Toowoomba South State School

Toowoomba South State School is a primary school located on the southern edge of the Toowooomaba CBD in Queensland, Australia.

Toowooomaba South is one of the oldest primary schools in Queensland. It is the oldest State School in Toowoomba proper (Drayton State School is older). It was first opened in 1865, as school number 112. Initially the school was co-educational.

History

Around 1860, a site was reserved for a National School in Toowoomba proper, on the site at the rear of the existing campus now occupied by the Toowoomba South State School Hall, and the Basket ball and Tennis Courts (the corner of Lawrence and Ruthven Streets). The site of the current buildings was the Hospital.

1869 the school was separated into the Toowoomba South Boys School (number 109) and the Toowoomba South Girls School (number 112). This led to there being two campuses the original on Ruthven Street being the Girls School , the other one block northeast on Neil Street the new Boys School campus (adjacent to the Market Reserve (now Groom Park)). The two schools are separated by Neil Street and St Patrick's Church (Catholic).

1878 the girls school became known as the Toowoomba Middle Girls State School and the Infants School was opened as Toowoomba Middle Infants (number 399). These two schools were combined in March 1880 to become Toowoomba Middle Girls and Infants State School (number 112).

1883 saw the Girls and Infants School divided again and open as Toowoomba South Girls State School and Toowoomba South Infants State School (number 399). On 1 October 1900, the Toowoomba South Girls' and Toowoomba South Infants' were reamalgamated to become Toowoomba South Girls and Infants State School (number 112).

In the mid 1970s, the Toowoomba Education Centre was housed in a building at the rear of Toowoomba South. In 1976 it moved to Baker Street adjacent to the University of Southern Queensland.

At the end of the 1982 school year, the Boys campus was closed, and from the start of the 1983 school year the combined school was once again known simply as Toowoomba South State School.

Later the SEDUce (Special Education Development Unit) become part of Toowoomba South, giving the school 3 sections SEDU, Preschool and Primary School. The SEDU was relocated away from Toowoomba South in 2007 following the introduction of the Prep year.

In 2006, a regional group of ESL (English as a Second Language) support teachers were added to the school.

2007 will see the Preschool folded into the main school as part of the introduction of Prep Year in Queensland.

Current information

(as at February 2006)
* The Principal is Mr David Wilson
* Over 120 students in Toowoomba South's various sections
* An active P&C (Parents and Citizens group)
* School facilities are made available to a variety of community groups
* A music program that has seen students achieve well above expectations
*In 2008, an Alumni group for past (and present) students of any of the Toowoomba South schools (including South Boys, South Girls and Infants, South Girls or the current Toowoomba South State Schools) was opened on the free Social Networking Site, "Facebook". Simply search for "I Went To South Boys, South Girls & Infants or Toowoomba South State School".

Alumni

* Glynis Nunn (Saunders) Olympic heptathlon Gold Medalist 1984
* Edwin John Godsall }38th Mayor of Toowoomba
* Ross Miller 62nd Mayor of Toowoomba
* Bernard Joseph Beirne 37th Mayor of Toowoomba, being the first locally born person elected Mayor.

External links

* [http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/AgencyDetails.aspx?AgencyId=653 Toowoomba South State School] (Queensland Government Archive link)
* [http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/AgencyDetails.aspx?AgencyId=5770 Toowoomba South Girls and Infants State School] (Queensland Government Archive link)
* [http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/AgencyDetails.aspx?AgencyId=5769 Toowoomba South Boys State School] (Queensland Government Archive link)
* [http://www.austcolled.com.au/dbimg/424DarlingDownsNewsAug2005.pdf Address to the Australian College of Educators Annaul Awards Presentation Dinner] from the Darling Downs Regional Group newsletter