Frederick Bridges

Frederick Bridges (1840–1904) was an Australian educationalist and former chief inspector of schools.

Early life Born in Windsor, New South Wales on 2 February 1840, Bridges was brought to Sydney as an infant. He was the son of a Scottish-born stonemason brought to Sydney by John Dunmore Lang and his wife. He was educated at the Fort Street Model School and was one of its first pupils.

Educationalist work Bridges became the first pupil-teacher trained by the Board of National Education who was a man. He began to work for the Board in 1852 and after four years became an assistant in Sydney schools. He became the headmaster of Balmain Public School in 1861, of Mudgee High School in 1863, of Cleveland Street Intensive English High School in 1865, and of Fort Street Model School in 1867. He remained at the last of these until his appointment as a school inspector in 1876. He was the inspector of schools in Wellington and Bathurst. In 1884, he became the deputy chief inspector; in 1889, superintendent of technical education; in 1894, chief inspector of schools and under-secretary in 1903. and a memorial was later erected in his honour in Gore Hill Cemetery.