Ventnor State School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ventnor State School |
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Ventnor State School, 2002
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| Location | 1877 Yarrol Road, Ventnor, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1914–1917 |
| Official name: Ventnor State School, Yarrol State School | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600727 |
| Significant period | 1910s (fabric 1917 school) 1910s (historical) 1914–1950s (social) |
| Significant components | school/school room, play shed |
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The Ventnor State School is a special historic building in Ventnor, a rural area in Queensland, Australia. This small school has a very interesting past. It was built as an experimental "open-air school" and was moved three times before settling in its final location.
Because of its unique history, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is protected as an important part of Queensland's history.
Contents
The School's Long Journey
This little school didn't always stay in one place. Its story is about moving and changing to help different communities.
An Experiment in School Design
The school was first built in 1914 in Maryborough. It was a special type called an open-air school. In the early 1900s, some people believed that having lots of fresh air and ventilation was very healthy for students. The government's Department of Works designed these schools to be as open as possible.
However, this experiment didn't last long. The open-air schools had problems, like being too cold in winter or letting in too much rain. By 1922, the government stopped building them and went back to more traditional school designs.
A School on the Move
By 1917, the school in Maryborough got a new, more traditional building. The old open-air school was then used as a play shed for the students.
In 1929, a community in a place called Wongalee needed a school. So, the old open-air building was picked up and moved there. It opened as the Wongalee school on 21 September 1929. A few years later, it was probably enclosed to protect students from the weather, and a verandah was added.
The school's travels weren't over yet. In 1945, families in the Yarrol Road area asked for a school. The school building at Wongalee was moved once again to its current spot in Ventnor. A local landowner, Tim Maloney, kindly donated the land for the school.
Life at Ventnor
The school opened in its new home on 3 June 1946, and was first called the Yarrol Road State School. In 1948, its name was officially changed to Ventnor State School. It served local children for 14 years until it closed on 22 April 1960 because there were not enough students to keep it open.
A New Life as a Community Hall
After the school closed, the local residents didn't want to see the building go to waste. In 1963, a group called the Ventnor Progress Association bought the school from the government.
Since then, the old school has been used as a community hall. It has hosted meetings for farming groups, church services, and fire control groups. It has also been used as a place for people to vote during elections. The Ventnor Progress Association still owns and takes care of the building today.
What the School Looks Like Today
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The former Ventnor State School sits on a flat piece of land in a quiet bush setting. The site includes the main school building, a play shed, two toilets, and a flagpole.
The School Building
The school is a simple one-room timber building with a corrugated iron roof. A verandah with a gently sloping roof was added to the front. The classroom has large sliding windows on three sides to let in light and air. Inside, the room has a high, curved ceiling. You can still find some of the original desks and chairs from 1946 inside.
A doorway leads from the classroom to the verandah. On the verandah wall, you can still see the hooks where students used to hang their school bags.
The Play Shed and Toilets
Next to the school is the play shed. It's a simple structure with a metal roof and a dirt floor. It has a special timber bar that was used to hold the saddles for the horses that some children rode to school.
There are two small toilet buildings on the property, one for girls and one for boys. They are simple timber structures, just like the main school.
Why Is This School Important?
The Ventnor State School is on the heritage list for several important reasons.
Demonstrating Queensland's history
The school shows how education developed in Queensland, especially how the government provided schools for small, remote communities in the early 20th century. Its history of being moved shows how resources were reused to meet the needs of different towns.
A rare type of school
The building is a rare surviving example of an "open-air school." Even though it was later enclosed, it represents an important experimental phase in school design in Queensland. The whole site, including the play shed and toilets, shows what a typical small country school from that time looked like.
Aesthetic significance
The school has a simple charm. The collection of small, well-kept buildings looks peaceful and fits in perfectly with its natural bush surroundings.
Connection to the community
The school has a special connection to the people of Ventnor, who have used it for education and community events since 1946. It is also important to the communities of Tinana and Wongalee, where it served as a school in the past.
