Kalkie State School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kalkie State School
Kalkie State School, 1994
Location	257 Bargara Road, Kalkie, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s–1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1877–1937
Architect	Queensland Department of Public Works
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Kalkie State School
Type	state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600971
Significant period	1870s (historical) 1870s–1930s (fabric school) 1870s–ongoing (social) 1930s (fabric residence)
Significant components	play shed, trees of social, historic or special significance, school/school room
Builders	Franz Kuhnel, William Starke
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Kalkie State School is a special old school located at 257 Bargara Road in Kalkie, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by the Queensland Department of Public Works. Builders Franz Kuhnel and William Starke helped construct it in 1877. This school is so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.

History of Kalkie State School

The first building at Kalkie State School was built in 1877. A covered play area, called a playshed, was added a few years later in 1879–1880. This school was the very first state school in the Woongarra area. It is also the oldest school in the Woongarra Shire. The playshed is one of the oldest surviving playsheds with a shingle roof in Queensland.

Early Days and Community Role

The school was started to help the small farming families in Kalkie. This community grew in the early 1870s in the middle of the Woongarra Scrub. This area is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Bundaberg. Land became available for people to settle here from 1869. Many families from Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia moved to the area in the early 1870s.

At first, farmers mainly grew maize (corn). But in 1876, the price of maize dropped a lot. By the early 1880s, farmers in Kalkie and Woongarra started growing sugar cane instead. A large sugar refinery called Millaquin was built in 1882. Many smaller mills were also built nearby to process sugar cane juice.

From the very beginning, the school was a central place for the community. People held meetings there for different activities. For example, in 1879, a meeting took place at the school. People discussed how to elect their first local government board for the Barolin area.

Building the First School

In April 1875, people living in Kalkie asked for a school to be built. Henry Easther, who was part of the School Committee, offered 5 acres (2 hectares) of his land for the school. This land was on a corner, on what is now Bargara Road. Another person offered a different spot, but Mr. Easther's land was chosen because it had roads on two sides.

In November 1876, the government approved the school. However, the community had to raise one-fifth of the building cost themselves. This was hard for the local farmers. The school committee also had to clear the dense scrub from the land.

The Department of Public Instruction asked the Department of Public Works to find builders for the school and a teacher's house. The first bids were too expensive. So, in April 1877, new bids were asked for a building that would be both a school and a teacher's home. Franz Kuhnel and William Starke, builders from Bundaberg, won the contract.

The building cost £375 and took 13 weeks to build. It had a schoolroom that was 30 feet (9.1 m) long. Behind it was the teacher's home with 8 rooms. Both parts were made of timber and had shingle roofs. The school opened on February 11, 1878.

The Playshed and Trees

In October 1879, the School Committee raised money to build a playshed and fences. H. Hunt of Bundaberg was hired to do the work. The playshed cost £59 and had a shingle roof. The work was finished by March 1880. The fences have been replaced over time, but the playshed is still in its original spot. Some of the shingles on the playshed might even be original!

The tall Cook Pines near the playshed were likely planted in the 1880s. Students who went to the school in the late 1890s remembered climbing these trees when they were about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. These trees are from New Caledonia. They might have a connection to the many South Sea Islander people who came to the Kalkie/Woongarra area in the 1880s and 1890s to work on sugar farms.

Growing Pains and Changes

By 1884, the school was very crowded. It was built for about 30 students, but 60 to 70 students were attending daily. The head teacher even had to use parts of the teacher's house for classes. To fix this, a 20-foot (6.1 m) classroom was added. A long verandah, 50 by 8 feet (15.2 by 2.4 m), was also built along the side of the building. This addition was completed in June 1884.

In 1900, the School Committee asked for the school building to be separated from the teacher's house. They also wanted the house to be improved. This work happened in 1906. The school building was moved to the north, behind the playshed. A new verandah was added to the back of the classroom. New windows and a door were also added. Many of these window openings were made larger in the 1920s.

