First Headmaster of Miranda School

Walter James Chiplin was born on 12 January 1869 in Sofala, the fourth son of John W and Annie Chiplin. After being employed as a pupil-teacher at Dubbo and, in 1887 at Wellington, he won a scholarship in 1890, to train at Fort Street Training School. After his marriage on 18 September 1895 to Mary Anne McDermott, he was appointed to Wentworth Falls School. In 1900 he was transferred to Kenthurst where he taught for five years.

In April 1905, W J Chiplin was appointed Headmaster to Miranda Public School which had an enrolment of 63 students. In 1906 the school was designated a central school and under his leadership the growth, according to the St George Call in 1908, was ‘phenomenal’.  Enrolment had increased to 182, classes extended to 5^th and 6^th class and subjects taught included Algebra, Geometry, Latin and French. The school had a library and museum and the children issued a monthly newspaper. There were two patrols of Boy Scouts and all the pupils participated in team sports such as tennis, cricket and football. At a concert in 1908 prizes were presented by W G Judd, first President of the Sutherland Shire Council. The Parents and Citizens Association of Miranda School was formed in 1908. Miranda School was located on the corner of the Kingsway and Kiora Road until it burnt down in June 1966. It was then relocated to its present site on the corner of the Kingsway and Sylva Avenue.

In 1922 at a farewell function to mark his transfer to Coogee Public school, Walter Chiplin was presented with a silver tea service and tray in appreciation of his service to the school and local community. A noted sportsman, he had been a member of football, cricket and swimming clubs and taught swimming to many boys. For many years he was President and Vice-President of the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club and President of the Cronulla Debating Club.

Walter and his wife Annie, had five children -  Thelma born 1896, Olga born 1898, Eric born 1900, Marie born 1904 and Roma born 1912. His daughter Olga Chiplin was a victim of the influenza epidemic and died in 1919. Walter James Chiplin retired from teaching in 1934. He died at his residence in Arthur Street, Cronulla on 14 August 1943, aged 74. 

Colleen M Passfield.

First published in  Sutherland Shire, Some Early Residents, 2006, by Botany Bay Family History Society. Compiled by Maree McKinley and Sue Hewitt.    

Click on the name CHIPLIN, Walter James (1868 – 1943) in the heading of this story. You will be taken to the database entry for Walter James Chiplin and his family.

 References:

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

Hurstville Genealogist – Newsletter of the Hurstville Family History Society Inc

Kirkby, David R – From Sails to Atoms – first Fifty Years of Sutherland Shire

Larkin, Maryanne – Sutherland Shire – a history to 1939

Salt, Daphne – Gateway to the South