Jondaryan State School 150th Anniversary

Federal Member for Groom, Mr Garth Hamilton MP; Member for Condamine, Mr Pat Weir MP; Member for Toowoomba South (and past student), Mr David Janetzki MP; Toowoomba Regional Council Deputy Mayor, Councillor Geoff McDonald and Councillors; Department of Education Regional Director, Ms Leanne Wright and Assistant Regional Director, Mr Michael Flood; Jondaryan State School Principal, Ms Carly Domrow; 150th Committee Chairman, Mr Stephen Martin; P&C President, Mr Andrew Mirtschin; staff; parents and friends; students; ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls, welcome!

Thank you to School Captains, Akishia and Ruby, for providing the Acknowledgement of Country this morning. I would also like to acknowledge the original custodians of the lands on which we gather and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I extend that respect to any First Nations people here today.

It gives me great pleasure to join the Jondaryan State School community in celebrating 150 years of dedicated service to the children and families of this district.

The longevity of the school – and the attendance of so many people here today – is testament to the affection in which ‘Jondy’ is held.

Jondaryan Provisional School, as it was then known, opened its gates on January 12 1872 to the children of the workers of Jondaryan Station. Since that date, over 3,100 students have passed through those school gates. This is what makes the P & C’s gift of new school gates to commemorate the 150th Anniversary so absolutely fitting.

The gates are a beautiful symbol of the enduring welcome that Jondy has given to the children of the district for a century and a half now.

I was prevented from officially opening the gates in February because of COVID restrictions, but it is my great honour to do so today.

It is inspiring to look at the displays of what a classroom education looked like over a century ago, and marvel at how far teaching and learning have come.

Today’s schooling would be unrecognisable to the students of 1872. Your students today have access to interactive Smartboards, Bee Bots, Dash and Dot, and Sphero robots… I think even today’s adults might have some difficulty knowing what they all are!

But through the years, the care and concern for students has remained paramount, as has the quality of teaching, and opportunities for enriching activities.

I am looking forward to the debut performance of the new school song ‘The Kids of Jondy’, and my congratulations go to Josh Arnold, the students, and everyone involved in this exciting undertaking.

I would also like to wish the Year Five and Six students all the very best for their school camp in a couple of weeks’ time, and offer my encouragement to the Year Sixes as they prepare to enter their final term of primary school.

They have been very well equipped for the next stage of their educational journey, and I wish them every success.

Finally, I would like to thank the Jondaryan State School P & C and the 150th Committee. An event like this doesn’t just happen. It takes hard work and planning going back many months, and even years.

For an event of this size and importance to be as successful as it is requires everyone to Strive for the Best, and I congratulate the whole school community for having done so!

Thank you for inviting me to be part of today’s celebration and I am looking forward to shortly unveiling a plaque to commemorate this special occasion.