Old Carbrook State School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Carbrook State School |
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Carbrook State School, 2014
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| Location | 597–605 Beenleigh–Redland Bay Road, Carbrook, City of Logan, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1877–1977 |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Carbrook State School (former), Gramzow Provisional School | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600661 |
| Significant period | 1870s–1880s (historical) 1870s–1980s (social) 1870s–1920s (fabric) |
| Significant components | school/school room |
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The Old Carbrook State School is a special old building in Carbrook, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a school and is now protected as a heritage site. It was built between 1877 and 1977. This building was first known as Gramzow Provisional School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
Contents
The School's Story
The former Carbrook State School building is made of timber and iron. It was originally called Gramzow Provisional School. It first opened its doors in 1877.
Early Days in Gramzow
The area around Carbrook was first called the Logan District. This name came from Captain Patrick Logan. He discovered the Logan River in 1826. At first, people came here to cut down trees. Later, in the 1860s, settlers started to arrive.
Many of these early settlers were German immigrants. They named their new home Gramzow. This was after a town called Gramzow in Germany. They grew crops like sugar cane and arrowroot. Later, they focused on dairy farming. Eventually, they grew bananas and other small crops.
Starting a School for Kids
In 1876, some local farmers wanted a school. John Sommer, Charles Habermann, August Fischer, and James Graham formed a committee. They asked the Department of Public Instruction for a State School.
At first, the request was turned down. There were not enough students for a full State School. The department suggested starting a Provisional School instead. These schools were for 12 to 30 students. Local people had to provide the building themselves.
If attendance grew to over 30 students, it could become a State School. Then, the community would help pay for a new State School building.
Building the First School
In March 1876, two farmers, August Fischer and Herman Meissner, sold land. They each sold two acres for a school site. They sold it to the Department of Public Instruction for a very small price.
Construction began in March 1877. The school building cost £174. The local residents paid £70 of this amount. The Gramzow Provisional School opened on November 5, 1877. There were 23 students enrolled by December.
A teacher's house was built later. It was finished in January 1879. The school officially became a State School on January 20, 1879. By June 1879, 33 students were attending.
Changes to the School Building
The first school building was on low timber stumps. It had a timber shingled roof. The walls were unlined weatherboard. There was no verandah at first. The building was placed on the highest part of the land. This was because the area was often wet and boggy.
A verandah was added to the north side in 1889. The ends of the verandah were closed off. They became a hat room and a lavatory. The first Arbor Day was held in 1892. Trees were planted along the driveway. In 1908, the roof was changed to corrugated iron.
A Name Change and Challenges
Children from German families in Gramzow went to a German school. They walked to Alberton every Thursday. This school was near St Peter's Lutheran Church. Services there were held in German until World War I.
During the war, people felt strongly against anything German. So, in 1916, Gramzow was changed to Carbrook. The Department of Public Instruction approved the school's name change. It became Carbrook State School.
In the early 1920s, there were some disagreements. These were between parents and teachers at the school. Reports were made about these issues.
The school tried growing cotton in its garden. But in 1923, the experiment failed. The soil was poor and swampy. In 1932, the school building was raised higher on stumps. The inside walls were covered with vertical boards. Later that year, the space under the school was enclosed.
Electricity came to the school in September 1936. A ceiling was put in the school building in May 1940. To make the school brighter, windows were changed. In 1949, old windows were replaced with new ones.
School Life and Improvements
In May 1952, a six-foot fence was built. It separated the school from the teacher's house. In August 1954, the area under the school was paved. This helped with the dust and dirt.
The teacher's house was removed in 1955. So, the electricity connection had to be changed. In March 1956, the inside of the school was painted. Before this, the walls and ceiling were unpainted. In June 1956, gravel was added to the driveway and around the school.
In June 1960, two new lights were installed. In 1961, the Head Teacher wanted to start a forestry plot. By 1964, it had 375 pine trees. By June 1963, part of the verandah was enclosed. It became a library.
