During the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, schools played a part in Stanthorpe’s expansion and development.
The following is an excerpt from ‘They Came to a Plateau’ by Jean Harslett and Mervyn Royle, where 1891 falls into the time bracket.
Schools
‘An area described as ‘Warwick Road’ also called for a teacher, since settlement had spread down on Rosenthal lands.
A provisional school was opened on 2nd November, 1876 in a building rented by a Committee of Management from a local resident.
Situated about twelve miles from Warwick on the road to Pikedale, this was known as the Pikedale School, and was under the charge of Henry Cussen.
Its enrolment was 22.
Later the name of this school was changed to Mountside.
Closer to Stanthorpe, a pocket of closer settlement had grown up near the present site of Dalveen, and on 12th August, 1878, a provisional school was opened under the name ‘Stanthorpe Road’, with an average attendance of 19.
After one year the name was changed to North Maryland.
The first head teacher was Thomas Walter Ramsay.
In both cases buildings were small, both being less than 20 x 20 feet.
No doubt the inspectors’ reports reflect in part the desire of the selector to have the assistance of his children, for references to irregular attendance are frequent.
Even in 1887, the general condition of the North Maryland school was described as very unsatisfactory, while of progress the inspector’s comment was “little or none”.
Even when enrolment rose in the following year to 47, North Maryland was refused a state school on the basis that enrolment did not justify it.
A state school opened there under the name of Dalveen in 1892.
