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 historic building in Carbrook, Australia. It used to be a school and is now protected because of its importance to history. The school was built between 1877 and 1977. It was first known as Gramzow Provisional School. Today, it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's a special place that needs to be preserved.
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A Look Back at Carbrook School's History
The building that is now the Old Carbrook State School started its life as the Gramzow Provisional School in 1877. It was a simple timber building with an iron roof.
How the Area Grew
The area around Carbrook was first called the Logan District. This name came from Captain Patrick Logan, who found the Logan River in 1826. At first, people came to cut down trees. Then, in the 1860s, farmers started to settle there. The first farmer, Herman Meissner, arrived in 1868. Many of the early settlers were German immigrants. They named their new home Gramzow, after a town in Germany. These farmers grew crops like sugar cane and arrowroot. Later, they raised dairy cows, and then grew bananas and other small crops.
Starting a School for the Community
In 1876, some local farmers, including John Sommer and Charles Habermann, asked the government to build a school. At first, there weren't enough students for a full State School. So, the government suggested a "Provisional School" instead. A Provisional School was a temporary school. Local families had to provide the building themselves. If enough students (more than 30) attended, it could become a State School.
In March 1876, two farmers, August Fischer and Herman Meissner, sold four acres of land for a very small price to the Department of Public Instruction. This land became the school site. Building the school cost 174 pounds (an old type of money). The local families helped by giving 70 pounds, some in cash and some by providing the land. The Gramzow Provisional School opened on November 5, 1877, with 23 students.
A home for the teacher was built in 1879. Once the teacher's home was ready, the school officially became a State School on January 20, 1879. By June 1879, 33 students were enrolled.
Changes to the School Building
When it was first built, the school stood on low wooden posts. It had a roof made of wooden tiles and walls made of wooden planks that weren't covered inside. The building was placed on the highest part of the land because the area was often muddy when it rained.
In 1889, a verandah (a covered porch) was added to the north side of the school. Parts of this verandah were later closed off to create a hat room and a lavatory (toilet). The school held its first Arbor Day in 1892, where students planted trees. Between 1892 and 1896, a gate was put up, and more trees were planted along the driveway. In 1908, the wooden tile roof was replaced with wavy metal sheets called corrugated iron.
A New Name for the School
Children from German families in Gramzow used to walk to Alberton every Thursday. They went to a German school there to learn German. This school was near St Peter's Lutheran Church, where services were held in German. However, during the First World War, there were strong feelings against German people and the German language. Because of this, in 1916, the name of the area was changed from Gramzow to Carbrook. In November of that year, the school's name was also changed to Carbrook State School.
School Life and Upgrades
In the early 1920s, there were some disagreements between parents and teachers at the school. The school also tried growing cotton in its garden, but it didn't work well because the soil was poor and swampy.
In 1932, the school building was raised higher on tall posts. The inside walls were covered with vertical wooden boards. Later that year, the space under the school was partly enclosed with corrugated iron.
Electricity was connected to the school and the teacher's home in September 1936. A ceiling was added inside the school building in May 1940. To make the school brighter and airier, new windows were planned in 1941. However, it wasn't until August 1949 that the old windows were replaced with new ones that could open outwards, along with window hoods.
In May 1952, a six-foot fence was built between the school and the teacher's home. In August 1954, the dirt floor under the school building was covered with asphalt. The teacher's home was removed in 1955, so the electricity connection had to be changed. In March 1956, the inside of the school building was painted for the first time. 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 put in to replace the single old light. In February 1961, the Head Teacher wanted to start a forestry plot. By 1964, this plot had 375 pine trees. By June 1963, the northeast end of the verandah was closed off to create a library.
The School's Later Years
The number of students at Carbrook State School slowly went down. In 1974, there were only 16 students. But in 1976, student numbers suddenly increased a lot, and the school needed more space. Many students came from a nearby caravan park and a "Revival Centre."
