Fight to Save the School

FIGHT TO ‘SAVE SCHOOL’ SUCCESSFULLY DRIVES PROGRESS

By the 1980s rapid growth in all areas of Queensland meant that lots of new schools were being built and some older schools were receiving government assistance to improve and create new additional blocks and classrooms for their existing enrolments.

Petrie State School however was seemingly overlooked during this period and it became a great concern to parents and teachers at the school that the local children were not treated with such modern comforts as shade and pre-schools. For the population of the school the facilities were grossly inadequate and were echoing the ghosts of what was becoming the bi-gone era of the school’s past.

An increasingly anxious, and quite possibly angry, community was looking to State politicians to wield leadership on the issue in the government of the now infamous Joh Bjelke-Petersen (former Premier of Queensland between 1968 and 1987).

In October 1983 a telegram was sent from the Kallangur Post Office desperately pleading directly to the Premier to intervene and provide funding to overcome these challenges. The original copy is marked “NO REPLY RECEIVED”.

 

 

[reveal heading=”%image% Click here to read transcript of telegram”]

 

28 October 1983

A telegram is sent to Premier and Treasurer of Queensland, Hon Joh Bjelke-Petersen at 1:30 pm from Kallangur Post Office.

PLEASE ADVISE WHEN FUNDS WILL BE RELEASED FOR LONG PROMISED PETRIE REPLACEMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL STOP EXISTING NOISY CONDITIONS INSUFFICIENT LIGHTING INADEQUATE SHELTER INSUFFICIENT TOILETS ROCKY TERRAIN SIX TIN DEMOUNTABLES AND LIBRARY BUILT IN 1974 NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE FOR FIVE HUNDRED PUPILS STOP OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS THIS YEAR HAVE FAILED STOP WE NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE

SECRETARY PARENTS AND CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

Senders Name: Roslyn Burrell (Whiteside)

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The promise of a pre-school (since 1981) and its consequent lack of materialisation was also of great concern and irritation.

It was a critical time for the existing buildings of the school with one politician stating that he thought the plan should be to “save the historical bits, bulldoze the rest and start again.” It was a different mentality to within the community today regarding the old parts of the school, as they were generally considered to be a hindrance to the progression of a better teaching environment. Thank goodness, they decided to keep them!

 

[reveal heading=”%image% Click here to read transcript of John Toppings Letter to the Editor”]

 

1983 Suburban Express

Letter to Editor

Subject – Petrie Primary School

The state of facilities at Petrie State Primary School has been the subject of much comment in this paper over recent weeks.

Candidates of the major parties for the State seat of Murrumba attended a meeting held at the school on 16 August.

The concerned feelings of those parents who attended seemingly has had the effect of galvanizing the candidates to speak out.

All believe the facilities to be a disgrace and an indictment on the State Government and its relevant department.

It is time to place the comments made by the candidates under closer inspection.

Mr Male (National Party) has supported the need for a pre-school at Petrie.

He is to be congratulated on his endeavours.

It needs to be pointed out to Mr Male that a pre-school was promised in 1978 but has been shelved since.

At the meeting, Mr Male said that had he been the member more would have been done.

He suggested that the parents should have contacted the media and withdrawn their children in protest at the lack of government attention.

Mr Male does not seem to realize the efforts parents have made.

Rather than sensationalize issues, they have used the proper channels.

These efforts could have been wasted if Mr Male’s ideas were used.

Another candidate who has condemned the State Government over its inaction has been Mr Maquire (Liberal Party).

He said in this paper (18 August 1983) “Save the historical bits, bulldoze the rest and start again.”

Unfortunately, Mr Maguire, the historical bits are the core problem at Petrie.

They contain old, cramped classrooms that are situated too close to busy Dayboro Road.

A small, inadequate library is housed in the original school building that dates back over a century.

The other candidate to condemn the situation was the sitting member, Mr Kruger.

He cannot feel any pleasure with the poor state of facilities at the school which make it the worst endowed in this electorate.

Mr Kruger must have felt the mood of parents and teachers by the attendance of over 150 people at each of two meetings held at the school in 1981.

