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Big city school with a pool challenges heritage rule

Wilston State School was one of the first in Queensland to have a pool. Almost a century later, there are calls for more modern facilities.

Jan 15, 2021, updated Jan 15, 2021
Wilston State School students in front of the heritage-listed dressing shed. Source: Wilston State School Facebook page.

Wilston State School students in front of the heritage-listed dressing shed. Source: Wilston State School Facebook page.

The school, through the State Government, has made an application to demolish the heritage-listed dressing shed next to its recently refurbished pool at Grange. It argues the 1920s building is no longer suitable, in a state of disrepair, and would cost more to refurbish than to replace.

The school and its sporting facilities – including the original pool built in 1923, and the dressing shed in 1924 – were previously deemed to have significant heritage value. The pool area, according to the official citation, reflected “the growing popularity of children learning to swim for health and safety reasons” at the time.

Almost a century later, however, the school is more popular than ever imagined, drawing 900 students from its inner-north catchment. The dressing shed is cramped, with outdated sewage and drainage, crumbling brick supports, and inadequate access for people with disabilities.

A heritage assessment found its historical value was also diminished due to works undertaken in 1970. To bring the dressing shed up to standard, while retaining its heritage values, would cost $685,000 whereas a new building would cost $610,000, according to school estimates.

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“We believe this would be the most cost effective in terms of both money and time,” wrote principal Jude Fountain, in a public letter supporting the application.

“We recognise that the new building would be in keeping with the historical tone of the school and meet the functionality needs of the school.”

Fountain said it was hoped the new facility could be completed in time for school centenary celebrations in August 2021 and “be greatly admired by the many thousands of old school community members we are expecting”.

The Queensland Heritage Council has called for public submissions on the application by February 15.

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