Maryborough School of Arts, now the home of the Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society.
Heritage Site
One of Maryborough’s earliest public institutions the School of Arts began c1861.
This building was built in 1887.
Until 1977 the City’s library was housed here.
THEN School of Arts
The original School of Arts building was constructed in 1861. It was replaced in 1887 with the current heritage-listed building which was built in the classic revival style and contained a library, museum, reading room, technical college and a billiard room. The library featured a timber mezzanine gallery. The keystone above the doorway features Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.
NOW Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society
The School of Arts is home to the Maryborough and Wide Bay Burnett Historical Society and houses an extensive collection of historical photographs and records.
[Ref: Plaques on the building]
Maryborough School of Arts – first building
The foundation stone of the School of Arts, Maryborough, was laid on the 5th instant by the Hon Gilbert Elliott Esq, speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
The Hon Gilbert Elliott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, was entertained by his constituents at a public dinner at Maryborough on the 5th inst. [The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane) 16-2-1861]
From the Maryborough Chronicle, October 10
The school of Arts, of brick, has just been completed and cost about £430.
A public meeting will be held this evening for the purpose of opening the School of Arts, which must be regarded as a most auspicious event. A supply of periodicals and books has been obtained, and opportunities of intellectual culture will now be afforded to many of our townsmen who, from various causes over which they had no control, are sadly deficient of all kinds of information, excepting such as their daily observation has enabled them to collect.
A movement has also been on foot for several months for the establishment of a Primary School under the government regulations, but owing partly to a want of money, and partly to an almost entire absence of public spirit in the community, there is no immediate prospect of the object being attained. [Ref: The Courier (Brisbane) 17-10-1861]
A special meeting of the members of the School of Arts was held on the evening of Monday, the 18th instant, to consider a proposal for temporarily making use of the building as a national school. It was determined that the School of Arts should be let for the purpose of three months at a time, between the hours of 9 and 4 daily: and it was also arranged that a public meeting should be held on the following Monday evening, to take means for the establishment of such a school. [Ref: The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser 26-11-1861]
With much pleasure we announce the arrival of Mr and Mrs Robertson, the duly appointed teachers of the primary school, which is to be temporarily conducted in the hall of the School of Arts, in this town.
The school furniture and other requisites have also arrived, so that the school will be opened at once. [Ref: The Courier (Brisbane) 17-3-1862]
Maryborough School of Arts - second building
FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL OF ARTS
The ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of the new School of Arts was gone through yesterday with all the pomp and mystery surrounding the fulfilment of the prescribed Masonic forms. Somewhat after three o'clock in the afternoon the various societies assembled at the railway reserve and, having formed a line, marched out towards the site of the new building, via Alice, Richmond and Kent Streets in the following order - The Town Band, Fire Brigade, Caledonian Society, and then the Freemasons.
As the procession marched, some 250 strong, through the streets, the band playing enlivening tunes and the various orders decked out in their aprons and sashes the scene had a most pleasing effect. The streets were lined with spectators at various spots and the procession, when entering the School of Arts grounds, met a crowd of over one thousand people. The grand stand, which had been erected for the occasion, was crowded with ladies who commanded an excellent view of all that was going on. All being ready, the Mayor walked on to the platform.
In the rear a strong choir took up their position. Bro J Hockley, GO, presiding at the harmonium, and Bro H C Thorburn conducting.
The Mayor, Bro Dawson AGM, commenced the ceremony by sprinkling a handful of salt upon the ground … then escorted Mr T Dickens, President of the School of Arts, before the Mayor.
Mr Dickens said they had met there to lay the foundation stone of a building, which when completed would be an institution worthy of the town.
The committee for a long time had felt the necessity of a more commodious and suitable building, but the want of funds kept them from doing anything of the sort, till they sold a portion of the land which now enabled them to erect that building, the contract price of which was slightly under £3000. That amount, of course, was for the building alone, but a considerable amount of money would be required for furnishing and many other things that would crop up during the erection in the way of extras, always incurred in connection with buildings.
At the conclusion of the ceremony an opportunity would be afforded to all to help the committee in a substantial way in carrying out the work, and he hoped to see a large amount laid on the stone, so that when the institution was opened it would be complete in all its details. There were now in the institution 5482 volumes of literature, and about 1000 more on the way out from England, or ordered. They possessed probably a larger collection than any other town outside the metropolis. There were also supplied all the leading papers of this and the neighbouring colonies, besides Great Britain and America. The number of subscribers, he very much regretted to say, was 306, of which 51 were minors, a number miserably small compared with the population. He hoped when the new building was occupied to see at least 500 names on the list.
Architect: John Harry Grainger. Contractors: J and J Rooney.
The sum of £29 0s. l0d. was laid on the stone. [Ref: Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser 4-6-1887]
Maryborough May 23
The School of Arts was opened on Monday to the subscribers.
It is a handsome brick building, the rooms large and well lighted, and the accommodation excellent. [Ref: The Telegraph (Brisbane) 26-5-1888]
Maryborough (From our own correspondent) August 11
The sum of £500 has been left by the late Miss Melville for the erection of a memorial fountain in Maryborough.
A similar sum has also been left by Miss Melville for the purposes of a museum in connection with the School of Arts, and the committee of that institution are erecting a wooden building at the rear to be used for the purpose.
The committee will be happy to receive any curiosities or specimens to give the museum a start. [Ref: The Telegraph (Brisbane) 15-8-1888]
