123-year-old East Brisbane State School locked in ‘David v Goliath’ battle to survive

A Brisbane community say they’ve been left in the dark about the future of a heritage-listed primary school which could be lost to Olympic Games developments.

Parents of a heritage-listed Brisbane school say they’re in a “David v Goliath” battle against a global giant that threatens the future of the century-old school.

The parents of children who attend East Brisbane State School fear the 123-year-old school could be lost to development build for the city’s 2032 Olympic Games.

The school stands next to the iconic Gabba sporting grounds, which is likely to undergo a $1bn redevelopment to increase its capacity to 50,000 spectators and be the centrepiece for the Games.

However, the community fear the surrounding East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park will be lost if the project gets the green light.

EBSS P&C president Haline Ly said the school community had been in the dark over its future, save for one meeting with the state government about 12 months ago.

The parents of children who attend East Brisbane State School fear the 123-year-old school could lost as part of Brisbane 2032 Olympics developments.

Ms Ly described it as a “David v Goliath” battle to protect the school, which opened in 1899, from a two-week event.

“We haven’t received any news other than the one meeting we had with Grace Grace and Stirling Hinchliffe,” Ms Ly said.

“If they are going to nominate another site, it needs to be accessible and our voices need to be heard.

“We have such a strong community here.”

East Brisbane State School (EBSS) parents said it would be impossible for students and staff to remain during demolition and building work, which they were told at a meeting last year would begin after the Ashes in the summer of 2025/2026.

EBSS Olympics Impact Group chair Nicky Middleton said some community members had the wrong impression everything would be unchanged for a decade.

“We‘ve actually only got three to three-and-a-half years to either find a new school site, call tenders and get a new school built, or find somewhere to temporarily relocate our 300 children,’’ she said.

“We‘ve been told demolition would probably take a year and I would think constructing a new stadium would take two to three years.

“The worst-case scenario for us would be to demolish the school, but the second worst would be relocating for two or three years.

“Our children would lose their school identity, they would have to travel outside the catchment and the nearest schools - Dutton Park, Coorparoo and Buranda - would somehow have to find room for them.”

East Brisbane State School students in 1921.

Buranda is unlikely to be an option due to its very small land area, while Coorparoo already has about 850 students.

Ms Middleton queried why a new stadium was even necessary and said the announcement came just six months after EBSS completed a masterplan to accommodate a forecast surge in its student population, from 300 at present to 550.

“The area is in rapid growth and the school has grown 38 per cent since 2016,‘’ she said.

“We have (residential) towers of eight stories going up on Wellington Rd and 20 stories on Stanley St and Vulture St.‘’

She also said EBSS had a huge number of children, about 70 per cent, who walked or cycled to school, so temporarily moving or building a new school would have a big impact on active school travel.

The entire school campus is heritage listed for its cultural significance, although block A and the hall were the oldest structures.

“A 2017 conservation plan recommended nothing be built around block A or on the oval,‘’ she said.

The P&C members are set to meet on Wednesday afternoon in what is shaping up as a crucial information session regarding the school’s long-term future.

Member for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon urged the state government to invest in land to save the school.

Greens Member for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon said the Olympics was a “flash in the pan” event that would create long-term issues including housing affordability.

Ms MacMahon urged the state government to invest in industrial land neighbouring the school to deliver a viable solution.

“This neighbourhood will shoulder the impact on this big flashy event, but what do they get in return?” Ms MacMahon said.

“They’ve had zero consultation and zero engagement. I don’t think it’s a difficult decision.”

A Department of Education spokesman said a decision on any land acquisition and the “preferred approach” to meeting the EBSS schooling requirements was subject to further consultation and options analysis.

He said the department would undertake further consultation with the East Brisbane State School community in the “near future”.

“The Gabba redevelopment is expected to impact East Brisbane State School during construction and over the longer term,” the spokesman said.

“The school is located on a constrained inner-city site, has limited access to green space and has experienced strong growth in enrolments over the last four years.”