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Numinbah Valley School of Arts is a heritage-listed school of arts at Nerang - Murwillumbah Road, Numinbah Valley, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 December 2007. == History == The Numinbah Valley School of Arts was built in 1925 and is a single story timber building raised on stumps and capped with a corrugated galvanised iron roof. Extensions were carried out in 1937, 1960 and 1981. On entering the Numinbah Valley hamlet it is the first structure on the right side of the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road.〔 The Numinbah Valley strikes north from the McPherson Range and is enclosed to the southeast and the southwest by the plateaux of Springbrook and Beechmont. The Nerang-Murwillumbah road runs along the valley floor adjacent to the banks of the Nerang River. The cliffs, narrow ridges, forested slopes and open farmlands combine to create one of the most scenic rural areas in the Gold Coast Hinterland.〔 Settlement of the area is associated with timber getters moving up from the Tweed and Richmond Rivers in search of the valuable red cedar trees in the 1870s. The Queensland Government opened up the timber reserves in the Numinbah district for selection, subsequently a wave of settlers moved into this area. The timber resources of the area supported the economy of the local farming facilities and supplied timber for a number of local and regional saw mills. Dairies, banana plantations, beef and pig production, played a significant role in the subsequent economic development of the area. The valley was isolated from the sea and it was not until the early 1900s that it was linked to Nerang by a mountainous track of 18 miles. As the population in the valley increased and farming prospered the community called for better roads, mainly due to the dairy farmers needing to transport their goods to Nerang for railing to the Kingston Butter Factory within a short space of time. It was deemed the responsibility of the Numinbah residents to maintain this road - it was often damaged by large timber wagons.〔 In 1909 the Yaun family started moving their sawmill operation to Upper Nerang (the early name for the Numinbah settlement). Initially this pioneering family owned the Pine Mountain Sawmill at Nerang from 1896. The Numinbah sawmill continued to operate and employ local labour until destroyed by fire in 1944.〔 In 1915 Lillian Mary Yaun wrote to the Lands Department about acquiring reserve land for a community hall. After negotiations, the local community agreed to pay for a survey of land adjoining a road and a timber reserve for the School of Arts reserve. On 8 September 1916, 2 roods and 3 perches of thickly timbered land with dense undergrowth, was gazetted a reserve for a School of Arts. For many years the main venue for social and recreational events had been a farmer's barn or paddock. In 1923 Yaun again wrote to the Lands Department asking if the land could be used for a public hall as a social venue was required.〔 It was the need for a social, recreational and educational facility that galvanised the community in 1925 to raise funds by subscriptions and fund raising events so that they could build a hall. Members of the community donated timber to be processed in the Yaun Bros. sawmill (situated only a few hundred meters from the proposed School of Arts site); all work at the mill was carried out gratis. Cyril Duncan built the Numinbah Valley School of Arts hall for approximately £100 and this included the roofing iron and nails.〔 The first "Mechanic's Institutes" or "Schools of Arts" were established in Britain in the early 1800s and were intended to assist self-improvement and to promote moral, social and intellectual growth, by providing lectures, discussions and lending libraries to a rising middle class. At the time there were no public libraries and books were expensive, so that access to books by borrowing as subscribers provided an important educational and recreational service. The first institute in Australia was formed in Hobart in 1827, followed by Sydney in 1833, from which date the movement rapidly spread throughout the rest of the colony.〔 The first School of Arts committee in Queensland was established in Brisbane in 1849 with the aim of ''"the advancement of the community in literary, philosophic and scientific subjects"''. As towns and districts became established, local committees were formed to establish Schools of Arts and they became one of the principal sources of adult education. From this beginning, approximately 350 Schools of Arts were established throughout the state during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.〔 A typical School of Arts building was of timber construction including a hall and two or three rooms used for library and meeting purposes. Larger provincial centres buildings were of masonry construction. Although varied in scale, form and materials they were readily identifiable in the streetscape and often incorporated impressive facades which spoke of the cultural ambitions of those who built them.〔 When the Numinbah Valley School of Arts opened in September 1925, it was free of debt. The new single-story, weatherboard clad School of Arts was 50 by 25 feet, capped with corrugated iron gable roof over the core and a lower gable over the entrance porch. At the rear there was a ten-foot stage with a room either side. The flooring, which was donated crow's ash flooring, was dressed by local labour and excellent for dancing. Seating was around the walls, which were 12 feet high. The roof was well braced and the hall included a side entrance.〔 The first letter requesting a school for Numinbah Valley was dated 10 July 1926, and the parents asked if the Numinbah Valley School of Arts could be used as a Provisional school. From the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries the Queensland Government began to focus on the importance of education for children between the ages of six and twelve. The education system was poorly funded in this period. As a consequence many smaller communities, such as Numinbah Valley, were responsible for the establishment and funding of their own schools. The following year on 7 February the Provisional Numinbah School opened in the School of Arts building. There were 16 pupils; 13 boys and 3 girls. The Queensland Government recognised this school as a Provisional School. Limited Government assistance was given, such as salary assistance for a teacher and the supply of state approved books. The community had to provide the school building as well as accommodation for the teacher. The school continued to use this building until a purpose built State School opened in its own Education Department building on 8 October 1934.〔 By 1937 roads had improved and banana plantations had been established. With increased development it was deemed necessary to enlarge the School of Arts. This included a 25-foot extension added to the rear to provide a much larger area for dancing and seating for concerts and other purposes. Also the front entrance was altered to provide male and female changing/ cloak rooms on either side of the entrance.〔 During the early 1960s the hall was further enlarged with the construction of a side veranda on the southern elevation, to allow for more seating and a supper area. The community, especially the local QCWA (Queensland Country Women's Association), helped raise the necessary funds. With the introduction of electricity to the valley in 1961 kerosene lanterns were replaced with fluorescent and other lights and power points were fitted. The kitchen was installed in 1962. Also in the 1960s the front entrance was again modified with the left-hand side room converted to a ticket office with a mother's room on the other side.〔 In September, 1975, locals and others celebrated the School of Art's 50th Birthday. An article "Hub of Valley has a birthday Party" in the Courier Mail of 21 September 1975, mentioned the gable of green painted hall as having very elegant fretwork infill. Also the article commented that the hall was used for wedding receptions, gift evenings, dances and socials, and church services.〔 A corrugated iron roofed open annexe was added along the end of the northern wall in 1981, and has been extended since. During 1983 prison labour from the Numinbah Valley State Farm was used to build a bar in the supper room, and the following year they repainted the hall. One prisoner painted Australian theme murals on three walls of the bar area.〔 A post and two-rail fence encloses much of a large semi open space on the northern side of the hall. This area stretches from the Nerang River to the main road and has been used for school and local sports days, picnic area and other recreational activities.〔 The Numinbah Valley School of Arts is a well loved community building and has been since it was built. It is a fine example of a community built building that is still being used for the very same purposes it was originally meant for - recreation, socialising and education.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Numinbah Valley School of Arts」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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