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 old school and a teacher's house in Logan Village, Australia. It's important because it shows how schools changed in Queensland a long time ago. It's also known as The Village of Logan Provisional School. This place is protected on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its history.
Contents
History of the School
The Logan Village School building was built in 1900. The teacher's house, which was once the first school, dates back to 1894. Together, these two buildings show how education changed in early Queensland. They are located on River and Wharf Streets in Logan Village. The buildings are near the Logan River and are surrounded by sports fields and gardens.
Early Settlement in Logan Village
In 1826, Captain Patrick Logan explored the Logan and Albert Rivers. Later, in the 1840s, people came to the area to cut down cedar and other trees. These were the first Europeans here. By the 1860s, many families from Germany, Ireland, and England started to settle. The government wanted to encourage farming. They sold land for £1 per acre to help the young colony grow.
Large areas of land were set aside for farming. One of these was on the Logan River. By 1862, 27 farmers had chosen 68 blocks of land. Farmers in Logan grew different crops like cotton, sugar, maize, and vegetables. Many also started dairy farming in the early 1900s.
Logan Village became an important town because of successful farming. It also had good access to the Logan River. Boats delivered supplies to its wharf. By 1882, the village had a ferry, a hotel, a store, and a church. There was also land saved for a future school.
Education in Early Queensland
Before 1859, most schools in Queensland were private or run by churches. After Queensland separated from New South Wales, 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 introduced. These helped educate children in areas with fewer people. Parents would build a simple school, and the government would pay for a teacher and books.
From 1875, Logan Village used the local church as a school. Because there were fewer than 30 students, it was called a Provisional School. In the same year, the Education Act made education free and compulsory for all children. A big problem for Logan Village Provisional School was attendance. Many students often worked on their family farms instead of going to school.
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 provisional school classroom was very crowded. An inspector said that "Honest work is being done... considering the unsuitable school-room and antiquated furniture." The community knew a new school was needed. They thought children's education was very important.
A New School Building
A big change for Logan Village was the railway link from Bethania in 1885. This brought more trade and people to the village. It also gave a direct link to Brisbane, which was often better than using the river. With more money, the village could afford a new school.
By 1882, the government wanted to improve provisional schools. For places like Logan Village, the government agreed to pay half the building costs. They also provided plans for the new school. These 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 community members. They asked the government to build a new school on Crown Land in Wharf Street. After a lot of effort, permission was given in 1894. The community built the wooden school building for £116. The community paid half, and the government paid the other half. This wooden building followed the government's plans. By 1899, 43 students were attending the Provisional School.
Becoming a State School
In 1899, plans were made for another new school building. The existing school was to become the teacher's house. More students meant more space was needed. The request was sent to the Department of Public Instruction. If the school became a State School, the government would run it, with less cost to the community. The Logan Village School officially became a State School in September 1900. It had 43 students.
Before this, the teacher 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 the school. The government said the teacher's house needed at least two rooms and a kitchen. So, the old Provisional School 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 building was a low, timber structure. It was designed to give at least eight square feet per student. It had a wide veranda at the front, a level floor, lined walls, better air flow, and larger windows.
When Logan Village became a State School, the teaching plans also changed. Schools started to teach more writing, drawing, and activities that needed more space. Teachers recommended that each student have 18 inches of desk space. The new State School building in Logan Village met these requirements.
In 1901, the Queensland State Primary School system 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. Main subjects included reading, writing, maths, geography, history, music, and sports. Girls also learned sewing. The rest of the time was for 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 near the river was added to the school grounds.
An Honour Board was put up in 1918 inside the school. It remembered past students who were killed or hurt in the First World War.
The Logan Village State School closed in 1981. The school building was lifted up to create two levels for community use. The Teacher Residence became a local library. Both buildings are still used for educational purposes today. The riverfront land is now private homes.
