Mr Jackson returns to Pilliga

Pilliga Public School welcomed back a familiar face last week – American teacher Charlie Jackson.

Mr Jackson taught at the school for two years from 1976 to 1977.

His posting was part of a government recruitment drive to fill teacher shortages in regional Australia.

“This was a major highlight of my life,” said Mr Jackson with a beaming smile.

“I had always wanted to live in a remote area. I thought about going to Alaska and then I saw that three Australian states were advertising for American teachers willing to work in what was described as ‘less-desirable’ areas of each of the states, in exchange for free passage to Australia.”

But for Mr Jackson, Pilliga ended up being so desirable that he and his wife stayed for two years and he’s since travelled back numerous times.

“It was the adventure of it, and the ability to sort of go back in time.

“This place was more like the 1940s in America.

“There was still a manual telephone exchange, it had its own bakery, the pub, the bowling club, the school of arts, two snack shops, it had just a lot of stuff.

“The thing about it is, this is not an age segregated area. You cannot afford to hang out with everybody your own age. It is just not possible.

“So when they had a party, everybody from a baby in nappies to the oldest people in the area were there.

“There were 85 students at the school.”

Pilliga Public School was delighted to welcome back American teacher, Mr Charlie Jackson who taught at the school during the 1970s. Pictured, back, toy librarian Josh Pattison, teacher Georgina Wanford, health nurse Helen Haire, teacher Shelley Keenan, playgroup student Bryce Steele, mum Jodie Steele, Mr Jackson’s wife Martha Kline, former Pilliga public school teacher Charlie Jackson, principal Seonaid Stewart, learning support officer Michelle Phelps, administration manager Trish Wilkins and administration officer Zoie Fogarty, middle, Bryan Knowles, T’ea Robinson, Jai Doolan, Mikey Keenan, Harmonie Ruttley, Tyleena Smith, Benny Keenan, Malaye Gray and Tallen Robinson, middle standing, former student and playgroup co-ordinator Frances Doolan, carer, former student Ellen Doolan, front, standing and seated back, Waylen Gray, Jakobi O’Neill, Angela O’Neill, Ryan Steele, Lachlan Smith, Kai-Lee Edwards, seated front, Matthew Gray, Malaya Gray, Malieka Ruttley, Billie Hall and Jeremy Steele. Absent, Ellie-May Ruttley and Claire Wilkins. Pilliga Public School was delighted to welcome back American teacher, Mr Charlie Jackson who taught at the school during the 1970s. Pictured, back, toy librarian Josh Pattison, teacher Georgina Wanford, health nurse Helen Haire, teacher Shelley Keenan, playgroup student Bryce Steele, mum Jodie Steele, Mr Jackson’s wife Martha Kline, former Pilliga public school teacher Charlie Jackson, principal Seonaid Stewart, learning support officer Michelle Phelps, administration manager Trish Wilkins and administration officer Zoie Fogarty, middle, Bryan Knowles, T’ea Robinson, Jai Doolan, Mikey Keenan, Harmonie Ruttley, Tyleena Smith, Benny Keenan, Malaye Gray and Tallen Robinson, middle standing, former student and playgroup co-ordinator Frances Doolan, carer, former student Ellen Doolan, front, standing and seated back, Waylen Gray, Jakobi O’Neill, Angela O’Neill, Ryan Steele, Lachlan Smith, Kai-Lee Edwards, seated front, Matthew Gray, Malaya Gray, Malieka Ruttley, Billie Hall and Jeremy Steele. Absent, Ellie-May Ruttley and Claire Wilkins.

Pilliga Public School students Lachlan Smith, Billie Hall, Te’a Robinson and Malaya Gray with former teacher Charlie Jackson. Pilliga Public School students Lachlan Smith, Billie Hall, Te’a Robinson and Malaya Gray with former teacher Charlie Jackson.

