At the turn of the 20th Century
“Early to bed and early to rise” was a way of life for Avondale students at the turn of the 20th century. The privileges of learning to become workers for the Lord were not taken lightly. The students and staff members saw daily life as a blessing to occupy the mind, strengthen the body and develop the character. Punctual attendance was expected, including at chapel—“all absences not satisfactorily explained” were subject to discipline, including possible failure of the student’s course.
Avondale departments included: Christian workers; medical missionary; teachers; music; commercial; domestic, and; industrial. The academic year started in the first week of January and consisted of three terms. Finishing in October provided time to find work over the end of the year.
In the early 1900s, many students arrived at Avondale having never or not completed primary school.
Here is a general timetable of a day in the life of an Avondale student:
5.00 am Rising bell
The chapel tower bell sounded a new day. Sleeping in was not accepted.
5.30 am Worship in the chapel
Bible study was mandatory and included “the word of wisdom, poetry, history, biography, and the most profound philosophy.”
5.45-6.45 am Morning study period
7.00 am Breakfast
A simple meal of porridge, made from grain grown on site, and the school apiary which had 93 colonies of bees in 1903.
8.00 am Physical work (industrial students)
Students had to propagate, prune, cultivate, gather and preserve the fruit, tend the crops and farm animals, and work in the dairy, poultry and carpentry areas.
8.00 am Recitations and study (non-industrial students)
This involved reciting poetry or text. Course subjects in 1902 included:
• Ministerial—general history, English composition, bookkeeping and botany.
• Business—English composition, phonography, commercial arithmetic and typewriting.
• Missionary—English composition, general history, reading, writing and spelling.
• Teaching—general history, bookkeeping and commercial arithmetic, elementary physics, astronomy and botany.
9.00-10.00 am Theory classes (industrial students)
10.00 am Chapel
Wednesday missionary meeting. Students learned of missionary activities and how they might further the gospel message. After chapel, students were “required to take regular drills in elocution, penmanship, and spelling.”
All other weekdays involved a talk or singing church hymns.
11.00 am-1.00 pm Recitations and class periods
1.30 pm Midday dinner
“The young ladies, under the direction of the matron,” did most of the food preparation. Students would dine together with staff members at tables of eight. The meals consisted of a range of seasonal vegetables grown on campus. The school also grew maize, oats and fruits, the dairy supplied cream, and a “good number of fowls provided eggs for the school.” Every meal was “strictly vegetarian in principle and practice,” although rumour has it that in later years some of the hens were secretly cooked over a camp fire.
2.30-5.00 pm Campus chores
Students were required to engage in 15 hours of assigned, unpaid labour, Monday to Friday. Lost time had to be made up.
6.00 pm Evening meal
Board and two meals a day (three was optional) cost two pounds sixteen shillings per month (equivalent to $422.33).
6.30 pm Evening worship
6.50–7.30 pm Silent period
Students spent time alone for mediation and secret devotion. Regulations stated: “Students are not permitted to read, or have in their rooms, novels, story magazines, or other reading of an injurious character.”
7.30-8.45 pm Evening study period
8.45 am Evening bell
The bell tower would signal a 15-minute warning before lights went out at 9 pm.
References
Information and quotes from the Avondale calendars of 1899-1902.
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