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Our school history
The following historical account is reproduced in its original wording from the school's published history. The text has been retained in full.
Prior to Wondall Heights State School being built, children from the area would form long queues to catch buses to nearby schools. As shown on the front page of the Wynnum Herald on Wednesday, 31 March 1965.
The land that Wondall Heights State School now stands on was previously owned by the Quick family. Once actively involved in egg production, the cultivation of strawberries and other small crops, poor health within the family prompted the Quicks to considerably reduce their farming capacity. In 1961, the State Government Works Department acquired approximately eleven and a half acres from the Quicks leaving them their house and one acre.
However for the next five years this land was left vacant, and criticism of the government became widespread.
At approximately the same time as the land was purchased from the Quicks the electorate of Belmont was formed occupying the no-man's-land between the older centres of Wynnum and Mt Gravatt. As no community facilities (including police stations, hotels, shopping centre, public transport or schools) were then available within the electorate, residents and the newly elected member Mr Fred Newton worked hard to provide them for the area.
Construction of the school began in early 1966 at a cost of £36,388 and to prevent further criticism, was opened on Monday September 12 of the same year.
In the early days the department only provided the basics and the parents did all lawn mowing. There was only one classroom with electric lighting and no provision of library books, duplicators, playing fields, or tuckshops. When the allocated supply of toilet paper ran out the parents even had to buy that along with other student needs like art materials and sporting equipment.
Although sections of the school land were low-lying swampland, a determined group of parents were not deterred. Informed by the Works Department that the land was too difficult to drain successfully, the parents brought in fill and began to upgrade the area for playing fields. Dismissing the idea of using the land, the department at the same time acquired an extra area of land on higher ground near the already established classrooms.
As it turned out, the parents had the bottom area filled at about the same time as the Department obtained the extra land. For this reason, the school now boasts one of the largest grounds of any in the state. However, the ovals became a constant problem to parents as the red soil harboured many springs.
Hargreaves Jams once occupied the site at the rear of the school, then Edgell's factory. Hargreaves and Edgells were only able to operate from this site because of the abundant ground water. It was not until the early seventies that Edgells had town water installed. As they obtained their water from the many springs and bores on the land.
In late 1974 the parents and citizens association accepted a tender for a swimming pool. When this was completed, work began on finishing the school ovals and the construction of cricket pitches, an adventure playground, basketball courts, and tennis courts.
Many families were instrumental in the building of' Wondall Heights State School but a few of the names associated with its growth were Jim Thallon, Peter and Hazel Richter, Bunny Patterson, Mrs Blinco, Allan and Jean Rogers, Mr and Mrs Kelk, Evans, Shirley and Bruce Bradford, Mrs Wallace, and Jeff & Pam Rickertt .