Old Logan Village State School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Logan Village State School |
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Old Logan Village Provisional School, later teacher's residence, 2009
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| Location | River and Wharf Streets, Logan Village, City of Logan, Queensland, Australia |
| Official name: Logan Village State School and Teacher Residence (former), The Village of Logan Provisional School | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 3 December 2007 |
| Reference no. | 602610 |
| Significant period | 1900–1981 |
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The Old Logan Village State School is a special heritage-listed site in Logan Village, Queensland. It includes a former state school building and a teacher's house. You can find it on River and Wharf Streets. This place is also known as The Village of Logan Provisional School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on December 3, 2007, because of its important history.
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Discovering Logan Village's School History
The Logan Village School building was built in 1900. The teacher's house is even older, dating back to 1894. It was first used as a "Provisional School." Together, these two buildings show how education changed in early Queensland. They are located near the Logan River, surrounded by sports fields and gardens.
Early Days: Settlers and Farming
In 1826, Captain Patrick Logan explored the Logan and Albert Rivers. He was in charge of the Moreton Bay penal colony. Later, in the 1840s, people came to cut down cedar and hardwood trees. These were the first Europeans in the area. By the 1860s, many families from Germany, Ireland, and England started to settle here.
The Queensland Government wanted more people to farm. So, they offered land for about £1 per acre. This helped the colony grow its farms and industries. Large areas were set aside as "Agricultural Reserves." One of these was along the Logan River. By 1862, 27 farmers had chosen 68 blocks of land.
Farmers in Logan grew many different crops. This helped them have enough food and earn money. They grew cotton, sugar, maize, arrowroot, and vegetables. Later, in the early 1900s, many started dairying.
Logan Village Grows and Needs a School
The Village of Logan became a busy place. Farming was successful, and the Logan River allowed supplies to be brought in by boat. It was an important trading spot for nearby areas. By 1882, the village had a ferry, a hotel, a store, and a church. There was also land set aside for a future school.
Before 1859, most schools in Queensland were private or run by churches. After Queensland became a separate colony, the Education Act of 1860 created a Board of General Education. New schools were built, with local communities helping to pay.
In 1869, "provisional schools" were started. These were a cheaper way to educate children in areas with fewer people. Parents would build a simple school, and the government would pay for a teacher and books.
The First School Building and Challenges
From 1875, Logan Village used the local church as a school. Because there were fewer than 30 students, the Queensland Government called it a Provisional School. In the same year, a new Education Act made education free and compulsory for all children.
One big problem for the Logan Village Provisional School was attendance. Many students often had to work on their family farms. This was common in rural areas back then.
The government gave some help, like paying the teacher's salary and providing books. But the community had to provide the school building and a place for the teacher to live. By 1882, the classroom was very crowded. An inspector said the school was doing "honest work" despite the "unsuitable school-room." The community knew a new school was needed. They believed children's education was very important.
A New School and Railway Link
In 1885, a railway line connected Bethania to Logan Village. This brought more trade and people to the village. It also provided a direct link to Brisbane, which was often better than relying on the river. With more money coming in, the village could afford a new school.
By 1882, the government wanted to improve provisional schools. For places like Logan Village, the government offered to pay half the building costs. They also provided plans and rules for how the school should be built. These new schools could not be built within four miles of another school.
In 1882, the Logan Village School Committee asked for a new school. This committee was made up of local people. They asked the Department of Public Instruction for permission to build on Crown Land in Wharf Street. After a lot of effort, permission was given in 1894. The community built a wooden school for £116. The community paid half, and the government paid the other half. This building followed the government's plans. By 1899, 43 students were enrolled.
Becoming a State School and Teacher's Home
In 1899, plans were made for another new school building. The old one would become the teacher's house. More students meant more space was needed. The community asked the Department of Public Instruction to make it a "State School." This meant the government would run it, with less cost to the community. The Logan Village School officially became a State School in September 1900, with 43 students.
Before this, teachers often stayed at the Logan Village Hotel. The government wanted married male head teachers in country areas to have homes. This way, the headmaster's wife could also help look after and clean the school. The teacher's house needed at least two rooms and a kitchen. So, the old Provisional School building became the Teacher Residence in 1900.
The new school building was built using standard plans. These plans were designed by R. Ferguson, who was in charge of school buildings. The new school was a low-set, timber building. It had enough space for each student, a wide front veranda, and better ventilation and windows.
Around 1900, the school curriculum also changed. Students were doing more writing, drawing, and activities that needed more space. The new State School building in Logan Village met these new requirements.
School Life and Changes Over Time
In 1901, Queensland primary schools had six classes. The school year had three terms and two holidays. The school day was eight hours long, with almost five hours of lessons. Students learned reading, writing, math, grammar, geography, history, music, and physical training. Girls also learned sewing. The rest of the time was spent on neatness checks and marching.
