Warwick Central State School 2.45

Warwick Central State School is a heritage-listed state school at 55B Guy Street, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1874 to 1875. It is also known as Warwick West Boys School, Girls School and Infants School and Warwick West School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 February 2006.HistoryThe Central State School is a stone building constructed in 1875 as the second school in Warwick, but one of the earliest State-run schools in Queensland.Education in Australia was first provided by Churches and by small private concerns. In 1848 a New South Wales Board of National Education was formed to provide public, secular education through National Schools. When Queensland separated from New South Wales in December 1859, two National Schools had been built in Queensland, the earliest in Warwick in 1850.The Education Act of 1860 was amongst the earliest legislation enacted by the new colony of Queensland. It established a Board of General Education and provided for a system of government-subsidised primary schools, similar to that in New South Wales. Under the Queensland Act, communities were required to contribute one-third of the cost of construction of new school buildings. Pupils at schools were also subject to payment of fees. At its commencement in 1860, the Board acquired four schools; 73 schools had been opened by 1868, and by 1874, 203 schools were open.Many of the schools were conducted in buildings that were of primitive construction, the first Warwick school being constructed of timber slabs.