A New School Site
Student numbers slowly went down. In 1974, there were only 16 students. But in 1976, more students enrolled. This meant the school needed more space. Many students came from a nearby caravan park.
The school celebrated its 100th birthday in 1977. A time capsule was buried near the building. The school building got new concrete and steel posts. The area under the school was changed. The school was carpeted and repainted.
A portable classroom was added in 1977. An adventure playground was built in 1978. The school tried to buy more land. But they were not successful. By 1979, they started looking for a new school site.
In March 1982, another portable building was added. It was used for classrooms. The original school building became the library. The staff room was on the verandah.
The original school site had drainage problems. So, in 1983, it was decided to find a new site. A new location was chosen along Beenleigh–Redland Bay Road. The new school was finished in January 1987. It opened for students that year. The official opening was on May 14, 1988.
The old Carbrook State School building was empty for a few years. There were plans to use it for special education. But these plans were stopped. The site was approved to be sold in September 1993.
Since then, the Logan City Council has looked after the Old Carbrook School. It is used by groups that help the community. In 2013, the Shaftesbury Centre started a program there. It helps children using animals. In 2017, Equine Learning & Life Adventures Ltd took over the program. They continue to run it today.
The Teacher's Residence
The teacher's residence was finished in 1879. It was built east of the school building. It was on low timber stumps with a timber shingled roof.
The first Head Teacher was Horace Heywood. He arrived from England in September 1877. He waited for the house to be built before his family joined him. He had to live in a very uncomfortable small room. During the Christmas holidays, he lived in the school building. The school committee built him a simple hut. It had no floor and very small windows. He had to cook outside. The hut leaked badly, and his books got spoiled.
These problems ended when the teacher's house was ready in January 1879. It had an L-shape with a kitchen at the back. It had three main rooms and a verandah at the front. In 1908, another room was added.
Electricity was connected in September 1936. A ceiling was put in the living room in May 1940. In 1954, a cyclone badly damaged the house. It was decided to remove it. In February 1955, the house was sold and moved away.
What the School Looks Like Now
The former Carbrook State School building is a tall timber structure. It is located towards the back of a large, flat area. You can reach it by a tree-lined driveway from Beenleigh-Redland Bay Road.
The building has weatherboard walls. It has a corrugated iron gable roof. It is supported by steel and concrete posts. A verandah is on the north side. It has a corrugated iron roof and a central timber staircase. The ends of the verandah were closed off early on.
The building has a double timber door in the middle. It has a glass fanlight above it. There are narrow, paired timber windows on each side.
At the back, there is another double timber door. It has a timber staircase and a small roof. There is a narrow window on the west side. The old east window has been covered up. The ends of the roof originally had three narrow windows. Now, the west end has glass louvres. The east end has four sets of paired windows.
Inside, the building is one large room. There are two smaller rooms on the verandah. The walls are made of vertical timber boards. The ceilings are also boarded. Security bars have been put on the windows.
The space under the floor has a concrete floor. It is partly enclosed with weatherboard and glass louvres. A storage room is in the southwest corner.
Outside, there are three corrugated iron rainwater tanks. A flag pole is to the northwest. Two fig trees are north of the building. They stand on either side of the driveway. The driveway is lined with different kinds of trees.
A timber toilet block is located south of the building. Pine trees line the road and the east side. The old playing field is to the northeast.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The former Carbrook State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. It is important for several reasons:
- Shows Queensland's History: The school opened in 1877. It was used for 110 years. It shows how primary education in Queensland changed over time. It is one of the oldest buildings in the area. It also shows how the Carbrook community grew and changed.
- Looks Beautiful: The old school building, with its tree-lined driveway, looks very nice. It adds to the beauty of the Carbrook area.
- Important to the Community: The former school has strong ties to the early German settlers. The community today still feels a special connection to this site.
