Gayndah State School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gayndah State School
Gayndah State School, 2004
Location	33 Meson Street, Gayndah, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century)
Built	1861 - 1862
Architectural style(s)	Gothic
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Gayndah State School
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600516
Significant period	1860s (historical) 1860s (fabric)
Significant components	school/school room
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Gayndah State School is a school in Gayndah, Queensland, Australia. It is a very old school, built between 1861 and 1862. It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place. You can find it at 33 Meson Street.

History of Gayndah State School

How the School Started

The idea for Gayndah State School began in 1860. People in the Gayndah community sent their plans for a primary school to the Board of General Education. These plans were approved, and the community received money to help build it.

Construction started in 1861. The school building was finished in 1862. The first head teacher, Hercules Smith, started working there in September 1863. The school officially opened its doors in November 1873.

Gayndah Town's Early Days

The town of Gayndah was officially created in 1849. It grew as a central place for large sheep farms in the Burnett area during the 1840s. Gayndah became an important administrative centre. Besides the school, a post office and a court house were also built.

A bank opened in 1864, and a local government was set up in 1867. Later, cattle farming became more important than sheep. Citrus farms also grew. These industries helped Gayndah develop from the early 1900s.

Queensland's First Schools

"National Schools" were a type of government school. They were started in 1848 by the Governor of New South Wales, Charles Augustus FitzRoy. He created a Board of National Education to set up these schools.

When Queensland became a separate colony in 1859, it already had two National Schools. These were in Warwick (1850) and Drayton (1851). After Queensland separated, its new government passed a law in 1860. This law created a Board of General Education to manage National Schools in the new colony.

Many new National Schools were built in the early 1860s. Two opened in Brisbane in 1860. Seven more opened in 1861, including Gayndah State School. Four opened in 1862, and three in 1863. At first, local communities had to pay one-third of the building costs. These rules were later made easier. This led to fifteen new schools opening in 1864. Gayndah National School was built during this time of fast growth for schools.

Designing Early Schools

The government had rules for building National Schools. Local communities could ask the Board of Education for approved plans. Or, like Gayndah, they could suggest their own designs. These designs had to follow certain rules.

For example, school rooms had to be at least 16 feet (about 4.9 meters) wide. If more than 20 students were expected, the room needed to be 18 to 20 feet (about 5.5 to 6.1 meters) wide. The rules also said that teachers' homes should have four rooms and a kitchen.

The Original School Building

The first school building at Gayndah was made of brick. It had a main schoolroom that was 40 by 20 feet (about 12.2 by 6.1 meters). Next to it was a smaller classroom for infants, 12 by 20 feet (about 3.7 by 6.1 meters). These rooms were under the same roof, with a wall separating them.

A verandah ran along the eastern side of the building. The roof had three special windows called dormer windows. On the front, facing the street, the year "1861" was carved. A teacher's house was attached to the schoolroom on the western side. It had four rooms and a kitchen, just as the rules said.

Changes Over Time

The school building has changed a lot over the years. However, you can still see parts of its original design. The main schoolroom is still there. You can see where the wall that separated the infants' classroom used to be.

Some original decorations on the front of the building are still there. Two of the three original dormer windows on the eastern side are also still visible. The verandah on the eastern side has been changed. The teacher's house was pulled down, except for one room. This room, which was a bedroom, is now used for storage. The outside walls, which were originally bare brick, are now painted white.

As the school grew, more buildings were added around the original brick one. Most of these newer buildings are made of timber. Timber buildings are more common for Queensland schools than brick ones. The original brick building is still used today. It serves as a music room, a resource centre, and a classroom. It is an important part of the Gayndah school complex.

What the School Looks Like

Gayndah State School is on the southern side of Messon Street, which is the main street in Gayndah. The school has six buildings built at different times. It has lovely, well-kept grounds with old trees. You can enter the school from Messon Street through a fancy iron gate. This gate celebrates the school's 100th birthday and says "Centenary: 1863 - 1963".

