Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence
Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence, 2013
Location	42 Mable Street, Atherton, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s–1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1913
Architect	Queensland Department of Public Works
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Head Teacher's Residence, Atherton State School (former), Atherton Provisional School, Enterprise House, Principal's Residence (former)
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600013
Significant period	1891–1985 (historical) 1890s–1900s (fabric)
Significant components	residential accommodation – headmaster's house
Builders	Queensland Department of Public Works
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The Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence is a special old house located at 42 Mable Street in Atherton, Australia. It was designed and built in 1913 by the Queensland Department of Public Works. This building is also known by other names like Atherton Provisional School, Enterprise House, and the former Principal's Residence. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, because of its important history.

History of the Atherton Residence

The former Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence was built in 1913. It was made for Joseph Johnson, who was the head teacher of the school at that time. He had a large family, so they needed a bigger home. The house was designed by the Queensland Department of Public Works. A famous architect named Thomas Pye was in charge of the designs.

Atherton is a town in Far North Queensland. It is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Cairns. Atherton is one of the main towns in the Atherton Tablelands area. The main jobs there are farming, dairy production, and tourism. In the mid-1980s, the school moved to a new location. The land where the residence and old school buildings stood became a special area for the local government. Since 2009, the site has been used for community activities.

Early Days of Atherton

In 1880, tin was found near Herberton. This brought many European settlers to the area. They were looking for valuable cedar timber. Small camps were set up, including one called Prior's Pocket. In 1883, land was opened for farming. People asked for a town to be surveyed at Prior's Pocket. This survey happened in 1885, and the town was renamed Atherton.

The first land sales in Atherton took place on February 23, 1886. Eighty-four town lots were sold. Atherton was on the route of a new railway line from Cairns. By 1888, it was expected to become a major stop for farm products and timber. The town grew quickly, and soon a school was needed.

Education in Queensland's Past

Governments played a big part in providing education. In 1848, the New South Wales Government started National Schools. The Queensland Government continued this after Queensland became a separate colony in 1859. The Education Act of 1860 helped make education more standard. It set rules for what was taught, how teachers were trained, and what school buildings should be like.

The Education Act of 1875 made primary education free, required, and non-religious. The Department of Public Instruction was created to manage this. This helped make education available to many children. By 1900, most Queensland children could read and write.

Schools were very important for new communities. Local people often gave land and helped build them. Schools became a central part of the community. They showed progress, offered a place for people to meet, and were a source of pride. Teachers, parents, and students often helped maintain the schools.

Provisional Schools and Atherton's First School

Provisional schools were started in 1869. They helped small communities with few students or limited money. These schools were often built near railway lines or mining areas. If a community had 15 to 30 students and could provide a building, the government would provide a teacher and supplies.

In 1890, a school committee was formed in Atherton. They asked for a provisional school for their growing town. The committee raised money for the school. It was built as a simple two-room timber building. The school opened in 1891 at the corner of Mabel and Vernon streets. In 1895, the teacher left, and the school closed for a short time. It reopened in 1896 with a new teacher.

Growth and a New School Building

The railway finally reached Atherton in 1903. This brought more people and prosperity to the town. By 1904, Atherton Provisional School was the largest in Queensland. It had many more students than needed for a state school. So, its status was upgraded.

A new state school building was finished next to the provisional school in 1906. The old provisional school building was made bigger and became the head teacher's house. The state school officially opened in 1906 with Richard Hooper as the head teacher.

Around this time, the Atherton Tablelands became a major area for growing maize (corn). Many Chinese farmers worked in this industry. A large Chinatown grew in Atherton. Dairy farming also started to show promise. The Golden Grove Butter Factory opened north of Atherton in 1909.

The Johnson Family and a New Residence

In 1911, Joseph Johnson became the head teacher. Atherton had 1186 residents then. Mr. Johnson moved into the old residence with his wife and seven children. One of his sons also worked as a pupil teacher at the school.

The old house was too small for the Johnson family. In August 1911, Mr. Johnson wrote to the government. He complained that the house was too small and falling apart. One of his sons had even fallen through a floorboard. In September, an inspector confirmed the house was in bad shape. He suggested building a new residence. The Johnson family moved to a rented house in October. In 1912, the old residence was sold and moved away.

Designing School Residences

The Queensland Government used standard plans for school buildings. This helped save money and keep things consistent. Government architects kept improving these designs. Until the 1960s, most school buildings were made of timber. This was because timber was plentiful, and many builders knew how to use it. It also made building easy and affordable, even in remote areas.

The Department of Public Works was in charge of designing and building schools from 1893. They used standard plans to avoid making new designs for every school. In 1909, new standard designs for teacher residences were created. This was because teachers and inspectors complained that the old houses were not comfortable. The new designs made verandas larger. Bigger houses even had a back veranda for dining or sleeping outside.

The head teacher's residence in Atherton was different from the standard designs. It was a larger, ten-room timber and iron house. It had four bedrooms, a sitting room, and a dining room. The largest standard designs only had up to four bedrooms if the sitting room was used as one. The Atherton house was likely made larger because of the big Johnson family. It might also have housed a pupil teacher. However, its design still aimed to make teachers' homes more comfortable, just like the 1909 standard plans.

Tenders for the new residence were called in March 1913. H Boyle's tender was accepted the next month. The house was finished, and the Johnson family moved in on October 25, 1913.

