Mutdapilly State School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mutdapilly State School
Mutdapilly State School, 2014
Location	4 Mutdapilly-Churchbank Weir Road, Mutdapilly, Queensland, Australia
Built	1874–1880, Suter Building; 1925, Tennis Court; 1928, Playshed
Architect	Richard George Suter
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Mutdapilly State School; Normanby National School
Type	state heritage
Designated	10 October 2014
Reference no.	602840
Type	Education, research, scientific facility: School-state
Theme	Educating Queenslanders: Providing primary schooling
Builders	William Adams, Ben Denman
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Mutdapilly State School is a historic school located at 4 Mutdapilly-Churchbank Weir Road in Mutdapilly, Australia. It was designed by the architect Richard George Suter. The school was built between 1874 and 1880 by William Adams and Ben Denman. It was first known as Normanby National School. This school was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 10, 2014, because of its special history.

A Look Back: Mutdapilly School's History

Mutdapilly State School first opened its doors on April 27, 1874. It was called Normanby National School back then. The school started in a small wooden building designed by architect Richard George Suter. It was built on a 2-acre site in the farming area of Mutdapilly. The school served the growing number of families living in the countryside.

The original Suter building was made bigger in 1880. Over the years, the school grounds also grew. New things were added, like a tennis court in 1925 and a new playshed around 1928. Shade trees were also planted. The school has been open non-stop since it started. It has always been a key place for the local community. Many important social and cultural events have happened here.

Early Days and Settlers

The land where Mutdapilly is located traditionally belongs to the Yuggera people. European settlers started moving into the Mutdapilly area in the early 1860s. The school is on what was once the Ipswich Agricultural Reserve. This land was set aside for farming in 1860. Many German settlers arrived in the 1860s. They mostly grew cotton at first. Later, other crops, grazing, and dairy farming became important.

How Schools Started in Queensland

Setting up schools was very important for early communities in Australia. The government wanted to make sure all children could get an education. In 1848, the New South Wales Government started National Schools. After Queensland became a separate colony in 1859, its government continued this idea.

The Education Act of 1860 helped make education more standard. It set up rules for what was taught and how teachers were trained. Then, the State Education Act of 1875 made primary education free, compulsory, and non-religious. This act created the Department of Public Instruction. By 1900, most Queensland children could read and write.

Local people often helped build schools by donating land and their time. Schools became a big part of community life. They were places for social events and a symbol of progress. People who went to the school, their parents, and teachers often felt a strong connection to it. Events like fetes, markets, and dances were often held at the school.

Building Schools with Timber

From the 1860s to the 1960s, most school buildings in Queensland were made of timber. This was because timber was easy to find. Many builders also knew how to work with wood. This made building schools easy and cheap, even in faraway areas. Schools across Queensland often looked similar. They usually had teaching buildings, a school yard, a sports oval, and a house for the head teacher. They also had playsheds, gardens, and trees.

In 1873, Joseph Denman donated 2 acres of land for the school at Mutdapilly. The local community helped raise money to build the school. This included a teaching building, a teacher's house, a playshed, and a shed for buggies. William Adam's offer to build the school for £289 was accepted. Normanby National School opened on April 27, 1874. There were 19 students on the first day. By November 1874, 56 students were enrolled. The school grounds were also used for the postal service from 1876.

Richard Suter's School Designs

Richard Suter (1827-1894) was an architect who designed many school buildings for the government. He designed the teaching building at Normanby National School. Suter often used a special building method called "outside studding" for timber schools. This meant the timber frame was on the outside of the building. This gave the schools a unique look. Suter was one of the first to use this method in Queensland.

The Queensland Government started using standard plans for school buildings. This helped make sure schools were built consistently and cheaply. In 1873, Suter created an "improved plan" for schools. This plan had one large room with verandahs at the front and back. These verandahs offered protection from the weather and extra space for play or teaching. This design became very common for Queensland schools.

