Teachers Guild of New South Wales

The Teachers Guild of New South Wales held its inaugural meeting on 6 September 1892 attended by a small group of teachers associated with Mungo (later Sir Mungo) W. MacCallum, Challis Professor of Modern Literature. The first Council Meeting had been held on 12 August. The first issue of the Teachers Guild' s journal, "The Australian Teacher", was dated 1 August 1893.

In the early decades of the twentieth century the membership of the Teachers Guild included professors, their wives, members of university staff, principals of state and independent schools and members of staff of most non-government schools. The Teachers Guild was not a union but a professional association of teachers. With the rise in importance of the NSW Teachers Federation and the Independent Teachers Association the Teachers Guild became of less importance.

On 16 April 1921 The Teachers Guild of NSW became a company limited by guarantee. This was done to protect the Teachers Central Registry, which it operated, from closure under NSW state government legislation.

In 1894 the Teachers Guild first undertook the training of teachers. Diploma courses for Kindergarten, Primary, Lower Secondary and Higher Secondary teaching were offered. These courses ceased in 1909 following the opening of Sydney Teachers College in 1906.

In November 1948 the Teacher Training Committee was established in an attempt to alleviate the post war shortage of teachers. This action followed the recommendations of a committee created to investigate the problem. In 1949 the first evening training courses were commenced. The courses were for primary school teachers of less than three years' experience and for intending teachers. In 1953 a course for secondary teachers was introduced. Both these causes resulted in the issuing of diplomas to teachers with more than three years' experience. In 1960 a training course for sub-primary teaching was introduced.

In 1968 the first full time Director of Teacher Training was appointed, Dr LD Rixon, BA, Dip Ed, BEd, PhD. Dr Rixon resigned in 1972. This appointment was a step towards the eventual establishment of full day courses. In February 1970 the first full day students were enrolled and premises were acquired for the housing of the Guild Teachers College.

The Teachers Central Registry (TCR) was operated under the guidance of the Teachers Guild, although in practice it was quite autonomous. The TCR provided an employment service to teachers and independent schools. The Registry maintained registers of teachers seeking positions and of positions available. A commission was charged to both teachers and schools who used its services in making appointments.

Louisa Jane Gurney, (1852-1937) was an early member of the Teachers Guild and acted as Honorary Secretary in the late 1890s. Together with Mademoiselle Augustine Soubeiran (1858-1933) and others she was one of the founders of the Teachers Central Registry. When Miss Gurney died in 1937 she left nearly five thousand pounds to the Teacher Guild to establish a trust fund to be called "The Gurney and Soubeiran Fund". The money was to be used for "relieving or assisting...persons or the wives, widows, families or relations of persons who have been engaged for not less than three years in non-state schools or colleges...in NSW and have become poor and necessitous or are deceased leaving such widows, families or relations in necessitous circumstances..." As well as the Trust established under the terms of the Will, the Teachers Guild established a committee to consider applications for assistance.

The Teachers Guild of NSW continues to exist and function, as does the Teachers Central Registry. In 1982 the Guild Teachers College became a part of the Sydney College of Advanced Education and was known as the Guild Centre. In 1990 the Guild Centre became a part of the Faculty of Education in the University of Sydney following the amalgamation of parts of Sydney College of Advanced Education with the University.