THE quaint weatherboard Redland Bay State School has been listed by the Queensland Heritage Council after a campaign by residents.
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The listing means it will be protected by state legislation should any move be made to demolish or substantially change the building on Gordon Road.
Queensland Heritage Council chairwoman Debbie Best said the school - painted in traditional Queensland colours - showed the main architectural features of an early Queensland state school.
"Since it was established in 1886, Redland Bay State School has made an important contribution to the development of education in the local area, and has a strong association with the community," Ms Best said.
"The site features rare and early examples of standard government designs, and reflects the transformation of Redland Bay from a 19th century farming area to a thriving suburban settlement."
The school includes a rare teacher's residence, designed by Robert Ferguson, and mature trees.
"The teacher's residence is one of only six known examples of Ferguson residences surviving in Queensland," Ms Best said.
"The boundaries of the site are fringed by a variety of mature trees, which have become a prominent feature of the local area's streetscape.
"Camphor laurels, fig and date trees border the Gordon Road entrance, as well as a number of mango trees, a once important local crop."
Residents initially applied to enter the school in the Queensland Heritage Register after the residence was listed in 1997.
"It's wonderful for this important place to be recognised for its heritage significance, and to have both the school and the residence to be part of the same heritage register entry," Ms Best said.
"And it is so heartening to see the local community acknowledging the significance of the site and its important historical structures.
"The local pride in the school is obvious, with some current students representing the fifth generation of their family to have attended Redland Bay State School."
Ms Best said the school has always had a strong and ongoing association with locals, including past and present pupils, parents and staff members.
The school was one of 107 selected for protection by the Education Department as part of its heritage strategy.
Ms Best said the department had done a great job in its school heritage survey.
