A little about the history of our community and school
Blenheim
Blenheim, Queensland was named after Blenheim Park in Oxfordshire, England which was named in celebration of the Victory of Blenheim in 1704.
Henry Mort, in the year 1849, selected a large area of land, some 384,000 acres and named it Franklyn Vale. It extended from the Bremer River at Ipswich, south to Mount Mistake, west to Gatton and north to Esk. Six years later after taking up the selection; the country west of the Little Liverpool Range was transferred to James Laidley who began the settlement of the Laidley District. Further subdivision followed rapidly. In the early days Blenheim was known as Sandy Creek and Mt Berryman as Upper Sandy Creek.
Some of the early pioneers settled in the district. Others would leave their wives and children at Laidley while they worked on their properties at Sandy Creek. It was a tough life and soon the wives put pressure on the government to build a school at Sandy Creek. In the year 1879 Blenheim School was built.
Blenheim School
In September 1875, when the State of Queensland was only 16 years old, the government of the day enlisted the Department of Public Instruction (Department of Education) to 'administer free compulsory and secular education' for the children of its citizens.
The beginnings of both the Blenheim & Mount Berryman Schools link closely with that administration; as just over years later Queensland State School number 316 was established at Blenheim; a remote small farming community lying a few miles south and west of the fast developing towns of Laidley and Forest Hill. School attendance soon grew to such a size that a Head teacher’s residence was provided.