Boolboonda State School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boolboonda State School |
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Boolboonda State School, 2000
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| Location | Boolboonda Tunnel Road, Boolboonda, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1896–1911 |
| Architect | Department of Public Works |
| Official name: Boolboonda State Primary School (former) | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 25 August 2000 |
| Reference no. | 602172 |
| Significant period | 1890s–1910s (historical) 1890s–1910s (fabric) 1890s–1973 (social) |
| Significant components | school/school room |
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The Boolboonda State School is a special old building located on Boolboonda Tunnel Road in Boolboonda, Australia. It used to be a school but is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected. The school was designed by the Queensland Department of Public Works and was built between 1896 and 1911. It officially became a heritage site on August 25, 2000.
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History of Boolboonda State School
Early Schools and the Railway
A temporary school was first set up in Boolboonda in 1882. This was for the children of workers building the Mount Perry railway line. When the railway was finished in 1884, this first school closed.
Years later, in 1896, local families wanted a new school for their children. They asked the Queensland Department of Public Instruction to help. The new school opened in 1897 and became a full State School in 1909. It finally closed its doors to students in 1973.
The Mount Perry railway was very important for the area. It helped transport goods like grain and timber. Because of the railway, more families moved to Boolboonda. Many of these families worked on the railway or were farmers. Some also worked in mining for minerals like wolfram and molybdenite. These families were the ones who pushed for a new school.
Building the School
Four local families, with twenty children aged five to thirteen, first asked for a school. The closest government school was eight kilometres away. A special committee was formed on May 16, 1896, to help get the school built.
They first wanted to build the school on land near the railway line. However, the Railway Department said no. Instead, they chose a different spot on the south side of the railway. The school building was constructed between October 1896 and January 1897.
The school was finished on January 23, 1897. It cost about £97 and 14 shillings to build. It opened as a "provisional school" on March 22, 1897. Kate Ruddy was the first teacher, and twenty-four children enrolled that first year.
What is a Provisional School?
Provisional schools were a way for the government to provide education in new, smaller settlements. Usually, a town needed at least 30 children for a full state school. If there weren't enough children, the government would help local communities build a provisional school. These schools were often built quickly by volunteers using simple materials. They were a temporary solution until a proper state school could be built. They became a very important part of education in Queensland.
Growing and Changing
In 1909, Boolboonda Provisional School officially became a State School. By 1911, there were 38 students, so the school committee asked for an extra verandah. This work was completed in September for about £29 and 15 shillings.
Between 1916 and 1923, there were some disagreements between the school committee and the teachers. An investigation happened in 1922. As a result, a local teacher was moved, and a new teacher from outside the area was appointed.
Student Numbers and Closure
The number of students at Boolboonda State School changed over the years. It started with 16 children in 1897 and reached a high of 25 in 1903 and again in 1922. Numbers increased in the late 1940s and stayed high until the mid-1950s. After 1966, attendance began to drop. With only about seven children attending between 1967 and 1972, the school was closed in February 1973.
From 1897 until its closure in 1973, eighteen different teachers taught at Boolboonda State School. Margaret Campbell was the longest-serving teacher, working there from 1926 until 1958.
After the school closed, the building and grounds were looked after by local residents. They used it as a community meeting place. In the early 1980s, the Kolan Shire Council became responsible for the site. Today, the land is a reserve for parks and recreation, and the council is still its trustee.
Description of the School Building
The Boolboonda State School is located on Tunnel Road. The school building sits back from the road, surrounded by many mature trees. These trees make the area feel private and enclosed. There is also an outhouse (a toilet building) located behind the school.
The school building is made of timber and has weatherboard walls. It is raised slightly off the ground on timber stumps. The roof is made of corrugated metal. It has a central gable roof and flatter skillion roofs over the front and back verandahs. There are timber vents on both ends of the gable roof. Rainwater from the roof is collected in two metal water tanks on the eastern side.
You enter the school from the front northern verandah using a set of stairs. This verandah used to go all the way across the front of the building, but now the eastern end is enclosed. The back verandah was added later and is also partly enclosed at both ends. The front verandah has a simple timber railing, while the back verandah has a railing with timber battens.
The windows in the school are all double-hung, meaning they slide up and down. Some have six small glass panes, and others have four. On the western side, a timber sun hood covers three windows. On the eastern side, metal sun hoods are above single windows.
Inside, the school is one large room. There's also a small enclosed area in the northeast corner that used to be part of the verandah. The floor is made of unfinished timber boards. The walls and ceiling are lined with timber tongue-and-groove boards. The ceiling follows the shape of the gable roof.
The outhouse behind the school is also made of timber with weatherboards. It has a simple timber screen at its entrance. The roof is a single curved sheet of corrugated metal.
Why Boolboonda State School is Heritage Listed
The former Boolboonda State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 25, 2000, for several important reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed.
This school is a great example of a provisional school from the late 1800s. It hasn't changed much, so it helps us remember how education grew in rural areas of Queensland.
- It has beautiful surroundings.
The school grounds have many old trees that make the area look very pretty.
- It has a strong connection to the community.
Like many schools, Boolboonda School was a central part of the community. Local residents used it for learning, meetings, and other events. The community's connection to the school is even stronger because they helped pay to buy the land and the building after it closed. This helped keep the school's history alive within the community.
