Dirranbandi State School Assembly

Balonne Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Samantha O’Toole, Councillor Robyn Fuhrmeister OAM and Acting CEO, Mr Graeme Kanofski PSM, Dirranbandi State School, Acting Principal Ms Jen Miller; staff and students, good morning.

I, too, would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands around Dirranbandi, the Euahlayi (you-al-ee-eye) people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and all First Nations people with us today.

Thank you for the warm welcome you’ve given Graeme and me on our first official visit to this region since I was appointed as Governor, almost three years ago.

You can all be very proud of the role this school has played in the history of this district.

It was only due to the determination and commitment of the community that the original, one-room provisional school was established for the first 14 pupils in 1902, and later, in the 1920s, the community again played a vital role.

By 1924, the school had more than 60 pupils and was so crowded that classes had to be conducted on the verandas. As a result of the community’s efforts, the Education Department acquired land and built a new school, officially opened on the 11^th of October 1925, before a crowd of more than 200 people.

Next year is the 100^th anniversary of that event but I doubt that your P&C will mark the occasion in quite the same way as they did in 1925!

Back then, the excitement surrounding the opening of the school extended to an end-of-year celebration, two months later. As well as a lavish country afternoon tea, and a dance that went on well into the small hours, there was a full day of sports.

The local newspaper at the time, the Balonne Beacon, reported that the best event of the day was the ladies and gentlemen’s three-legged race with numerous falls, and other competitors dodging the casualties on the track on their way to the finish line

That would certainly make an entertaining page of photographs in The Dazzler today!

The school may no longer hold three-legged races on sports days, but it is very pleasing to see that the emphasis on leading healthy, active lives remains central, particularly through the Resilience Project which gives students proven and practical mental health strategies. From my many years as a doctor and medical administrator, I know just how vital such strategies are to sustaining strong individuals, families and communities.

I have also been very pleased to see the strong focus on literacy at this school and I am delighted that our visit today coincides with Indigenous Literacy Day because, very shortly, I will be reading a special Government House story to your youngest students in Prep to Year 2.

Thank you again for your welcome today – it has been wonderful to visit such an active and engaged school community and I wish you all well for the remainder of the school year and for the future.