Suter's designs were used widely across Queensland. This helped spread the "outside studding" building method. About 65 timber school buildings were built using Suter's standard design. Today, only three of these are still mostly original, including Mutdapilly State School.

The Normanby school building was a typical Suter design. It was a low timber building with pine walls and exposed timber framing on the outside. It faced west and had wide verandahs on both the east and west sides. The main room was 30 by 16 feet. The roof was originally made of hardwood shingles.

The number of students quickly grew. Around 1880, the Suter building was made longer by 21 feet. This created a separate classroom. This new part was built differently, with the timber frame on the inside. This showed a change in how buildings were constructed.

Changes and Improvements Over Time

Over the years, the Suter building was updated. In 1907, the roof shingles were replaced with corrugated iron. The classroom ceiling was also changed. Drawings from this time show the building was low to the ground. It had a special seating area for desks on the eastern side.

Other changes happened at the school too. In 1914-15, the school bought 1 acre of land to the north. A fence was put up around this new area in 1920. The school celebrated its 50th birthday in 1924 with a big party and dance in the Suter building. Many past students and local people attended. The school also celebrated its 60th, 70th, and 80th anniversaries.

Playshed, 2014

School grounds often included outdoor play areas. Playsheds were common at Queensland schools from the 1880s to the 1950s. These were timber shelters, usually open on all sides. They provided covered play space and could also be used for teaching. They had hipped or gabled roofs, often made of corrugated iron. These sheds were important because school yards were usually cleared of all plants, so covered outdoor space was needed.

By the 1920s, Mutdapilly was a busy dairy farming area. The original playshed from 1874 was still in use. But around 1928, a new playshed was built. It was located south of the Suter building. Local people helped build it and donated posts. The community also raised money for a large water tank for the shed.

Gardens at Mutdapilly State School, 2014

Trees and gardens were also planted to make the school look nicer. School inspectors thought it was important to have shade trees in playgrounds. Arbor Day celebrations, where trees are planted, started in Queensland in 1890. Mutdapilly State School celebrated Arbor Day even before 1897. Educators believed gardening taught students hard work and helped them appreciate nature. The school was praised for its well-kept grounds. It even won third place in the Annual Prizes for School Gardens in 1916. Many native and non-native trees have been planted at the school over the years.

The school continued to make small changes as needed. By the 1920s, the verandahs of the Suter building had ceilings. A part of the front verandah was enclosed to create a library. In 1931, the inside of the 1880s part of the building was re-lined.

A tennis court was built northwest of the Suter building in 1925. Local volunteers helped build it. The tennis court officially opened on Arbor Day in August 1925.

In the 1920s and 1930s, many older school buildings were changed to improve their lighting and air flow. Getting enough natural light into classrooms was very important. Windows were made bigger and rearranged to let in more soft, southern light. Desks were moved so light would fall on students' left sides. This was to prevent shadows on their papers. These changes made classrooms brighter and airier.

At Normanby State School, the Suter building was updated in the 1920s and 1930s. The small windows in the north and south walls were replaced with larger casement windows. In 1933, more casement windows were added to the eastern verandah wall. These changes helped bring in more light and fresh air.

Electricity came to the area in the 1950s, but the school didn't get it until March 1967. In 1954, the school got a radiogram. This was a radio and record player powered by a battery. It was used for educational broadcasts, especially for geography and nature studies. That same year, two palm trees were planted west of the school building. The school also celebrated its 80th anniversary with a party and dance.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, education in Queensland changed a lot. The Education Act of 1964 was a big turning point. It led to new ways of designing school buildings. Architects started using new styles and materials. Timber was no longer the main building material.

On April 1, 1968, the school's name was officially changed to Mutdapilly State School. Before this, a large sign said "NORMANBY STATE SCHOOL." This caused confusion, as mail often went to a different Normanby in Brisbane.

In 1968, the teaching building got new concrete stumps. The one large room was divided into two equal rooms with folding doors. The library on the front verandah was made bigger. New windows and doors were also added. The old fence was replaced with a new steel and wire fence.