At those meetings, attended by Mr Kruger, the parents voiced their concerns.

Certainly Mr Kruger has been most active of late, but his efforts from 1979 to 1982 were not as forceful as they could have been.

My concern is for the children of the school who have been forced to endure poorer facilities than those offered at other schools.

John Topping

Albany Creek

Source: Commemorating 125 Years of Service: Petrie State School 1874-1999, p55

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Eventually the pressure from the community gained them a first-hand visit from the Local Member of the National Party for the electorate of Murrumba at the time, Mr Allan Male and also Russ Hinze, a member of the Queensland Government’s ‘front-bench’.

Again it is suggested that “the whole lot needs pulling down”:

 

 

[reveal heading=”%image% Click here to read transcript of this article”]

 

HORSES HOUSED BETTER SAYS RUSS HINZE

“Russ Hinze agreed that his horses had better accommodation than the pupil’s playshed at Petrie State School,” said the National Party candidate for Murrumba, Mr Allan Male.

Mr Hinze was making an inspection on the school last Thursday when Mr Male made the comparison.

Mr Hinze said, “I am staggered at the way the site has been allowed to deteriorate. Allan tells me that some of the building are over 100 years old. The whole lot needs pulling down.”

He said a feasibility study into a total resiting of the buildings to front Young Street was required.

“Mr Hinze was appalled at the noise that children and teachers had to work with in the present site so close to Dayboro Road,” Mr Male said.

“He was in total agreement that a safe area for children to be set down and picked up by their parents needed to be established away from main traffic areas.”

Mr Male said they both agreed that the area near Dayboro Road would be better suited for playing, where noise would not be a problem.

“The teaching area needed to be moved into a quieter corner of the school ground. This would be part of the overall redevelopment plan the school needs, and I have the full agreement of the parents.

The whole concept here needs to be expanded to include a pre-school, and I have spoken to Works Minister, Mr Claude Wharton about this.

I have the backing of Mr Hinze and the parents and teachers supporting statements and Claude Wharton is coming out to have a look himself,” Allan Male said.

Liberal candidate for Murrumba, Ald. Roger Maguire said this week he would not be surprised if Petrie State School received little more than funding at a consolation prize level when government spending for the current financial year was announced.

“Joh Bjeike-Petersen is such a master of the art of publicity that I believe if he was going to make a major announcement on the future of Petrie State School during the lead up to the election, the place would have been swarming with National Party Ministers, photographers and TV cameras,” said the Liberal candidate.

“The absence of this activity suggests to me that Petrie School will not receive anywhere near the funding it needs in this financial year.”

Source: Commemorating 125 Years of Service: Petrie State School 1874-1999, p54.

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The relatively new Principal of the time, Peter Boge, spearheaded the campaign to improve the school beyond any development that had thus happened at Petrie since the inception of the first Provisional system.

He spoke of the battle to improve the school in his memoir of 1999:

 

“The first P & C meeting in February 1983 resulted in the formation of various committees – Fundraising, Ways and Means, Priorities, to identify the improvements necessary and whether they were the responsibility of Education or Works Departments, or a possible P & C subsidy project. Teachers agreed that the encouragement and gaining of full Parent/Teacher cooperation would be a major goal for 1983. Politicians were exposed for their inaction and broken promises. It took lots of meetings, letters, deputations, visits by VIPs and persistence, before the wheels finally turned in our favour. We finally convinced them that the Petrie community would not accept third-rate facilities. The late Russ Hinze said during a visit in 1983 that his horses were stabled better than Petrie students. Another candidate suggested “retain the historical bits and bulldoze the rest’. Even the Ombudsman was enlisted to help the P & C.

Looking back, I know our persistence and belief in the justice of our claims meant that we never lost sight of our vision and resolve to ensure the redevelopment of the School. Gradually, the concerted efforts forced the government to allocate money for the redevelopment of the school.”

– Peter J Boge, 1999 – Principal, 1 Jan 1983 – 31 Dec 1990.

Source: Commemorating 125 Years of Service: Petrie State School 1874-1999, pp46-49.