The school celebrated its 100th birthday in 1977. A time capsule was buried near the school building on October 1, 1977. The school building also got new concrete and steel posts. The corrugated iron around the underfloor area was replaced with wooden planks and adjustable window slats. The school was also carpeted and repainted. Around this time, a classroom that could be moved (it's not there anymore) was added. An adventure playground was built in 1978.
By 1979, people started looking for a completely new school site because the old one had drainage problems. In March 1982, another movable classroom (also not there anymore) was added. The original school building then became the library, and the staff room was on the verandah.
In 1983, it was decided to find a new school location because of the drainage issues. A new site was chosen, and the first part of the new school was finished in January 1987. It opened for students that year. The official opening of the new school was on May 14, 1988.
The old Carbrook State School building was empty for several years. Plans to use it for special education were considered but eventually stopped. The building was approved to be sold by the Education Department in September 1993.
Since then, the Logan City Council has looked after the Old Carbrook School. It has been used by different groups that help the community in Logan. For example, since 2013, a program called Equine Learning & Life Adventures Ltd has used the site. They offer animal-assisted learning for children who need extra support.
The Teacher's Home
The teacher's home was finished in 1879. It was built east of the school building on low wooden posts, with a roof made of wooden tiles.
The first Head Teacher, Horace Heywood, arrived from England in September 1877. He had to wait for the teacher's home to be built before his family could join him. He lived in very basic conditions at first, even staying in the school building during Christmas holidays.
His problems ended when the teacher's home was completed in January 1879. It was an L-shaped house with a kitchen and a small verandah at the back. It had three main rooms and a verandah at the front. In 1908, another room was added, making it a U-shaped house with a verandah in the middle.
Electricity was connected to the home in September 1936. In May 1940, a ceiling was put in the living room. In 1954, a cyclone badly damaged the house. It was said to be unsafe for 17 years. In February 1955, the house was approved to be removed and was sold.
What the Old Carbrook School Looks Like Today
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 driving down a tree-lined path from Beenleigh-Redland Bay Road.
The building has walls made of wooden planks (weatherboard) and a roof shaped like a triangle (gable roof) made of corrugated iron. It stands on strong steel and concrete posts. There's a verandah on the north side with a sloping roof, a central wooden staircase, and wooden posts and railings. The ends of the verandah were closed off early on to make two small rooms.
The front of the building has a double wooden door with a glass window above it, leading to the verandah. On either side of the door are narrow, paired wooden windows that slide up and down.
At the back of the building, there's another double wooden door with a small roof over it. To the west of this door is a narrow, paired sliding window. The window on the east side was closed off with wooden planks. The ends of the roof (the gables) originally had three narrow sliding windows. You can still see where they were. Now, the west gable has three glass window slats that can be opened, and the east gable has four sets of paired windows that open outwards, with a window hood. Each gable also has a high opening that has been closed off.
Inside, the building is one large room, with two smaller rooms on the verandah. The walls are made of vertical wooden boards. The ceilings are also boarded and slope up to the roof beams. Metal bars have been put over the windows for security.
The space under the building has a concrete floor. It's partly enclosed with wooden planks and glass window slats at the back. There's a storage room in the southwest corner, made of vertical wooden boards.
Outside, there are three corrugated iron tanks for rainwater. A flagpole stands to the northwest. Two fig trees are located north of the building, on either side of the main driveway. The driveway itself is lined with many different kinds of trees.
A wooden toilet block with a sloping roof is located south of the building, near the back fence. Pine trees line the road and the east side of the property. The old playing field is to the northeast.
Why This Place is Important
The former Carbrook State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's recognized as a special place for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history changed: The school opened as Gramzow Provisional School in 1877 and was a school for 110 years. It helps us understand how primary education developed in Queensland. As a public building, it also shows how the Carbrook area grew and changed over time.
- It has a special look and feel: The old school building, with its tree-lined driveway and its location at the back of the property, adds beauty to the Carbrook area.
- It connects to the community: The former school has strong ties to the early German settlers who lived in the area. The community today still feels a strong connection to this historic site.