The Oldest Building

The original brick school building is at the western end of the school. It is a small part of the whole school complex. A covered walkway connects it to a timber building next to it. This old building has one storey. It has a main section with a pointed roof (gable) running north to south. Three other parts (wings) are attached to it.

One wing goes west from the front (north) side. This was the original teacher's bedroom. Another wing goes east from the front. A third wing goes east from the back corner. These last two wings were added later. The eastern side of the building forms a U-shape, which includes part of the original verandah. The building is mostly made of brick, with some timber on the newer eastern parts. It has a corrugated iron roof.

The front (northern) side of the building has a special look. The main gabled section has a decorative, wavy trim along the edge of the roof. There is also a carving that says "Erected AD 1861". A large window with many small panes and a corrugated iron cover is also on this side. The same type of window is on the back (southern) side of the main section.

The eastern side of the building has two original dormer windows in the roof that you can still see. Timber posts with angled edges support the roof of the remaining part of the original verandah. From the verandah, two original double timber doors with glass panels lead into the schoolroom. Above each door are two small windows with four panes.

Inside the Old Building

The inside of the main section was the original schoolroom. It is an open, rectangular space with a high, curved timber ceiling. Large timber beams support the ceiling. You can see signs that an inner wall was removed at some point.

Two large windows with many small panes are at each end of the room. Inside, you can see the third dormer window towards the northern end of the room. However, it is covered from the outside. The floor is carpeted, and the brick walls inside are smooth and painted. There are two doors that open to the southern side of the building. One door leads to the front porch on the northern side, and another to the back.

The Rest of the School

The rest of the school complex spreads out to the east of the original building. The main part of the school has two long timber buildings that run side-by-side. These create a central garden area for students. There is also a tuck-shop building and a classroom building behind the original building. A library building is at the far eastern end of the school site.

Why Gayndah State School is Special

Gayndah State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.

Showing Queensland's History

The original brick school building at Gayndah State School is important because it shows how Queensland's history developed. It was one of the very first National Schools built in the new Colony of Queensland in 1861. These National Schools show how government-run education started and grew in Queensland. This system was first used in Ireland and then adopted by New South Wales in 1848. Queensland continued it after becoming a separate colony in 1859. Starting government education was a big step forward at the time. It quickly improved schooling in Queensland and set the stage for today's state education system.

The newer buildings at the school are also historically important. They show how school designs changed over time. They include styles from the Federation period, after World War II, and the late 20th century. The fact that Gayndah State School kept growing also shows that it has been a successful school since 1861. The school also shows how Gayndah became an important administrative centre for the surrounding farming area in the 1860s.

A Rare Example

Gayndah State School is special because it is a rare example of one of Queensland's earliest government schools. The 1861 building is one of only a few government school buildings from the 1860s that are still standing. It is also the oldest government school building in Queensland that is still being used today. It is also rare because it is a brick school building from that time. Most schools built then were timber.

Showing Key Features

The 1861 building shows the main features of a National School from the 1860s. It reflects the building rules that the Board of General Education in Queensland put in place. These rules helped make sure that school buildings across the colony met certain standards. The school as a whole also shows typical features of a Queensland State School that has grown over a long time. These include standard timber buildings and planted trees.

Beautiful to Look At

Gayndah State School is beautiful to look at. It has well-kept grounds with old trees and plants. The different styles of buildings look good together. The special entrance gate makes the school look impressive from Messon Street. The original 1861 building is especially beautiful. It is a lovely brick building that shows good quality materials and craftsmanship. It has a Victorian Rustic Gothic style. The wavy trim on the front gable, the dormer windows, the steeply sloped roof, and the compact shape of this building all make it very attractive.

Important to the Community

Gayndah State School is very important to the people of Gayndah. It has been a place of education and a central meeting point for the school community and local residents since 1861.