Important Architects and Buildings

At that time, Alfred Barton Brady led the Department of Public Works. He was the Queensland Government Architect. In 1912, the department had a team of 21 draftsmen and one draftswoman. They worked under Thomas Pye, who was a very skilled Deputy Government Architect. This team designed many important public buildings in Queensland. These include the Land Administration Building, the former Queensland Government Savings Bank, and additions to the former Government Printing Office. They also designed Block A of the Rockhampton Technical College (1914) and Windsor State School (1915 to 1916).

Out of 19 school residences built between 1893 and 1914 that still exist, 16 followed a standard design. After 1914, the standard designs changed. In the late 1920s, two new types of residences were introduced. These looked similar to the Atherton residence in shape and layout. Earlier standard residences (1893–1914) were low to the ground with simple roofs. They had a veranda along the front. Later designs (after 1914) were higher off the ground and had different roof shapes. The Atherton residence looks like the later types but is low to the ground like the earlier ones.

Later Years of the Residence

Joseph Johnson remained head teacher until he passed away in 1930. Mr. AJ Beck took over in December that year. In 1931, Atherton State School became a Rural School. It started offering classes in manual training and domestic science. Mr. Gilchrist became the new head teacher in 1934. The school continued to grow. In 1951, a new building wing was added for a "High Top" section. This expanded until 1963, even after a new state high school opened in 1959.

In 1984, a new State Primary School opened. Grades 5 to 7 moved to the new site. In 1985, grades 1 to 4 followed. The Mabel Street primary school then closed. The National Trust of Queensland added the residence to its register that year.

The land where the school stood became a reserve for local government in 1988. The Atherton Shire Council became responsible for the buildings. The former head teacher's residence became "Enterprise House" in 1997. It housed various government offices. In 2009, the land was given to the Tablelands Regional Council.

The former residence in Atherton is still mostly the same today. It has new steel support posts. The veranda on the northeast side has been enclosed to create two new rooms. Some doorways have been changed or closed. The old pantry was turned into a toilet. The kitchen has also been updated. A ramp was added at the back instead of stairs.

What the Atherton Residence Looks Like

The former Head Teacher's Residence is next to the old Atherton State Primary School. It is on a large piece of land at the corner of Mabel and Vernon streets. This is close to the center of town.

The building is a single-story house. It is made of timber and has weatherboard siding. It stands on steel posts. The roof is complex, with different sections and vents. It is covered with corrugated metal.

The house has a main set of rooms. There is an L-shaped veranda on the southwest side. An enclosed veranda is on the northeast side. A small section sticks out from the back corner.

Exterior Features

The front of the house faces Mabel Street. It has a window on the enclosed veranda. There is a central section with a gabled roof. This section has three casement windows. A timber hood covers these windows. The open veranda has timber posts and a wooden railing. French doors open onto this veranda. The ceiling of the veranda is made of wooden boards.

The northeast side of the house has a gabled roof section. Underneath are two double-hung windows. The enclosed veranda has several casement windows. There is also a timber double door at the top of the access stairs.

The open veranda runs along the southwest side of the building. The roof over this veranda has a broken-back shape. The walls facing the veranda are single-layered. On the southeast side, there is a ramp leading off the veranda. This ramp replaced old timber stairs. A small room sticks out from the northeast corner. It has its own roof and a concrete floor. Its walls are covered in corrugated metal. A single door opens to the backyard.

Inside the House

You can enter the house through a gate on Mabel Street. A concrete path leads to timber stairs. These stairs go up to the open veranda. A wide door with glass panes leads into a short hall. Three rooms are on the southwest side, next to the veranda. Two more rooms are on the northeast side. The central room is now a reception area with a counter.

Beyond these rooms, a veranda has been enclosed to make two small rooms. You can still see the original outer wall. At the back, on the northeast corner, are three small rooms that lead into the kitchen.

Most of the main rooms have vertical wooden boards on the walls and ceilings. They also have simple timber trim around the edges. The main rooms have polished timber floors, with some areas covered by carpet. The three small rooms at the back have flat sheet walls. The floor in this area has linoleum tiles, likely over timber boards. The old laundry area has a painted concrete floor.

The original doors have four panels and glass fanlights above them. The French doors have two large glass sections and glass fanlights. Many double-hung windows are throughout the house. The enclosed veranda has several double casement windows. Most doors and windows still have their original hardware.

The Yard and Other Structures

The yard around the house is grassy and fenced. There are a few trees along the edges. The ground slopes gently from Mabel Street towards the east. A concrete retaining wall, about half a meter high, runs along Mabel Street. It has short stairs in the middle.

There is also a garage in the southeast part of the yard. It faces Vernon Street. It has a sloped roof and is covered in metal sheeting. It has large double timber doors.

Why it's a Heritage Site

The Head Teacher's Residence of the former Atherton State School was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. It met several important criteria.

Showing Queensland's History

This building was completed in 1913. It is special because it was not built using a standard design. The former Head Teacher's Residence shows how important Atherton was as a regional center in northern Queensland, especially in the early 1900s.

The size and comfort of the residence also show a government policy from 1909. The Queensland Department of Public Works wanted to improve teachers' homes. This was to encourage teachers to stay in schools in regional areas. You can still see these features in the building today, over 100 years later.

A Rare Example of Design

The former Head Teacher's Residence at Atherton is a rare example of a non-standard design by the Queensland Department of Public Works. Between 1893 and 1914, 19 school residences were built that still exist. Only three of these followed a non-standard design. This makes the Atherton residence quite unique.

Showing Key Features of its Type

The former Atherton head teacher's residence is a great example of a school residence built for a specific purpose. It was designed by the architectural office of Queensland's Department of Public Works. Its internal layout, materials, and setting are still very much intact.