Description of the Buildings
The Old Logan Village State Primary School and its Teacher Residence have two buildings. The older one (the Teacher Residence) was built in 1894. The other (the State School) was built in 1900. They are located near the Logan River, surrounded by sports grounds and gardens.
The Teacher Residence
This building was first built as the Provisional School in 1894. It's a low timber building. In 1904, when it was the Teacher Residence, it was made bigger. The front stairs and veranda have been replaced, but they look like the original ones.
Outside, the building has timber weatherboards and a corrugated iron roof with two gables. It stands on steel posts. The front veranda has a corrugated iron roof, timber stairs, posts, and a timber railing. There are two wooden windows with security bars on either side of the front door. The front door is a new wooden one.
You can see where the building was extended. The original part has a single roof line and older windows. The 1904 extension enclosed the back veranda. This created an extra gable at the back.
Two wooden windows with timber hoods are on each side of the original building. Another window with a hood is on the east side. 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 are in the extended part on the side and at the back. 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 (one for a kitchen, one for a bathroom). It also had front and back verandas. The 1904 extensions added two more rooms at the back. They enclosed the back veranda and made the kitchen area larger. The building became five metres longer.
The inside of the building has high, curved ceilings in the front two rooms. The walls and ceilings are covered with vertical wooden boards. The boards on the walls are straight, but on the ceilings, they follow the curve. The wall between the front and middle room has been opened up. It now has two large arched openings, lined with pine wood. This makes it easier to move around the library. The library uses all the rooms, with large bookshelves and a librarian's desk. The back room, which was the "kitchen," has a wooden wall. On the west side of this wall, there was once a stove. You can see a large panel covering where the stove pipe was. There are two small windows on either side of this. Some walls in the back room are covered with fibrolite panels.
The State School
The State School building was built in 1900. It's a high wooden building. It was originally low, on timber stumps, but it was lifted up in the 1980s to create a lower level.
Outside, the building has timber weatherboards 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; they 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 new for security. Above the front door is an original swing window, which lets 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 decorative pieces called spandrels. The back of the building has central wooden stairs. Two large wooden sash windows are on either side of these stairs.
The inside of the school building has one large room and an enclosed area at the back. This back area was originally for hand basins, hats, and coats. The main school area is a large hall with high, curved ceilings. The walls are covered with horizontal wooden boards. The ceiling boards follow the curve of the ceiling. The room gets light from two sets of large, timber-framed windows. 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 faced the west wall, where the blackboard still is. The windows on the south side of the building have outside timber and iron hoods.
The Roll of Honour, which lists students from the Logan Village School, is on the inside south wall. The annex is behind this wall. The door to the annex is an original wooden door. A swing window, like the one on the front door, is above it. Two sets of wooden sash windows are on either side of this door.
The building was renovated in the 1980s to create a downstairs area. Wooden stairs were put inside, leading from the annex to the ground floor. The downstairs area has tiled floors and plasterboard walls. A small kitchen area has been added on the south wall. Outside, the added walls are made of wooden boards, similar to the original upper part. The west side of the downstairs area has three wooden windows. The south side has two, and the east side has two windows and a large wooden garage door at the back.
Between the two buildings, there is a small toilet block. The gardens around the State School and Teacher Residence are well-kept, with many native trees, shrubs, and grasses.
Heritage Listing
The Old Logan Village State School and its Teacher Residence were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 December 2007. This means they are protected because they meet certain important criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The former Logan Village State School and Teacher Residence, which opened in 1900, shows how primary education in Queensland changed over time. As a public building, the school also records the growth of the Logan Village area and its community. Together, these buildings are a good example of how the government's education policies worked. They show the successful change from a Provisional School to a State School.
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The former Logan State School and Teacher Residence are well-designed timber buildings built in a traditional style. They add a lot to the look and feel of Logan Village.
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The former Logan Village State School and Teacher Residence has been important to the Logan Village community for many years. It served as a key part of their public education system.
