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The Erskineville Bootmaking School was one of a collection of trade schools established by the Sydney Technical College in the early years of the twentieth century. The schools had been recommended in the report of a Royal Commission into Education known as the Knibbs-Turner Report (1905), named after the two commissioners who had written it, George Knibbs and John William Turner. Among 231 recommendations, the establishment of trade schools for teaching technical education was one that was taken up. ==Foundation== In April 1906 a former boot factory in Erskineville was leased by the Ministry of Public Instruction, to be used for a bootmaking training school. Formerly the factory of Mr FJ Walters and his Anchor Shoe Brand, the two-storey brick factory came with a gas engine and shafting machines ready for use. Mr H Lewis was appointed as the instructor and although classes began, there was no complete fit-out of machinery, so tuition was restricted to clinking (cutting the leather for uppers) and basic instruction. While the school awaited machinery, students were given access to machines in the York Street showrooms of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.〔 The opening lectures were held on the evening of Thursday, 26 April 1906, and included a speech by Mr Louden, chairman of the Manufacturers' Association, who praised the Technical Education Branch for establishing the school which would be of great benefit to the industry. The increasing mechanisation and commercialisation of footwear manufacturing encouraged the industry to support the trade school.〔 In February 1908 the Bootmaking School was officially opened with a formal ceremony attended by the Mayor of Erskineville, Alderman Robinson, the New South Wales Minister for Education, the Hon JA Hogue, and the Director of Technical Education, JW Turner, as well as various trade representatives, factory owners, students, parents and other interested parties. Despite the wait between securing the factory and opening the school, those present at the opening praised the end result. Mr CP Nielsen of the Centennial Shoe Company was delighted to see that the school had been provided with the latest machinery and equipment. Speaking on behalf of the industry, he expressed its hopes for the school's success for the industry's benefit, and offered any support necessary to see this achieved. A great deal of the success was attributed to JW Turner who, recognising the modern requirements of the industry, had taken steps to secure a full plant of equipment. It is worth noting that not only had Turner been the joint author of the Royal Commission report that had started the process in 1905, but he was also the son of a shoemaker from Parramatta.〔 The new school was fitted with 18 machines supplied by the United Shoe Manufacturing Company which allowed for a full session of courses to begin. The course included two years' instruction over five subjects: Pattern-cutting; Clicking; Blake Machine; Goodyear Welted; and Finishing, with the curriculum covering both the theory and principles behind shoemaking and the practical application of the knowledge. The school also sought to teach the mechanics of the various machines being used, so as to give the students a basic knowledge in the workings of the plant.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Erskineville Bootmaking School」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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