Picnic Bay State School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Picnic Bay State School |
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Picnic Bay State School building, 2009
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| Location | 11–15 Granite Street, Picnic Bay, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919–1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Queensland Department of Public Works |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Magnetic Island Craft Shop, Magnetic Island State School No. 1567, Picnic Bay State School | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 4 June 1996 |
| Reference no. | 601252 |
| Significant period | 1920s (historical) |
| Significant components | trough – drinking, school/school room, hand basin/s |
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The Picnic Bay State School is an old school building in Picnic Bay, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1921 and is now known as the Magnetic Island Museum. It's a special historical place, listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected because of its importance. The school was designed by the Queensland Department of Public Works. It was also known as Magnetic Island State School No. 1567 and the Magnetic Island Craft Shop.
Contents
History of the School
Early Settlement on Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island was first settled by the Butler family in 1877. They started a small farm and dairy in Picnic Bay. The family also built small huts near their home. This made the island a popular place for people from the mainland to visit on weekends and holidays. The Butlers also started a ferry service.
Other families began farming in different bays around the island in the early 1900s. They grew vegetables, pineapples, and fruit to sell on the mainland.
Growth of Tourism
Tourism on Magnetic Island really grew when Robert Hayles built a hotel in Picnic Bay in 1901. The island became famous as a holiday spot. This brought more people to live in the bays, where guesthouses and holiday huts were built. Tourism is still a main way for many people on Magnetic Island to earn a living.
Need for Local Education
As more people settled on Magnetic Island in the early 1900s, there was a need for a local school. In Queensland, free and compulsory education started in 1875. However, parents often still had to pay fees or help pay for school buildings. Before 1900, it was rare for children to be forced to attend school.
Children from Magnetic Island who went to school usually stayed with families on the mainland. They attended schools in Townsville.
Changes in Education Laws
Changes to education laws in Queensland were slow. This was because the government faced money problems and droughts in the late 1800s. Things started to change after the Education Act Amendment Act of 1912. This law meant parents no longer had to pay for their children's education. It also raised the minimum age for leaving school from 12 to 14 years. The law also made primary school attendance compulsory.
These new rules made it hard for families on Magnetic Island. Children had to go to school on the mainland. They had to stay with friends because schools in Townsville did not offer boarding. The lack of schools on the island became a big problem as more people moved there.
Establishing the First School
In November 1912, some Magnetic Island residents formed a committee. They wanted to start a provisional school on the island. The District Inspector of Schools visited Picnic Bay. He suggested a half-time school. A teacher from the mainland would teach from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM on Thursdays, and all day Friday and Saturday.
In April 1913, the Department of Public Instruction agreed. If parents could find a place for the school and the teacher, a half-time school would be approved. Mary McLennan was the first teacher. She started work on June 12, 1913, in an open shed with a concrete floor. The half-time school became a provisional school in 1915. On June 1, 1920, it officially became a state school.
Building the New School
In 1921, the Magnetic Island community asked for a new school building. The Townsville City Council also pushed for new space for the 27 students. Because of this, a new one-room school house was built in 1921. It was designed by the Department of Works. The new school had open verandahs at the front and back. It cost £785 to build. The older school building then became a play shed.
In November 1924, the Department of Public Instruction suggested changing the school's name. They wanted to call it Picnic Bay State School because there was another school on the island now. The school committee agreed to the name change in January 1925.
In October 1927, the Picnic Bay Progress Association asked to rent half of the school grounds for a sports field. The Department said no. However, they agreed that the school grounds outside the fenced building could be used for recreation.
School Improvements and Closure
In the 1930s, the school committee worked hard to get a well and a windmill built. They succeeded, and these were built in 1937. In September 1939, the south end of the front verandah was closed in to make a hat room. The play shed was taken down in July–August 1940.
Electricity was connected to the school at the end of 1955. The back verandah was enclosed in September and October 1958. This created more classroom space.
By the 1960s, there were three schools on Magnetic Island. The Education Department decided to close the schools at Picnic Bay and Horseshoe Bay. They chose to develop the school at Nelly Bay instead. This was because Nelly Bay was in a more central location on the island.
The Picnic Bay State School operated until May 1970. The building was empty until 1980. Then, the Magnetic Island Craft Co-Operative used it as a shop. Later, it became the Magnetic Island Museum.
Building Features
The building has one main room. It has a verandah at the front and an enclosed verandah at the back. Timber and iron covers protect all the windows. The roof has new corrugated iron, but the original gutters are still there.
The outside of the building has timber boards called chamferboard. It is built high off the ground on concrete stumps. Steps in the middle of the front lead to the verandah. The front verandah has exposed timber frames. The right end wall and part of the front are covered with weatherboard. The rest of the verandah has simple wooden railings. The original front door is still there. It is a heavy timber door with its original latch.
The main room is about 6.8 meters by 6.7 meters. The timber floorboards are 8.5 centimeters wide. The walls and ceiling boards are also this width. The ceiling in the original room is flat and slopes down towards the front and back walls. Air flows through a latticed vent in the middle of the ceiling. There are also movable floor vents at the bottom of the front wall. Windows on the north and south walls allow air to flow through the room. Each pair of windows has a three-paned window above it that can be opened. The fittings on the windows on the southern wall are original.
You can get to the enclosed back verandah through a wide archway in the back wall of the main room. The inside walls of the back verandah are lined with fibro. Hopper windows have been put in the north and south walls. The ceilings on both verandahs slope down like the main ceiling. The original back door is made of timber boards and still has some of its old fittings. The back steps seem original and lead to a small landing.
Outside the building, on the southern wall, are the remains of two tank stands. The original drinking trough and hand basin are still in their first spot under the building. A newer toilet block has been built under the back of the building. The grounds have introduced trees like tamarind and frangipani. There are also gum trees, a Norfolk Island pine, and some Burdekin plums. A cyclone wire fence surrounds the grounds.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The former Picnic Bay State School was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on June 4, 1996. It was listed for these important reasons:
- Shows Queensland's History: The old school is important because it shows how tourism and settlement grew on Magnetic Island. It also shows how people became more interested in education in the early 1900s.
- Example of a School Building: The building is a good example of a one-room school. This type of school was common in remote parts of Queensland during the 1920s.