In 1934, it was suggested that a new teacher's house be built. Also, the school needed a new teachers' room, 15 by 12 feet (4.6 by 3.7 m). This work was done in 1935 by SJH Byrne of Bundaberg. A southern wing was added later, probably in the 1940s. The current staffroom was added in the early 1960s. These newer parts are also included in the heritage listing.

New Teacher's Residence

A new teacher's house was finally built in 1937. It cost about £1200. This second house was built in front of the original 1877 house. It faced the main road to Bundaberg. It was a standard Type 5 Teacher's Residence. It had three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and verandahs. It also had a laundry and water tanks. This building is also part of the heritage listing. In late 1937, the first teacher's house was sold and moved away from the school site.

Modern School Growth

Since the 1970s, the number of students at Kalkie State School has grown a lot. This has led to many new buildings and structures being added. These newer additions are not part of the heritage listing. In 2014, Kalkie State School had 308 students and 29 teachers.

What Kalkie State School Looks Like Today

Kalkie State School is on a flat piece of land at the corner of Bargara Road and Zielke Avenue. It includes the old school building, the playshed, groups of old trees, and a teacher's house.

The Main School Building

The old school building has two parts that cross each other. It faces Zielke Avenue. It is a two-story building made of weatherboards. It stands on tall concrete stumps and has corrugated iron roofs. The ground floor has storage rooms and play areas with a concrete floor. The first floor has classrooms, offices, and verandahs.

The northwest part of the building has changed over time. It now has a classroom at each end. The western classroom has sloped ceilings with visible wooden beams. The northern classroom also has sloped ceilings and a part of the verandah that has been closed in. Both classrooms have special skylights and different types of windows.

The other part of the building, which crosses the first, has a classroom, the principal's office, and a staff room. This part has hardboard on the walls and ceilings. It also has a mix of modern and older windows.

The Historic Playshed

The playshed is located south of the old school building, behind a row of trees. It has a timber shingle roof with special "kick-out" eaves. The roof is held up by ten wooden posts. You can see the roof structure inside because there is no ceiling. The playshed has a brick floor and benches around the edges.

Important Trees

There are many old and important trees at the school. Along Bargara Road, there are four fig trees, two Cook Pines, and one Camphor Laurel tree. Near the playshed, there are two more Cook Pines. To the northwest of the school, there are three fig trees. And along Zielke Avenue, there are two fig trees. The Cook Pines are very tall and thin. These pines and the fig trees together create a very noticeable landmark in the area. They also help people recognize the school.

The Teacher's House

The teacher's house is at the eastern corner of the school site. It is a two-story building made of weatherboards. It stands on tall concrete stumps and has a hipped corrugated iron roof. It has a projecting gable over a bay window at the front. The house has verandahs on the northeast and southeast sides. These verandahs have wooden railings and angled wooden brackets. The verandahs have been enclosed with insect screens. The southwest side of the house has casement windows with wooden window hoods.

Why Kalkie State School is Special

Kalkie State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. It met several important requirements.

A Look at Queensland's Past

Kalkie State School is important because it shows how Queensland's history unfolded. It was the first state school in the Woongarra Scrub area and is the oldest school in Woongarra Shire. The first classroom, the original playshed, and the old Cook Pines, fig, and Camphor Laurel trees are all important. They show how the school was first set up. They also provide evidence of how the Kalkie area developed in the 1870s and 1880s.

Unique Features

The playshed is a very beautiful example of its kind. It is also one of the earliest playsheds with a shingle roof that still exists in Queensland. This makes it quite rare.

Important for the Community

The teacher's house is a good example of a "Type 5 Teacher's Residence" from between the two World Wars. This house, along with the first school building, the playshed, and the old trees, forms the main part of the school.

The Cook Pines and the fig trees are very noticeable landmarks in the area. They help people identify the school. The playshed and the Cook Pines are also a main feature of the school. They are even used in the school's emblem.

Kalkie State School has been a big part of the Kalkie/Woongarra community for a long time. It has been the center for local education and a place for community activities.