On April 27, 1974, the school celebrated its 100th birthday. A special tree was planted by the oldest former student. At this time, 39 students attended the school, similar to the 35 students in 1874. In 1977, the north end of the front verandah was enclosed to create a storeroom.

In 1990, a new teaching building was constructed east of the Suter building. In 1995, the school grounds were made larger to the north and east. This created space for a school oval. More buildings were added in 1999 and between 2006 and 2009. In 2009, the school had 50 students.

Today, Mutdapilly State School still has the original Suter building, the playshed from around 1928, the 1925 tennis court, and old trees planted on Arbor Day. The school is very important to the local area. It has been open since 1874 and has taught many generations of students. It continues to be a central place for the Mutdapilly community.

What Mutdapilly State School Looks Like

Mutdapilly State School is located on a raised 6.18-hectare site along the Cunningham Highway. The school has several buildings, a tennis court, and many old trees. These are mostly on the original 3-acre part of the site. The school is easy to spot from the highway in its rural setting.

The Suter building (from 1874 with an 1880 extension) is set back from the highway. It is a one-story, low-set timber building. Its walls are covered with weatherboards, and it has a gable roof with corrugated metal sheets. There are verandahs at the front (west) and back (east). You can reach them by short timber stairs. The verandahs have sloped ceilings and timber railings.

The front verandah has enclosed sections at both ends. The northern part is an early storeroom. The southern part is a library from the 1960s with awning windows. The back verandah still has the original hat room at the south end. It also has a wired glass enclosure from the 1960s at the north end. The front verandah has two sets of original timber-framed casement windows.

The north and south ends of the building have tall, timber-framed casement windows. These windows are protected by timber hoods. Inside, the Suter building is now used as an administration office. It has two main rooms separated by timber walls. The walls of the northern 1874 classroom are lined with wide horizontal timber boards. The southern 1880 extension has vertical timber boards on its walls. The ceilings in all three rooms are also lined with timber.

The playshed is located south of the Suter building. It is a timber-framed shelter with a concrete floor. It has a hipped roof covered with corrugated metal sheets. Ten rough timber posts support the roof. The northern side of the playshed is open. The other three sides are enclosed with corrugated metal sheets.

The school grounds have many old trees. Two fan palms, which are on the school's logo, stand on either side of the Suter building's front entrance. Other trees line the edges of the school property. The tennis court (built in 1925) is northwest of the Suter building. It has a modern surface and is surrounded by a tall chain wire fence.

Why Mutdapilly State School is Important

Mutdapilly State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 10, 2014. This means it is a very important historical site.

Showing Queensland's History

Mutdapilly State School is important because it shows how state education and school buildings have changed in Queensland. The teaching building from 1874, designed by Richard Suter, is a great example of an early standard government school design. The playshed from around 1928 shows that the education system understood how important play was for students. The old trees around the school also show how schools tried to make their grounds beautiful and teach students about hard work through Arbor Day plantings.

A Rare Example

The Suter building at Mutdapilly State School is rare. It is one of only three known buildings of its kind that are still mostly original. About 65 such buildings were built, making this one very special.

Showing Key Features of Old Schools

Mutdapilly State School shows the main features of early Queensland state schools. This includes the standard building designs used by the government. The Suter building still looks much like it did when it was first designed. It is a single-skin timber building, low to the ground, with verandahs at the front and back. It had a single classroom that was well-lit and airy. Changes made to the building, like bigger windows, show how ideas about education changed over time. The playshed also has the typical hipped timber-framed roof supported by timber posts.

Strong Community Connection

Schools in Queensland have always been a big part of their communities. They often have a strong connection with former students, parents, and teachers. They are places for social events and volunteer work. Schools are also a source of pride for local areas. Mutdapilly State School has a strong and lasting connection with the Mutdapilly community. It was started in 1874 with money raised by local people. It has educated many generations of children. The school is a key meeting place for social events and has a lot of support from the community.

See also

• List of schools in West Moreton
• History of state education in Queensland