Queensland's Educational Past

MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN QUEENSLAND

 

 

1824     The first settlement in Queensland was established.

1826     Mrs Esther Roberts conducted the first school. Sixteen pupils attended and Mrs Roberts was paid £20 a year.

1841     German missionaries at Nundah taught Aboriginal children.

1842     Moreton Bay ceased to be a convict settlement and the Parochial School closed. Opening of Moreton Bay to free settlers resulted in need for schools.

1843     Two private schools opened in Moreton Bay settlement.

1845     First denominational school (Roman Catholic) in Moreton Bay settlement.

1848     National and Denominational Boards established in N.S.W.

1850     G. W. Rusden visited Moreton Bay district to encourage establishment of National Board Schools.

The first National school was established at Toolburra near Warwick by George Leslie and was financed by the New South Wales Government. The present State system grew out of this National school system.

1859     Queensland became a separate colony and thus responsible for education within its boundaries.

1860     First National Schools in Brisbane established—Brisbane Boys & Brisbane Girls.

The Education Act placed all primary education under one general and comprehensive system controlled by the Board of General Education.

A second act. Grammar Schools Act. provided for the establishment of a grammar (secondary) school in any locality where a sum of not less than £1000 had been raised for this purpose.

1862     Normal School in Brisbane opened.

1863     The first grammar school was opened at Ipswich.

1869     Introduction of Provisional Schools.

1870     Free Education implemented.

1872     Training Master appointed to Normal School.

1873     The State Scholarship examination, which was to become the basis for granting a specific number of scholarships to secondary schools. was held. The Education Act transferred all primary education in Queensland to the Department of Public Instruction and provided for free, secular and compulsory education in State Schools.

1876     A pupil-teacher scheme under which the head teacher was responsible for the training of pupil-teachers was introduced.

1880     State aid to denominational schools was abolished.

1881     Technical Education began at Brisbane School of Arts.

1886     First Teachers' Association formed.

1890     First Arbor Day.

1891     Physical Drill from Infantry Drill Manual.

1893     Teachers' Volunteer Corps formed.

1897     The Queensland Agricultural College at

Lawes was opened.

1900     The compulsory clause of the 1875 Education Act was implemented.

1901     The Department appointed the first itinerant teacher who visited isolated homes to bring some elementary education to these children.

1902     Board of Technical Instruction appointed by Governor in Council.

1908     Technical Instruction Act placed Technical Colleges in Brisbane under direct control of Department of Public Instruction.

1909     University of Queensland established.

1910     The University of Queensland conducted the first external Junior and Senior public examinations.

1911     The University of Queensland enrolled its first students.

1912     The first State high schools in Queensland were opened at Warwick, Bundaberg, Charters Towers, Gympie, Mackay and Mount Morgan.

Compulsory Medical & Dental Inspection in State Schools.

School leaving age raised from 12 to 14.

1914     Secondary scholarships for two years at approved secondary schools were offered to all students who gained 50 per cent or more in the annual State Scholarship Examination.

The first teacher training institution was opened in the Brisbane Central Technical College buildings near the University.

1917     First Rural School at Nambour.

1918     Technical Instruction Amendment Act placed Country Technical Colleges under control of Department of Public Instruction.

1922     The Primary Correspondence School was established to provide lessons by mail for children in remote areas.

1923     First special classes for backward children. First Domestic Science carriage provided for rural children.

1925     First Manual Training carriage for rural children.

1928     Intermediate Schools established.

1930     The structure of primary education was reorganized so that there were eight grades instead of six classes.

1936     Radio broadcasts for schools.

1949     The first five Regional Directors of education were appointed.

1956     The Queensland Conservatorium of Music was opened at South Brisbane.

1957     The name of the department was altered from the Department of Public Instruction to the Department of Education.

1961     A two-year course of teacher education for all primary teachers was introduced. A second teachers college at Kedron Park in Brisbane was opened. The Townsville University College, as part of the University of Queensland. was established.

1962     The State Scholarship Examination was abolished to enable all students, on the completion of primary school to enter the secondary school.

1964     The structure of schooling was reorganized with seven primary grades to be followed by five secondary grades.

1965     The school leaving age was raised to 15 years.

            The Queensland Institute of Technology was established in Brisbane to provide tertiary courses in technological fields.

1966     A textbook allowance for all secondary students in both State and non-State schools, free of means test. was introduced.

1967     Institutes of Technology were opened in Toowoomba and Rockhampton. A Remote Area Allowance for all secondary students from isolated areas was introduced. Queensland's first Rural Training School was opened at Longreach.

New teachers colleges at Townsville and Mt Gravatt in Brisbane were opened. Per-capita grants to non-State schools were re-introduced.

1969     The first students to begin a three-year primary course of teacher education at teachers colleges were enrolled.

            The Report of Public Examinations in Queensland (Radford Report) was published.

The external Junior Examination was discontinued for all full-time students. The Townsville University College became an autonomous university as the James Cook University of North Queensland.

1971     The Board of Secondary School Studies, responsible for the implementation of the recommendations of the Radford Report, held its first meeting. The Board of Advanced Education was established and the three institutes of technology, the Queensland Agricultural College and the Conservatorium of Music became autonomous institutions. Teacher Education in Queensland (Murphy Report) was published.

1972     The external Senior Examination was held for the last time for all full-time students.

The four teachers colleges became autonomous and came under the control of the Board of Advanced Education.

1973     A scheme of one-year of State pre-school education for four-and-five-year olds was introduced.

 

 

[source: Hector Holthouse: Looking Back The First 150 Years of Queensland Schools, 1975, Department of Education, Queensland