sydney: UNSW Press, 1988), p. 157.
[3] For account of appointment see Report of the Minister of Public Instruction 1890, Appendix XVI, pp. 266-7. Also Sydney Morning Herald (hereafter SMH) 6 June 1889, p. 7; MHNSW-St.Ac, NRS 3830, 20/12605, Story to Johnson, 7 July 1890.
[4] MHNSW-St.Ac, NRS 3830, 20/12605, Story to Johnson, 9 August 1890; also Story to Johnson 7 July 1890.
[5] SMH, 20 September 1889, p. 3, cookery classes in the larger public schools; Evening News, 11 October 1889, p. 3. Cookery classes established at Fort Street.
[6] MHNSW-St.Ac, NRS 3830, 20/12605, correspondence and notes appended to Story to Johnson, 9 March 1891 and Johnson to Bridges, 1 September 1891.
[7] MHNSW-St.Ac, NRS 3830, 20/12605, Memorandum to the Superintendent of Technical Education as to proposed amalgamation of systems, Johnson to Bridges, 1 September 1891.
[8] Building at Ultimo commenced in 1890 and was opened in 1892. For Bridges see Australian Dictionary of Biography,https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bridges-frederick-3053; Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser, 15 August 1891, p. 363.
[9] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, notes from Bridges to Johnson, 3 March 1891.
[10] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Story to Johnson, 9 March 1891.
[11] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Cookery instruction in Public School, Mrs Story’s proposed scheme for, 18 March 1891.
[12] For Bridges’ objections see notes appended to MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Memorandum to the Superintendent of Technical Education as to proposed amalgamation of systems, Johnson to Bridges, 1 September 1891.
[13] See notes appended to MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Memorandum to the Superintendent of Technical Education as to proposed amalgamation of systems, Johnson to Bridges, 1 September 1891; also memo re Cookery date stamped 21 September 1891 and Story to Johnson, 5 August 1892.
[14] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Cookery 1895, Bridges to Johnson, 11 November 1891
[15] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Story to Johnson, 19 December 1891.
[16] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Johnson to Bridges, 30 December 1891.
[17] Fanny had trained under her mother at Sydney Technical College. See Australian Town and Country Journal, 14 March 1885, p. 41 ‘Technical Education’; Daily Telegraph, 28 January 1887, p. 3 ‘Board of Technical Education’. For her appointment see notes appended to MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Johnson to Bridges, 30 December 1891.
[18] See MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Johnson to Bridges, 30 December 1891, appended note from Bridges dates 6 February 1892.
[19] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Johnson to Bridges, 13 February 1892. Appended note from Bridges dated 13 February 1892, ‘As Miss Story has entered upon duty the matter is settled. I therefore make no reply’.
[20] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Fanny Fawcett Story to Johnson, February 11, 1892.
[21] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, ‘Miss Fanny Story, Teacher of cookery’, 2 February 1893. Just how tense the relationship was is suggested by some of the extant correspondence, MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Fanny Story to Johnson, 20 February 1892; Wicken to Bartlett, 10 May 1892; Wicken to Bridges, 13 May 1892.
[22] Fanny applied for her mother’s position when she retired but Annie was not replaced. Fanny’s appointment at the Technical College was confirmed by Bridges, MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12608, 23 March 1897.
[23] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605, Story to Johnson, 5 August 1892.
[24] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605 Story to Johnson, 9 December 1891; Story to Johnson 8 June 1892; Johnson to Bridges, 15 June 1892.
[25] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12605 Story to Johnson, 5 August 1892.
[26] MHNSW-St.Ac., NRS 3830, 20/12606, Story to Johnson, 14 July 1893
[27] Report of the Minister of Public Instruction 1893, Appendix XX, Report on Technical Education for 1893, p. 127. How long this situation continued is unclear. See Australian Star, 11 August 1893, p. 5 ‘Cookery classes. An expensive department of public instruction. Are the results commensurate to the cost?
[28] Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for 1894, p. 20, J.H. Maiden takes up position of Superintendent of Technical Education on 7 May, therefore Bridges becomes chief inspector roughly same time.