 

Once the community had finally convinced the Government that the money was necessary the funds began to flow to the school and the biggest serious round of development since the opening of the school progressively took place over the decade and into the 1990s.

From his memories written in 1999, Peter Boge outlined a timeline of the works that took place. In conjunction with all of the new construction and renovations happening at the time, the Bicentennial year of 1988 provided a perfect opportunity to beautify the school grounds (More About the Bicentenary) and encourage and nurture a new pride in the accomplishments and aesthetics of the school.

Mr Boge begins by describing the identified issues with the school in 1983 and by the close of the decade, 1990 saw the culmination of this exciting era with the construction of the new Administration block, allowing for a reception, offices and staff room:

1983

• About five classrooms had light or fans, so on dull days overhead projectors were used to provide light to work by.
• No two buildings were linked, so wet weather meant everyone got wet.
• The old toilet block was short of cubicles and was inadequate for 480 students.
• All but five classes were in demountables; two of the five were beside noisy Dayboro Road.
• The Petrie Special School occupied one corner of our grounds.
• Buildings were dilapidated and needed painting.
• A small Tuckshop under Room 5 operated 2 days a week.
• The library, staff room and office were in the oldest part of the school, and were inadequate.
• Tenders closed for single unit Preschool.

1984

• Original play shed demolished and donated to North Pine Country Park, to make way for proposed Amenities Block as part of the staged redevelopment.
• Tenders were called in June for “G” two storey block.
• Now 14 out of 19 classes of 520 students in 7 demountables.

1985

• Tenders called for Covered Games Area and Tuckshop at cost of $175 000.

1986

• Planning for computers: Stage One involved Commodore computers and security bars to Room 2.
• Tenders called for new Special School at Lawnton, replacing school in our grounds.

1988

• “G” Block enclosed underneath for four classrooms.
• Some of the seven demountables were moved to allow more playing space.

1989

• Room 4 became a Parents’ Room.
• Electronic learning centre funded ($11 555).
• Tenders called for Administration Block.

1990

• YMCA vacated old Special School buildings, which were demolished.
• Moved into Administration Block 23 April 1990.
• Air cooling system and roller doors to Activities Building.

– Peter J Boge, 1999 – Principal, 1 Jan 1983 – 31 Dec 1990.

Source: Commemorating 125 Years of Service: Petrie State School 1874-1999, pp46-49.

 

A new library had been promised in the late 1980s but was not built at this time. It would nearly be another ten years before the ‘Resource Centre’ would come to realisation.

THE PLAYSHED REMOVAL

In 1984, after the fight with the State Government to improve the conditions at Petrie primary school, the playshed that was originally built in 1906 needed to be removed from the school. Thankfully it was not demolished but dismantled and re-appropriated at North Pine Country Park’s ‘Old Petrie Town’ as a local heritage building. (More About the Playshed)

 

An Amenities Block was built in the spot on the grounds where it stood as part of the staged redevelopment.

 

“Original “Playshed” demolished and donated to North Pine Country Park, to make way for proposed Amenities Block as part of the staged redevelopment.”

– Peter J Boge, 1999 – Principal, 1 Jan 1983 – 31 Dec 1990.

Source: Commemorating 125 Years of Service: Petrie State School 1874-1999, pp46-49.

FINALLY! PETRIE GETS PRESCHOOL

31 January 1984

SUBURBAN EXPRESS – PETRIE PRE-SCHOOL AT LAST

State Member for Murrumba, Mr Joe Kruger inspects work on the Petrie State Pre-School. The building of the pre-school was one of the more contentious issues in the Murrumba electorate at the last State election. Parents and residents have wanted a pre-school in the area for many years. Mr Kruger said that he had received a letter in 1981 stating that the pre-school was to be built, but this did not occur. He said he welcomed the addition to the Petrie Sate School which was at last being built. The pre-school should be operational about mid-March. Mr Kruger also said that a demountable teaching space was being provided for the state school, however he said much more was needed in the way of facilities at the school. “I will continue to make representations to the minister for the reconstruction for the school,” he said.

Source: Moreton Bay Regional Council Local History Library, Strathpine


More About the Preschool.