It is my intention to note on pages under the heading “Happenings in Arcadia” reports from local newspapers of past events, both historical, serious and amusing. My hope is that these stories will give a picture of Arcadia from the time that Squatter James Miller took up the Noorilim East Pastroral Run in 1864 and built his homestead on the bank of the Goulburn River in the present township of Arcadia, to events of the present day.
This is the earliest photo of the Arcadia School No 1880 that I have, a copy of which that was given to me by the late Mrs Daisy Clarke, who was born locally and resided for all her long life in the Arcadia area.
Mr Richard Pethybridge an early selector owned the land where this first proper school was built. He sold to the Education Department two acres of land for Twenty Pounds in 1875 where the school was to be built. Eventually the building was constructued, which was a wooden structure measuring 24 feet by 16 feet with a shingle roof. It had two small rooms attached that were used as living quarters for the teacher, the cost being 320 Pounds ($640) and opened on May 1st 1877. Mr George Reed, pictured in the photo, was appointed to the school in 1881 and remained as it’s teacher for the next 26 years.
In 1886 George married Eliza, one of Richard Pethybridge’s daughters. Mrs Clarke did say that Mr Pethybridge did add an extra room or two on to the building for the newly weds.
The new Arcadia welcome sign was constructed by the Greater Shepparton City Council in December 2016, this one being situated on the corner of The Goulburn Valley Freeway and the Arcadia Road. The second welcome sign is on Kennedy Road just south of the township of Arcadia.