Work begins on Stuartholme School junior building, sports fields approved by Minister
One of Brisbane’s top girls’ schools has embarked on a new era with the first sod turned on a building which will house its inaugural Year 5 and 6 students. It comes as the Planning Minister approved the school’s controversial sports centre.
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One of Brisbane’s top girls’ schools has embarked on a new era with the first sod turned on a building which will house its foundation Year 5 and 6 students.
It comes as the Planning Minister approved the Stuartholme School’s planned sports centre on Sir Samuel Griffith Drive near Mt Coot-tha, on the site of the iconic Freers potato chip factory.
The Stuartholme board, school leaders and students turned the sod this week in a ceremony to mark the start of work on its new junior school precinct.
It would house the 103-year-old Bardon school’s first Year 5 and 6 students.
Principal Daniel Crump said the early years of education provided the foundation to successful and life-long learners.
“With the introduction of Years 5 in 2024 and Year 6 in 2025, our students will have a seamless progression into the secondary school in a safe, caring, and warm environment, to understand who they are, how they belong and learn and achieve educational excellence,” he said.
The classroom layouts were designed to foster collaborative learning.
The junior school students would have access to the secondary school’s facilities including the swimming pool, netball and tennis courts, library, technologies precinct, art studios and design technology rooms.
There would be a limit of 100 students across the two-year level cohorts.
Back L to R: Helen Spain, Board Chair; Danny Crump, Principal, Brendan Downes, Director of Junior School. Picture: Steve Pohlner
The sustainable building came as the school moved to expand its existing solar program, improve landscaping and instal water tanks.
Planning Minister Steven Miles last month also approved plans to repurpose the landmark Freers potato chip factory and adjacent Freers Farm, on Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, for a major sports facility.
It would feature sporting fields, multipurpose courts and associated floodlighting.
The sports facility would be housed in an existing warehouse and have a gymnasium, rowing facilities, classrooms and amenities.
Some locals had expressed concerns about possible downstream flood impacts on properties near Ithaca Creek and impacts on wildlife at the site.
Documents lodged as part of the school’s application under a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation, a process which bypasses Council rules, however claimed that flood water would be contained on site.
As part of Dr Miles’ approval the sporting fields hours of operation would be restricted to 6.30am-8pm, Monday to Sunday.
Use of the fields before 7am must ensure activities were conducted in a way to minimise noise, including no whistles and amplified devices.
The hours of operation of the courts and cricket nets were restricted to 6am-10pm, Monday to Sunday.
Use of the courts and cricket nets before 7am and after 7.30pm must ensure also minimise noise, including no whistles and amplified devices.
The hours of operation of the Freers Shed were 6am-10.30pm, Monday to Sunday.
Third party use by local sporting and community groups of the sporting fields, cricket nets and Freers Shed was restricted to 4.30pm-8pm, Monday to Friday.
On-site operation of garbage trucks and commercial vehicles must occur only from 7am-7pm, Monday to Saturday.
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