Harristown is a residential

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 ...

in the

Toowoomba Region The Toowoomba Region is a local government area located in the Darling Downs part of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and bey ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Harristown had a population of 8,555 people.

Geography

Harristown is located to the southwest of the Toowoomba city centre.

History

The locality is named after George Harris (1831–1891), a Brisbane businessman and Member of the

Queensland Legislative Council The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which to ...

. Originally in the

Shire of Drayton The Shire of Drayton was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, west of Toowoomba. It existed between 1887 and 1949. History The ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' created local government areas across Queensl ...

, the locality was first opened as the Harristown Estate in 1902. The estate consisted of 177 building sites ranging from . Forty blocks were sold at the auction. Harristown State School opened on 4 September 1911 with 67 students. The official opening on Saturday 30 September 1911 was performed by the acting Secretary for Education Kenneth Grant, by which time the enrolment had already increased to 84 students. From 1915 until 1993, the suburb had a functioning railway station on the Toowoomba–Wyreema line. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the area boomed. Although the need for Lutheran schooling in Toowoomba had been identified since 1926, the Great Depression followed by

prevented a school being established.

Concordia Lutheran College , motto_translation = Without the Lord, all is in vain , established = 1946 , type = Independent, co-educational, day & boarding , denomination = Lutheran , slogan = , principal = Anton Prinsloo , key_people = , chaplain ...

opened on 17 February 1946 in the (now heritage-listed) house Redlands on a site in Stephens Street with 27 students (23 of them being boarders). In 1964 a primary school campus opened nearby in Warwick Street with an initial 64 students. A second primary school campus (originally called Martin Luther Primary School) was established in 1977 in Hume Street, Centenary Heights. St Anthony's Catholic Primary School was established in 1954 by the

Presentation Sisters The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by the Venerable Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The Sisters of the congre ...

. The

foundation stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

was laid on 21 November 1954, which is a significant day for the sisters as their order celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple on 21 November each year. The first classroom was ready in February 1955 and by the end of 1955 there were 116 students enrolled. The Presentation Sisters ran the school until the first lay principal was appointed in 1985, although the sisters continued to teach in the school until the end of 1997. Harristown State High School opened on 24 January 1955.

Heritage listings

Harristown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 8 Panda Street:

Smithfield House Smithfield House is a heritage-listed villa at 8 Panda Street, Harristown, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by architectural firm James Marks and Son and built from onwards. It was added to the Queensland He ...

* corner of South Street and Anzac Avenue:

Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at the corner of South Street and Anzac Avenue, Harristown, Queensland, Australia. It was surveyed in May 1850, and is one of the earliest surviving cemeteries in Queensland. The cem ...

* 341-367 South Street: Harristown State High School Buildings * 154 Stephen Street: Redlands

Education

Harristown State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 332 South Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 397 students with 34 teachers (28 full-time equivalent) and 32 non-teaching staff (21 full-time equivalent). It includes a

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

program. Harristown State High School is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 341-367 South Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1,661 students with 142 teachers (130 full-time equivalent) and 57 non-teaching staff (46 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program and an Intensive English program. St Anthony's School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 9 Memory Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 244 students with 18 teachers (14 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent). Concordia Lutheran College is a private primary (Prep-6) campus of Concordia Lutheran College for boys and girls at 67 Warwick Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 644 students with 68 teachers (48 full-time equivalent) and 75 non-teaching staff (45 full-time equivalent). Concordia Lutheran College is a private secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 154 Stephen Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 644 students with 68 teachers (48 full-time equivalent) and 75 non-teaching staff (45 full-time equivalent).

Features

* Milne Bay Museum * Elders and Landmark Saleyards

References

External links

*
Suburb Profile: Harristown

Australian Dictionary of Biography - Harris, George (1831–1891)
{{Toowoomba Region Suburbs of Toowoomba Localities in Queensland