Community
13 February, 2022
Mirriwinni State School - A Beginning
FRUSTRATED BY the government’s inaction to provide a school in Mirriwinni, the local School Committee rallied together and in early 1916 proposed to rent a cottage from local shopkeeper, Mr D. McKinnon.
The Department of Education eventually agreed to pay the rent and fit it out as a temporary school but classes didn’t commence at the cottage until October because there was a shortage of teachers.
In late September it was announced that Miss Josie Hall, who had been on probation at the Babinda Public School, would take charge of the school at Mirriwinni.
It was quite a daunting prospect for the young teacher with most of her pupils unable to speak English. Hall said it was like addressing the “League of Nations”:
“I wondered if ever I could cope with this situation, but miraculously I did, staying there for ten years and I loved every minute of it.”
There was also a shortage of accommodation in the town so she would frequently stay at Babinda and commute by horseback, often in the rain.
A new school was eventually built for the Mirriwinni community. On February 6, 1918 an advertisement called on parents to attend a special meeting at the Mirriwinni State School. All parents were urged to attend the meeting and the social and dance which followed “to celebrate the opening of the new school”.
As more pupils attended, additional classrooms were built and Miss Hall was joined by Lewis B. S. Reid. The curriculum was expanded to include piano and violin.
Sources: TROVE Newspapers, Mirriwinni State School, letter from Mrs. Josie Killoran (nee Hall).
