Berserker Street State School, established in 1917, is situated approximately 2.5 km northeast of the
Rockhampton CBD on a 4.27ha site. It is important in demonstrating the evolution of state education and its associated architecture. The school retains a good example of a suburban timber school building (Block A, central and north wings, 1917–1918) with a Ferguson timber school building addition (south wing, 1888, relocated 1926) and is set in landscaped grounds with mature trees. The school has been in continuous operation since its establishment and has been a focus for the local community as a place for important social and cultural activities. The
Archer brothers, who made a private expedition to the Rockhampton district in 1853, were the first Europeans to record and chart the
Fitzroy River. The Archers were also the first European pastoralists to arrive in the area. Their establishment of
Gracemere Station led to further pastoral expansion into the area. The Archers, who had spent several years in Norway, named the mountain range to the northeast of Rockhampton, the
Berserker Range, after Norse saga hero,
Baresark. In 1899, the
Alexandra Railway Bridge was opened, linking north and south Rockhampton by rail over the Fitzroy River. At the time, a major North Rockhampton industry was the
Lakes Creek Meatworks, located several kilometres downstream, providing a great deal of employment for residents on the north bank. The new railway bridge provided a means of efficient transport of cattle to the works. By the turn of the century, its population had steadily increased, and by 1911 had reached almost 3000 people. As the population of the district increased, efforts were made by the
Department of Public Instruction to expand existing schools. The problems of overcrowding, however, persisted, and some children had to walk several miles to the closest school. The new timber school building, which could accommodate 148 students, contained three classrooms and two angled teachers rooms connected by a 10 ft (3m) wide verandah, and was supported by brick pillars with a concreted play area underneath. Glazed folding partitions divided the classrooms and hat rooms were located at the ends of the verandah. In 2019, this building forms the central wing of Block A. In the early 20th century, with a growing concern about child health in education, the DPW evolved its school building designs with recommendations from medical professionals on light and ventilation. Notably, high-set buildings were introduced , providing better ventilation as well as informal teaching space and a covered play area in the understorey. This form became characteristic of Queensland schools. A new technical innovation was a continuous, hinged ventilation flap on the wall at floor level to increase air flow into the classroom and, combined with a ceiling vent and large roof fleche, improved internal air quality and decreased temperatures. Windows were considerably enlarged and sills were lowered to provide a greater amount of natural light into the room. These windows were provided to one wall of the classroom only, to the left hand side of the student, and any other windows remained small and very highset. Smaller classrooms in serial arrangement were preferred as they were easier to light well and correctly. The lighter and airier interiors met with immediate approval from educationalists. Other examples include
Silkstone State School (1915),
Cannon Hill State School (1915) and
Enoggera State School (1916). Disappointingly for the school community, the Minister could not attend, but made assurances that he would be present at an official opening ceremony in the near future. An "unofficial" ceremony was held regardless in late January, attended by local dignitaries including minister
John Adamson. Classes began in February, and the school's initial enrolment of 195 students had increased to 316 by the end of the year. In September the school's original name of Berserker State School was changed to Berserker Street, to avoid confusion with the Berserker railway station, located approximately 3 km to the southeast. A very large, early fig tree remains in front of Block A in 2019, and other mature trees along the western boundary, including figs and a schotia (
Schotia brachypetala) are the earliest trees surviving on the site and illustrate the school's tradition of planting trees around the perimeter of the grounds. This building was built to a standard design by architect Robert Ferguson that had been introduced in 1880 and constructed across Queensland until 1893. Employed by the Department of Public Instruction, Ferguson was responsible for school building design between 1879 and 1885 and he was the first to give serious consideration to the ventilation of interiors. Ferguson introduced a
coved ceiling with exposed roof trusses and vented the roof space, improving internal temperatures. The number of windows and their size was increased, with sill heights typically over 4 ft, 6in (1.3m) above floor level, well above eye level of students. In 2019, the Ferguson teaching building forms the south wing of Block A. They were linked to Block A by raised covered walkways constructed along the north and south walls of the central wing. Windows in these walls were relocated to the east wall of the central wing, and classroom seating was rearranged so that daylight remained on the pupils' left hand side. Other alterations to the central wing in 1937 included the insertion of a double-hung window with
fanlight into the verandah wall of each classroom to improve light and ventilation, and the relocation of the southern classroom's door. The 1930s additions both underwent substantial alterations in later decades. Funds for school improvements, equipment and sporting amenities were largely raised by the efforts of the school committee, Parents and Citizens Association and ladies social committee, who held fund raising events such as fetes and balls and made appeals to the Rockhampton community and businesses. In addition to the construction of new buildings, such as a separate infants wing (1951, extended 1956) and a teachers residence (1951), Blocks B and C were both extended to the west by five classrooms between 1953 and 1958. These additions resulted in long wings on either side of a bitumen-surfaced parade ground to form an H-shaped complex. The parade ground became the principal place of assembly at the heart of the school, and in 2019 it remains open playground space. Later development has occurred around the H-shaped complex of Blocks A, B and C, but no further extensions to these blocks have been made since 1958. Blocks B and C have been altered by the enclosure of their verandahs and rearrangement of internal partitions, and a multi-purpose hall (2010) and kindergarten (2011) have been constructed on the earlier (late-1940s) playing field. ==Alumni==