SCHOOLS will go back in a few days and another learning year will start.
But what were school days in the Redlands like back in the 1900s?
The Redland Museum has a library of historic photos which tell a colourful story of school life in the area.
Cleveland State School was originally built on North Street between the Grand View Hotel and St Paul's Anglican Church. It opened its doors in April 1868, with a secondary department added in 1956.
In 1915, it moved to its present site in Queen Street and has been an integral part of the local community ever since. Cleveland State School was selected as an Independent Public School in 2016.
Free education was introduced in Queensland in 1870 and primary education for children aged from 6 to 12 was to be compulsory.
Before the Birkdale State School was established in 1916, local children walked or caught the train or rail motor to the Wellington Point school.
In 1883, five acres was set aside for a proposed school at Birkdale, however the school did not open until November 1916, with a total of 28 students.
Classes were held in a marquee that had been loaned from the YMCA until the money was raised to build a proper building, which was finished in September 1917.
The hardworking folk also liked to relax and socialise, with the school becoming the centre of social activities as it was the only place suitable until the Birkdale School of Arts hall was built in the early 1920s.
Owner of Ormiston House Captain Louis Hope organised a collection when the education board gave him the go-ahead to build a school in Ormiston.
Former Premier of Queensland William Thorne donated four acres of land and work started on the school. Built from timbers sawn on the site, the school opened in April 1872 with 30 pupils.
Ormiston's Nick Poluyanovsky, 104, attended the school in the 1920s and looked back fondly on his time there.
"The school was one room and a porch, and one teacher," he said.
The second school house was built in 1935 to replace the original building. This second building was still a small part of the school office facility in 1997 when the school was 125 years old.
According to the Queensland government archives, Capalaba State School opened in July 1874 with 22 pupils and one teacher. The school grew rapidly and in 1884 there was an average attendance of 43.
During this time, Capalaba supported a flourishing timber industry which later declined, resulting in families leaving the district. This led to the school's closure in 1922.
Local support forced the reopening of the school in 1923. Thirty-six years later the school moved to Mount Cotton Road, and continued to grow reaching 338 students in 1970.
Capalaba State High School, situated on 13.6 hectares of adjoining land in School Road, opened its doors to 189 Year 8 students in 1978.
The primary and high schools merged to become Capalaba State College in 2005.
- Information and photos provided by Redland Museum photo library.
Do you have a story to tell us about your time at school in the Redlands? Send it to news@redlandcitybulletin.com.au.
