Mitchell State School (1914 Building) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitchell State School (1914 building)
Mitchell State School (1914 building), 1976
Location	105 Cambridge Street, Mitchell, Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s–1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1913–1920
Architect	Department of Public Works (Queensland)
Architectural style(s)	Classicism
Former Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Mitchell State School (1914 Building)
Type	state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated	6 June 1994
Delisted	June 2015
Reference no.	601076
Significant period	1870s–1910s (historical) 1910s–1920s (fabric) 1913–ongoing (social)
Significant components	garden/grounds, school/school room
Builders	G P Williams
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Mitchell State School (1914 Building) was an old school building in Mitchell, Australia. It was designed by the Department of Public Works (Queensland) and built between 1913 and 1920. People also called it the 1914 Building. This building was once listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This meant it was an important historical place. However, it was taken off the list in 2017 because it was taken down as part of a planned project.

History of the School Building

Early Days of Mitchell School

The Mitchell State School's 1914 building was made of timber. It was built to replace an older school building from 1880. The town of Mitchell started to grow in the 1850s. A Post Office opened in 1865. The town became an important center for the area. The railway line reached Mitchell in 1885. This helped Mitchell become a business hub for local farms.

Building the First School

A small school for 20 students opened in Mitchell in 1876. A new school building and a house for the teacher were finished in 1880. By then, 66 students attended the school. The building had two rooms and verandahs. In 1911, the building was lifted higher and got a new roof.

The New 1914 Building

By 1913, the school had over 200 students. The old building was too small for everyone. So, plans were made for a new, bigger building. A builder named GP Williams mostly finished the new building in 1914. While it was being built, students had lessons in other places. They used the old teacher's house, play sheds, and even the Shire Hall.

The new building was described as modern. It was made of wood and stood on tall stumps. The area underneath was concreted and enclosed. It had two main rooms for infants and older students. These rooms had special ceilings made of pressed metal. Large windows and verandah lights let in lots of light and air. The old school building was sold in 1914. The teacher's house was also replaced with a new one in 1919.

Changes Over Time

The rest of the new building was finished by 1920. This included adding more windows and the metal ceilings. By the late 1940s, the building had three rooms. A room for teachers was also added. In 1959, part of the verandah was enclosed. This created a library room. By the early 1980s, the library took up a large classroom area.

The school garden was also important. From the early 1900s, students did experiments with wheat and grew flowers. In the 1940s, there were clubs for growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers. There were also clubs for bee keeping and poultry.

In 1922, a shed in the school yard was enclosed. This provided 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 cooking and manual training classes. This building has since been removed. Other new buildings were added to the school from the 1950s. These included more primary and secondary classrooms. A new administration block was also built.

What the Building Looked Like

The 1914 school building was known as Block A. It was located in the middle of the school grounds. It was a single-story building. It stood high on concrete stumps. The building was made of timber with weatherboard walls. It had a corrugated iron roof.

The main classroom area was rectangular. It had verandahs along its longer sides. There was also a teacher's room in the middle of one verandah. A large gable roof covered the classrooms and verandahs. A smaller gable covered the teacher's room. An fancy ventilator was on top of the main roof. Below it were dormer windows on both sides.

The teacher's room could be reached from the verandah. Wooden stairs connected the verandah to the ground. Later, parts of the verandahs were enclosed. Casement windows were placed in the gable ends. They were protected by timber awnings. The classroom area had a special coved pressed metal ceiling. The concrete play area under the building was partly enclosed. It had corrugated iron walls and timber battens.

Why it Was a Heritage Site

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

• It showed Queensland's history: The 1914 building was the oldest school building left in Mitchell.
• It showed typical school design: Its timber design was common for schools built in the early 1900s. The Queensland Works Department designed it.
• It was important to the community: The building had a strong connection with the people of Mitchell.

Why it Was Delisted

In 2011, a law was changed. This allowed sites that were destroyed to be removed from the Queensland Heritage Register. The 1914 building was removed from the register in June 2015. This happened because it was taken down as part of an approved development project.