Mr Jackson with two of his former Pilliga students, sisters Frances and Ellen Doolan who described Mr Jackson as their favourite teacher. Mr Jackson with two of his former Pilliga students, sisters Frances and Ellen Doolan who described Mr Jackson as their favourite teacher.

The late Ivy Phelps after whom Mr Jackson named his daughetr. The late Ivy Phelps after whom Mr Jackson named his daughetr.

Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s. Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s.

Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s. Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s.

Mr Jackson with two of his former Pilliga students, sisters Frances and Ellen Doolan who described Mr Jackson as their favourite teacher. Mr Jackson with two of his former Pilliga students, sisters Frances and Ellen Doolan who described Mr Jackson as their favourite teacher.

Pilliga Public School student Billie Hall cheekily checking out the camera and making Charlie Jackson laugh. Pilliga Public School student Billie Hall cheekily checking out the camera and making Charlie Jackson laugh.

Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s. Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s.

Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s. Old photos from Mr Jackson's time as a teacher in Pilliga in the 1970s.

In 1976, when Mr Jackson first arrived in Pilliga, it was a very different town and time, and very far away from his home state of Ohio.

“My then wife and I were just newly married.

“In fact, we were on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald coming in, the headline said, ‘American teachers coming’.

“Most of the plane was full of American teachers, they served us champagne and everybody broke into spontaneous applause,” Mr Jackson fondly recalls.

“When I got here, there was a major flood going on.

“We got to Burren Junction and they hadn’t told me that anybody would meet me, so we got off, and we’re out in the middle of nowhere and the mailman happened to be there, and he said, ‘I’ll take you back.’

“So, we got in the truck and he drove through water about three feet deep.”

It’s that generous bush hospitality that seems to have won Mr Jackson’s heart.

The hospitality of the late Ivy Phelps, ‘Yathella’, made such an impression on Mr Jackson that he named his daughter after her.

“She was sort of the grand dame of the area. She had an empty cabin and I said, ‘well how much do you want?’, she said, ‘I won’t be too hard on you.’ I think she said something like $25 a month.

“Nothing was heated, there was no toilet in the house and then we had no refrigerator for the first six months.

The Phelps family also took Mr Jackson to and from school in their bus.

“There’s very little I wouldn’t do for a Phelps, any of them. They are amazing people.”

For Mr Jackson, it’s heartbreaking to see Pilliga in drought and population decline but he’s still in complete awe of the district’s fighting spirit.

“It’s just so dry that you just wonder how people are able to make a living.

“It’s hard, it’s hard to live here. Australia’s not an easy place to do anything.

“But, in particular for the country people, I developed a sympathy because city people have no idea that the backbone of the country here is being staffed by people so dedicated and they don’t make much of a living, a lot of people don’t.

“But they continue to keep supporting the government and they get, it doesn’t look like to me, very much in return.

“And, I see the politics, it’s not as bad as in the United States, but I see a similar direction with people being ignored.

“I think working with the Aboriginal children really was an eye-opener for me, because they were very poor and there was rampant alcoholism.

“I see a great deal of pride in some of my former students and I have a great deal of pride to see some of them who came up in an environment where they were completely devastatingly poor.

“Both parents maybe were hopeless alcoholics and yet these people turned out to be magnificent parents and grandparents, and do not touch alcohol.”

Mr Jackson’s own schooling is what inspired him to become a teacher.

“I had a pretty bad experience as a student and I didn’t want anybody else to go through that and I thought I could do a better job than what had been done with me. “

Mr Jackson was back in the classroom last week at Pilliga Public School and was also reunited with some of his students.

Sisters Frances and Ellen Doolan were excited to see Mr Jackson again and described him as their “favourite teacher” and “a special one”.

Mr Jackson even brought some of their old artworks that he’d kept from when they were students, to show them.

“I love those girls, I’m so proud of them, they’re really something.

“I love the children here. I absolutely love them,” said Mr Jackson.