In 1904, the Teacher Residence was made bigger for the teacher, Mr. Cooke, and his large family. This cost £59. In 1909, the area under the school building was paved. In 1916, land along the river was added to the school grounds.
In 1918, an Honour Board was put up inside the school. It remembered former students who fought in the First World War.
The Logan Village State School moved to a new location in North Street in 1981. The old school building was lifted up, and a new lower level was built underneath for community use. The Teacher Residence became a local library. Other historic buildings were also moved to the site to create a heritage area. The riverfront land is now private homes.
Exploring the Old School Buildings
The Old Logan Village State Primary School and its Teacher Residence are two main buildings. The teacher's house was built in 1894, and the school in 1900. They are close to the Logan River, surrounded by sports fields, playgrounds, and gardens with native plants.
The Teacher Residence: A Home with History
This building started as the Provisional School in 1894. It's a low-set timber building. In 1904, when it was the teacher's house, it was made bigger. The front stairs and veranda have been replaced, but they look just like the originals.
Outside, the building has wooden weatherboards and a corrugated iron roof with two gables. It stands on steel posts. The front veranda has a corrugated iron roof, timber posts, and a wooden railing. There are two wooden windows with security bars on either side of the front door. The front door itself is a newer wooden one.
You can see where the building was extended in 1904. The original part has a single roof-line and older windows. The extension added another gable at the back, making the roof look different.
There are wooden windows with hoods on both sides of the original building. On the west side, there's a wide, closed doorway. The extended part has a door on the east side with small wooden stairs. Two more windows were added to the extension, and small louvers are in the east wall where the bathroom is now.
Inside, the original building had two large rooms and two smaller rooms at the back (a kitchen and a bathroom). It also had front and back verandas. The 1904 changes added two more rooms at the back, enclosed the rear veranda, and made the kitchen bigger. These changes added about five meters to the building's length.
The front two rooms inside have high, curved ceilings. The walls and ceilings are covered with vertical wooden boards. The wall boards are straight, but the ceiling boards follow the curve of the ceiling. The wall between the front and middle room has two large arched openings, lined with pine wood. These were added to make it easier to move around the library, which uses all the rooms now. The back room, which was the kitchen, has a wooden wall that once held a stove. You can see a large panel covering where the stove used to be.
The State School: A Place for Learning
The State School building was built in 1900. It's a high-set wooden building now. It was originally low-set on timber stumps, but it was lifted and built under in the 1980s.
Outside, the building has weatherboard walls and a corrugated iron roof with a single gable. At the front, there's a veranda with central timber stairs. The stairs and veranda floor are not original but were added in the 1980s. The railing and veranda posts are timber. There's a swinging wooden gate at the top of the stairs. The front door is a modern security door. Above the front door is an original swing window, which let in extra air and light. Two large sash windows are on either side of the front door. The front wall of the veranda shows the original timber frame. The ends of the veranda have wooden spandrels (decorative supports). At the back of the building, there's a central wooden staircase with two large wooden sash windows on either side.
Inside, the school building has one large main room and a small enclosed area at the back. This back area was originally for hand basins, hats, and coats. The main room is a large hall with high, curved ceilings. The walls are covered with horizontal wooden boards, and the ceiling boards follow the curve. Two sets of large, timber-framed windows let in light. The windows on the west side are high up, above where the blackboard is. The windows on the east side are the same size but lower. Students originally sat facing the west wall, where the blackboard still is. The windows on the south side have outside timber and iron hoods.
The Roll of Honour, remembering students from the Logan Village School, is on the inside south wall. The small annex is behind this wall. The door to the annex is an original wooden door, with a swing window above it, just like the front door. Two sets of wooden sash windows are on either side of this door.
In the 1980s, the building was renovated, and a new level was built underneath. Wooden stairs were added inside, going from the annex to the ground floor. The downstairs area has tiled floors and plasterboard walls. A small kitchen area was added on the south wall. The outside walls of the added lower level are made of wooden boards, similar to the original upper part. The west side downstairs has three wooden windows, the south has two, and the east side has two windows and a large wooden garage door at the back.
Between the two buildings, there's a small toilet block. The gardens around the State School and Teacher Residence are well-kept, with many native trees, shrubs, and grasses.
Why These Buildings Are Important
The Old Logan Village State School and its Teacher Residence were listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on December 3, 2007. They are important for several reasons:
Showing Queensland's History
The former Logan Village State School and Teacher Residence, which opened in 1900, show how primary education in Queensland changed over time. As public buildings, they also record how the Logan Village area grew and changed. Together, these buildings are a great example of how the government's education plans successfully moved from "Provisional Schools" to "State Schools" in many early Queensland areas.
Beautiful Design and Style
These timber buildings are well-designed and detailed in a traditional style. They add a lot to the look and feel of Logan Village.
Special Connection to the Community
The former Logan Village State School and Teacher Residence have a long and special connection with the people of Logan Village and nearby areas. For many years, they were a very important part of the public education system for the community.
