Bald Hills State School is celebrating 160 years of education, marking a milestone that reaches back to the early days of state schooling in Queensland.
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Established in 1866, the school began admitting pupils from Bald Hills and surrounding districts at a time when families across the area relied on local education facilities. Its anniversary will be marked with a community festival on Saturday, October 10, featuring entertainment, historical displays, and fundraising activities.
The event will also support plans to restore the school’s historic Forestry, creating an outdoor learning and nature play space for students.
Festival to celebrate 160 years of school history
The anniversary festival will run from 11am to 7pm on October 10, 2026, at Bald Hills State School, 2156 Gympie Road, Bald Hills.
The program includes amusement rides, sideshow alley, market stalls, food trucks and live entertainment. Children can take part in circus activities, games and a scavenger hunt, while free face painting and roving entertainers will add to the day’s activities.
Historical displays will trace the school’s story back to 1866, alongside an art exhibition and silent auction. Visitors can also browse the plant stall, pick up baked goods and enter a community raffle featuring prizes valued at more than $12,000. Fireworks are scheduled to bring the festival to a close.
Entry is free, with unlimited ride passes available for $35 when purchased in advance or $40 on the day. Individual ride tickets will cost $8 each or two for $15.
Funds raised will go towards restoring the school’s historic Forestry into an outdoor learning and nature play space. The planned work aims to provide students with an area to learn, explore and play outdoors while retaining a feature associated with the school’s history. The Forestry is a special part of Bald Hills’ identity. The restoration project is intended to give the space a renewed purpose for students while maintaining its place within the school grounds.
In preparation for the anniversary, old photographs, stories and personal memories have also been collected to create a snapshot of the school’s history and the changes it has experienced over 160 years.
From its first pupils in 1866 to today
Bald Hills State School began admitting students on April 30, 1866. A new schoolhouse officially opened on September 24, 1866, with pupils drawn from Bald Hills, South and North Pine, Cabbage Creek and Sandgate.
Historical records identify John Young Walker as the school’s first head teacher and list an aggregate attendance of 44 pupils in 1866. At the time, the facilities consisted of a main school building and a residence.
Around 1913, a new school was built and the original wooden building was relocated and adapted for use as a School of Arts. The old structure was eventually demolished.
Further changes came in the following decades. The school closed for remodelling in 1933 and reopened in 1934, with additional extensions completed in 1936. A pre-school unit on land adjacent to the primary school has operated since 1979.
Queensland State Archives described Bald Hills State School as the eighth-oldest operating school in Queensland. Its long history reflects the school’s continued presence in the district since the 19th century.
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The anniversary festival will bring that history into focus through historical displays and collected memories, while the Forestry project looks towards the school’s future. The planned restoration will support the creation of an outdoor learning and nature play area for students, linking the anniversary celebrations with a practical project for the school community.
Featured image credit: Bald Hills State School
Published 9-October-2026
