Rosewood township has three schools, Rosewood State School, Rosewood State High School and St Brigid’s Primary School. Other feeder schools still open in the area are Ashwell, Grandchester, Haigslea, Mt Marrow and Walloon. Schools that once operated in the area were Calvert, Mt Walker, Tallegalla and Rosevale. (Ebenezer. Amberley.)
Rosewood
In 1870, a Provisional school was opened in the old Rising Sun Hotel also known as O’Briens Hotel. The premises was owned by Cribb & Foote who volunteered to give portion of the premises for that purpose. Walter Hore was appointed by the Board of Education as teacher. A Provisional School known as Rosewood Gate No. 131 and situated on the south side of the town on a 10acre block between the coach road from Brisbane to Toowoomba and the railway from Ipswich to Toowoomba, was opened on 1 February 1875 under Mr Daniel Desbois as Head Teacher. The gross enrolment for the year 1875 was 143 pupils. On the 26 February Mrs Desbois was appointed to help her husband.
The first pupils on the register for the “Rosewood Gate Mixed Primary School” on February 1, 1875 were:
Dan Desbois, Gerald Desbois, James Mulholland, John Matthews, Albert Boughen, Arthur Boughen, James Matthews, Frederick Hannant, Richard Mason, Michael Farrell, John Vance, William Vance, Thomas Walker, George Walker, Samuel Hammill, John Hammill, Richard Scanlan, Francis Pedrazzini, Daniel Dale, Lawrence Ryan, Patrick Ryan, Robert Hallam, Julia Ann Moran, Alice Desbois, Helen Smith, Margaret Black, Rebecca Mulholland, Catherine Farrell, Mary Ann Farrell, Margaret Matthew, Margaret Ellison, Sarah Jane Hammill, Elizabeth Dale, Bridget Ryan.
The largest enrolment prior to the building of St Brigid’s in 1922 was 280.
The name of the school changed to Rosewood in 1877.
There was a school at that time at Alfred McKeon’s (Calvert).
Rosewood Secondary Department was added to the primary school in 1962 operating out of the old slipper factory next to Rhuno’s store until the new building opened in the primary school grounds.
Rosewood State High School opened on Lanefield Road in 1980 with Noel Christie as first Principal.
St Brigid’s Convent School opened Sunday, 29th January 1922.
Memory from Greg Brown:-
St Brigid’s as I knew it in the 50’s and later. My understanding was this school was built from the old church which was made available when the large current St Brigid’s was built. The school was open underneath, just enclosed by wooden battens between the posts. The extra classrooms underneath were added in I think late ’50s.
