Queensberry School

Queensberry School opened in 1889 with Isabella Hitchcock as the first teacher. It was originally named the Wanaka Road School and was reputed to be the smallest school building in Otago.

Stepping back a little, before the opening, the children in the area had little choice but to either travel to Lowburn School or to Luggate School for an education. It is known that George Elliott and John Anderson were two of a group of parents that set out in 1888 to get a local school for their children. George was the local road-surfaceman and John was a farmer (and brother of Thomas Anderson, previous owner of the Queensberry Inn). We know that George travelled around the district raising funds and interest (undoubtedly he would not be alone in this action). John applied for 10 acres of land at what was 18 Mile Creek (now known as Schoolhouse Creek) on which to build the school.

Land Board, Otago Witness, 21 March 1889.

The school operated until there was some problem in 1900 around the reported lack of a school committee, causing the school to be closed by the Education Board. There are letters about this subject in the newspapers of the time. It was apparently re-opened in fairly short time but sometime later, closed before re-opening about 1923.

The school building appears to have become a quasi-local “meeting hall” and by 1927 was perhaps getting a little “tired”. The Education Board offered the school committee a 50% subsidy to refurbish the building. However, after some discussion amongst the locals it was decided to completely demolish the building and rebuild. This all took just over 4 weeks to complete and a new school building was ready early in 1928. It was not a big building (about 16 feet square according to one report), but was perfectly adequate for the small number of pupils attending it.

It should be noted that the story in some publications, (and in ex-pupil Emily Elliott’s memoirs) that the school burnt down in 1924, is incorrect. The school that burnt down in 1924 was the Luggate School and the Queensberry community was regularly using the school building as a meeting place all the way through 1924 to 1927, as indicated in newspaper reports.

1928 was also the time when the school’s name was changed to Queensberry School.

The school buildings were added to some years later.  It closed in 1964 and became a residence.

Queensberry School, 1931

Queensberry School, 1960s

To read more about the history of all schools in the Wānaka region and surrounding areas, click here.