Mitchell State School (1914 Building) facts for kids

The Mitchell State School (1914 Building) was an important old school building in Mitchell, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by the Department of Public Works (Queensland) and built between 1913 and 1920 by G P Williams. This building was also known simply as the 1914 Building. It was once listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its historical importance. Sadly, the building was later destroyed and removed from the heritage list in 2015.

History of the Mitchell School Building

The 1914 timber building replaced an older school that was built in 1880. The town of Mitchell began in the 1850s as a large sheep and cattle station called Mitchell Downs. A Post Office opened there in 1865. The town itself was officially created in 1869.

Mitchell became an important centre when the Booringa Division was formed in 1879. The Western Railway line reached Mitchell in 1885. This helped the town grow as a business hub for the surrounding farming areas.

Early Schools in Mitchell

A temporary school for 20 students opened in Mitchell in 1876. A new school building and a house for the teacher were finished in 1880. This new school cost £470 and was built by Joseph and John Warren. It had two rooms and verandahs at the front and back. By 1880, 66 students attended the school. In 1911, the building was lifted higher and given a new roof.

Building the New 1914 School

By 1913, the school had over 200 students. People complained that the old building was too small. So, plans were made for a new school. A contractor named G P Williams mostly finished the new building in 1914. It cost £1,351.

While the new school was being built, students had lessons in the old teacher's house and in the school's play sheds. During winter, classes were even held in the Shire Hall's supper room. The new building was described as a "modern compact wooden building." It was built on tall stumps, with a concrete area underneath.

The new school had a special glass wall that divided the main school room from the infants' (younger children's) room. Both rooms had curved ceilings made of stamped metal. Large windows in the gables (the triangular parts of the roof) and dormer windows (windows that stick out from the roof) let in lots of light and air. The old school building was sold in 1914. The teacher's house was moved in 1915, and a new one was finished in 1919.

Changes Over Time

The rest of the new school building, including the dormer windows and metal ceilings, was finished by 1920. By the late 1940s, the building had been divided into three rooms. A room for teachers was added to one side. In 1959, part of the verandah was enclosed to create a library. By the early 1980s, the library took up a large classroom area.

From the early 1900s, the school garden was very important. Students did experiments with growing wheat and had flower gardens. From the mid-1940s, there were clubs for projects like growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers, and even for bee keeping and poultry.

In 1922, a shed in the school yard was enclosed to provide space for vocational education classes. These classes taught practical skills. In 1949, a school from an Aboriginal reserve was moved to Mitchell State School. It was used for domestic science (home economics) and manual training classes, but this building has since been removed. Over the years, more buildings were added to the school for primary and secondary classes, and for administration.

The 1914 building was removed from the Queensland Heritage Register in June 2015. This happened because the building was destroyed.

What the 1914 Building Looked Like

The 1914 school building was known as Block A. It was located in the middle of the school grounds, which were bordered by Oxford, Ann, Margaret, and Cambridge Streets. The verandah on one side of the building connected to newer buildings nearby.

This school was a single-story building. It was raised up on concrete stumps. The building was made of timber with weatherboard walls and a corrugated iron roof. The main classroom area was shaped like a rectangle. It had verandahs running along both of its longer sides.

A large gable roof covered the classrooms and verandahs. A smaller gable roof stuck out from the main roof, covering the former teacher's room. An fancy ventilator was placed in the centre of the main roof's ridge. Below the ventilator, on both sides of the roof, were rows of dormer windows. Other roof lights were also added.

The teacher's room could be entered from the verandah. Wooden staircases on both sides of this room connected the raised verandah to the ground. Part of the verandah was later enclosed, with small rooms built into its ends. Another wooden staircase led to the centre of the other verandah, which was also partly enclosed.

Casement windows were placed evenly in the gable ends and were protected by timber awnings. The main classroom area had a coved ceiling made of pressed metal. The concrete play area under the building was partly enclosed by corrugated iron screens and timber battens.

Why it was Heritage Listed

The Mitchell State School (1914 Building) was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 June 1994. This means it was considered important for several reasons:

• Showing Queensland's History: The 1914 building was the oldest school building left in Mitchell. It helped show how schools and towns developed in Queensland.
• Typical School Design: The timber building's design was a good example of how the Queensland Works Department built classrooms in the early 1900s.
• Important to the Community: The 1914 building had a strong and special connection with the people of Mitchell. It was a significant part of their community's history.