The Denominational Ssystem.
During the year 1847 the extent of pecuniary Government aid received by the principal Denominations towards school maintenance was returned as:— Church of England, £405 16s. 10d.; Roman Catholic, £168 15s. 8d.; Presbyterian, £51 18s. 6d.; Wesleyans, £259 15s. 4d.; Independents, £115 10s. 1d. Total, £1001 16s. 5d.
The following year it was resolved to extend what was known as the Denominational system to the province. Hitherto State aid had been given to schools connected with recognized churches, either by payments in proportion to the amount of local contributions, or of so much per head for each scholar educated. The new system in force in other parts of New South Wales, provided salaries for teachers at discretion, and exercised a superior supervision, though, practically, it was nothing more than an extension and improvement of the old state of things. In 1848 the Government appointed a Board, consisting of Messrs. R. W. Pohlman (chairman), David Ogilvie, Edward Curr, Robert Smith, and Sidney Stephen, "for the temporal regulation and inspection of the respective Denominational schools in Port Phillip, supported either wholly or in part from public funds," and to this body Mr. J. M. Seward acted as first Secretary. The new scheme commenced on the 1st January, 1849, when the attendance at the Public Schools in Melbourne was returned as 539 boys and 494 girls—1033. It worked with much advantage, and how the educational basis was gradually extended, may be gathered from the following extract, transcribed from a Melbourne newspaper of the period:—
"The following distribution of the grant voted for the establishment and maintenance of Denominational Schools, for the year 1850, appears from returns published by order of the Legislative Council:— Church of England Schools, £846; Presbyterian ditto, £339; Wesleyan ditto, £90; Roman Catholic ditto, £514; Other Denominations, £61. Total, £1850.
"Of the Church of England Schools 11 are in Melbourne and Collingwood, and 13 in other parts of the district. The largest sum voted to any one school is £50, and the least £30. £86 is allowed as a reserve fund for books and school apparatus. The Presbyterian Schools are 2 in Melbourne and 5 in other places. £60 is the highest and £30 the lowest allowance to any of them; and £34 for books and apparatus. Wesleyan Schools 3 in number, in Collingwood, Geelong, and Brighton, each at £30, and at the suggestion of the Rev. Mr. Sweetman, in consequence of the decreased amount of the grant for 1850, no reserve was retained for books. Of the Roman Catholic Schools 5 are in Melbourne, 1 in Collingwood, and 7 in other parts; the highest allowance is £60 and the lowest £30, with £49 as a reserve for books and apparatus. There are only two Independent Schools, both in Melbourne, one at £31 and the other at £30; no reserve allowed in consequence of the decreased amount of grant. The population upon which this distribution has been made is calculated upon the census of 1846. It is proposed to grant £2400 towards the support of Denominational Schools for 1851. The number of applications for 1851 are, Church of England Schools, 26, Presbyterian, 7; Roman Catholic, 19; Wesleyan, 7; Independent, 4; Free Presbyterian, Buninyong, 1."
In January, 1850, Mr. H. C. E. Childers (afterwards Chancellor of the Exchequer in England), recently arrived, was appointed Inspector of Denominational Schools, which he retained until September, 1851, when he succeeded Dr. Patterson as Immigration Agent in October, and Mr. Colin Campbell was appointed Denominational Inspector. This he subsequently vacated, was the first Chief Clerk in the office of the Chief Secretary, and was in 1884 officiating as an Episcopalian Minister in Ballarat.
The annexed return shows the progression of the system for three years:—
| Year. | Schools. | Scholars. | Government Aid. |
| 1849 | 27 | 2596 | £1380 |
| 1850 | 54 | 3870 | £2316 |
| 1851 | 74 | 4999 | £3436 |
