SDN Crookwell scrapbook a treasure trove

Archivist Ben Woods recently digitised this scrapbook collected by a former SDN Crookwell staff member. It documents a 40-year history of the preschool, and is packed with clippings, certificates, previously unseen documents and photographs.

A few months ago SDN Crookwell Preschool Director Amanda Wooll contacted me asking if we could digitise a historical scrapbook an ex-team member made. Digital copies would be for the Archives and for Crookwell’s use and the original would go back to the owner. This is not something we usually do, as an archive is technically for original documents. But after seeing the scrapbook, we didn’t hesitate.

Entitled History of Crookwell Preschool 1970-2012, it in fact includes photos up to the present day. It also includes a CD-Rom which is arguably the highlight of the whole thing. When the material was extracted we found it held a PowerPoint presentation made for SDN Crookwell’s “Connecting with the Past” event in 2012 which celebrated the refurbishment of the premises. The makeover included new rooms and an entirely new playground

Along with photos of the refurbishment the PowerPoint included great photos of the early days of the preschool such as the transportation of nearby Roslyn School House by truck to the preschool, an event which took place on 3^rd May 1979.

The scrapbook begins with the printed speech of Gillian Montgomery, one of the founders of the preschool. Her speech consists of her recollections of the preschool’s formation and early days.  She made the speech at the 25^th anniversary dinner of the preschool at The Hong Kong Gardens restaurant, Crookwell, 24 June 1995.

Her speech reveals that the preschool formation committee had its first meeting on 28 November 1969. It opened on June 16, 1970.

It also includes news clippings from the Crookwell Gazette covering important events in the history of the Preschool including:

• "Plans for Preschool Kindergarten" (1970)
• "Mr Doug Heard Leads Kindergarten Committee" (1970)
• "Preschool Kindergarten Proves a Popular Asset" (1970)
• "Little Artists Won $65 for Crookwell Kinder" (1973)
• "Support Needed for Handicapped Children at Preschool" (1973)
• "Rosyln School Has New Home" (1979) (about moving the former Roslyn Public School building on a truck to Railway Park to be used as a Preschool building)
• NSW Governor Peter Sinclair's visit to the Preschool (1991)
• "Crookwell Preschool Moves Into a New Era" (2002) (about SDN taking over operations of the preschool) and
• "SDN Crookwell Preschool rated Exceeding Quality Standard" (2014).

Also included are many prize certificates awarded to Crookwell Preschool over the years, especially from Crookwell Show where the preschool often excel!