Mount Sylvia State School was established in 1885 as the Blackfellow Creek Provisional School. Situated approximately 20km south of
Gatton in the
Lockyer Valley, the school retains a good example of a standard design timber school building (Block A, 1912). The school is surrounded by open farmland, bordered by two creeks, Blackfellow Creek and Tenthill Creek, and within its generous grounds are several mature trees, including a row of
jacaranda trees. The school has been in continuous operation since its establishment and has been a focus for the local community as a place of important social and cultural activity. The Lockyer Valley was first explored by Europeans in the late 1820s. Pastoral runs were established in the
Darling Downs in the 1840s with the Lockyer Valley following closely. The Tent Hill run initially covered an area of approximately 30,000 acres (12,140ha) and included the district now known as Mount Sylvia. With the government's introduction of the Alienation of Crown Lands Act 1868, to encourage smaller-scale farming, Tent Hill run was partially opened for closer settlement. Selections along Blackfellow Creek were swiftly taken up, largely by German immigrants, and by the late 1870s, the Mount Sylvia district had become one of the most productive agricultural areas in the Lockyer Valley. The State Education Act 1875 provided for free, compulsory and secular primary education and established the
Department of Public Instruction. This further standardised the provision of education, and despite difficulties, achieved the remarkable feat of bringing basic literacy to most Queensland children by 1900. Following a visit to the newly completed school in April 1894, the district school inspector reported that the "new building measures 24 ft by 14 ft with a 7 ft verandah in front" and, with the inclusion of a tank and stand, had a total cost of £50. Following the completion of the new teaching building, the old building was shifted on the site and modified to become the teacher's residence. The original teaching building faced west and overlooked the creek. In 1909, additions to the rear of the residence were made by the department. In 1894, there were 55 farmers listed in the postal records at Mount Sylvia, and by 1913, there were 68. The department approved this and tenders were called in September 1911 for the construction of a new teaching building at Mount Sylvia. A builders' strike delayed construction work. In March 1912, Hamwoods wrote to the department informing them of the difficulty finding willing hands, "I will admit the timber has been ready for some time but during the time of the late strike I could not get any men to go out into the country, nor can I get them to go yet". Regardless of these setbacks, work progressed and the new teaching building had been completed by the end of September that year. In 1916, a new teachers residence was constructed at a cost of £399. This new and larger residence retained the original residence's semi-detached kitchen wing (the residence is no longer extant on the site). Arbor Day became a major community event for Mount Sylvia. Each year, celebrations brought the district together for a day of sports and picnics, followed by a dance in the school building in the evening, "visitors simply poured in from the districts around, and it was a pleasure to note the hearty handshakes and welcoming smiles as old acquaintances were renewed". Over the years, a variety of trees were planted in the school grounds, including camphor laurels (
Cinnamomum camphora), figs (
Ficus spp) and jacarandas (
Jacaranda mimosifolia). In 2019, the mature trees throughout the school grounds continue to add to the picturesque setting of the school. Minor changes were made to Block A over time, including enclosing part of the southern verandah for a library, adding partitions to the interior , and subsequently removing the partitions and enclosing the remainder of the southern verandah . In 2019 Block A is used as a classroom. == Description ==