About Queensland Schools Past and Present

This database provides information on 5,118 Queensland schools both past and present. It includes schools across the spectrum of all that exist or have existed in Queensland: vested schools, non-vested schools, national schools, government schools (provisional and state schools), and private schools.

Every effort was made to locate all schools though some, especially small private schools in the 1800s, may have been missed.

For each school the database provides:

• School name and number: each government school was assigned a number when it opened. Often numbers were reused after schools closed.
• Initial opening date: many of the schools opened and closed multiple times. Only the initial opening date is recorded.
• Final closing date: many of the schools opened and closed multiple times. Only the final closing date is recorded.
• Additional information: includes name and status changes, information regarding closing and reopening. The term ‘mothballed’ is used to describe schools that are effectively closed but where assets are maintained in case the school becomes viable again.
• Location: a guide to the location of the school. Many schools were only open for only a very short time and in some cases it was difficult to determine their exact location.
• Postcode: either the current postcode of the town or that of a nearby town.
• 2009 Education District: to assist in the location of the school.
• Known published sources available: includes published books. The list of books published is not exhaustive.
• Reference sources: sources used in the compilation of this database. i.e. Queensland State Archives, Queensland Education Department, Queensland Education Office Gazette.

If you are interested in the history of education in Queensland, from its beginnings at the Moreton Bay convict settlement, Looking back : the first 150 years of Queensland schools by Hector Holthouse (1975) will provide a good background. Further information on Queensland State Schools is available here History of State Education in Queensland