Albany Creek Sate School
Memories of Bert Krause
Student from 1921 – written in 1976

I spent my total school years at Albany Creek with one teacher for approximately 50 pupils attending. Mr Clem Bleakley - he had us scared. No talking in school or the cane was regularly used. I was generally top of the class and here I am, still shovelling fowl manure, whilst others who played a bit dumb at school went on to much more lucrative employment.

I am 71 years old, a farmer and farmers generally don’t accumulate much wealth.
I remember when electricity was connected and in those days the Scholarship Exam existed.

The closest High School was in George Street, City, near Parliament House. So generally we left school at 14 having passed through Grade 7, going home to help on the family farm or seeking employment, which was extremely difficult to secure. My first wage was 13 shillings and sixpence ($1.35) per week then 17 shillings and six pence ($1.75) for 5 ½ days (44 hours) and no Social Service (Ed’s Note – Social Security) existed as it does at present. If you lost your job it was a calamity.

In those days a newspaper was 2d (2cents), phone calls 2d (2cents), a pushbike 4 pound 15 shillings ($5.50), which we could pay off at 5 shillings a week. The lowest coinage was ½ d, half a penny although I did possess a farthing, being half the value of ½ d. we could purchase a penny ice cream. A loaf of bread, which in those days was delivered, cost 5 ½ d.

The butcher also delivered, as vehicles were few indeed. A horse and cart were generally used.

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