By ALENA HIGGINS
MEMORIES of bygone eras still echo between the bricks and mortar of Queensland’s first National School.
Situated on the grounds of Warwick East State School, the historic “brick building”, as it is affectionately known, has provided shelter to Rose City students spanning 15 decades.
Principal Warren Elder hopes to capture some of these classroom anecdotes and is calling on past students to write to him with their fondest memories of the brick building ahead of its 150th commemorative celebrations next month.
He said the letters would feature in a static display inside the building during an open day from 9am to noon on Saturday 22 November.
“Any memorabilia they have and would like to lend, I will look after it,” he said.
“(Visitors) will also get to see the new facilities they wouldn’t have seen and have a chat and coffee in the new library.”
Current students will also be transported back in time, with a period dress-up day and other games and activities, including handwriting lessons on a slate, scheduled for Friday 21 November.
It is not known exactly when the building was completed, but it was designed by prominent architect Benjamin Blackhouse, with the aid of a government subsidy, according to research undertaken by Warwick East State School Parents and Citizens Association.
Built in 1863/64, the brick building replaced the old timber slab used since the Warwick National School, the first National School in what would later become Queensland, opened on 4 November 1850 with 30 pupils.
An excerpt from The History of Warwick East State School 1850-2000 states the contractor for the construction was William Conley, a Welshman who had previously been associated with the building of Talgai Homestead.
The Conleys had 16 children, the eldest, also called William, excelled at his schoolwork at the National School and later became managing director of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The bricks used in construction also had a local connection, coming from Schnitzerlings Brickworks, whose firm began production in Warwick about 1853, soon after the family of Martin Schnitzerling came to Australian from Germany.
Letters can be posted to Mr Elder at PO Box 384, Warwick 4370 or for more information, contact 4660 5888.
