Watercolour of Harkaway State School. Signed and dated by the artist, S. Marshall 1978.

A label affixed to the reverse states the following:

"Previous to the 1872 Education Act for free secular and compulsory education, the education of the Harkaway children was carried out privately. Eleanor Scholtz supplied her own and some of the neighbours children with the rudiments of Arithmetic, English and German, but something more of a permanent educational establishment was required, so Otto Herbner conducted a school near the Cemetery for a weekly fee.

Weise and Meyer later built a substantial weatherboard building which served as School, Lutheran Church and Sunday School by the cemetery, and the school was taken over by Jacob Hessell. Later Hessell conducted a boarding school at Ratharnay (WIckham).

State School No. 1697, constructed of locally hand made bricks, was opened in 1880, Mr Noble being the first Head Teacher and Mrs Nichol was for many years the sewing mistress. It was for some time conducted as a half time school, Gembrook being the other school to which Mr Noble rode through the bush on horse back. Mr Noble was followed by Mr Cook, then Mr Warby and a succession of teachers during the intervening years to the present day.

The State School is in an excellent high position ideally situated on a Watershed. The School grounds were purchased from the late, Mr James Gardiner, a well-known family, who resided in Berwick."