​​​​​​Join us as we Celebrate 150 Years of State Education with our Commemorative Campus To​​urs

As part of our ongoing 150th anniversary commemorations, Kelvin Grove State College hosts guided campus tours, offering students, staff, alumni and members of the wider community a unique opportunity to explore the rich history of the site.

Spanning both the Junior and Middle/Senior campuses, the tours have been developed in collaboration with College Departments, alumni, educators and our rich community. Each stop was carefully curated to highlight key milestones in the school’s development, from its origins as Kelvin Grove Road State School in 1875, through its expansion during the early twentieth century, to its modern transformation into one of Queensland’s leading P–12 colleges.​​

The tours prove a powerful reminder of the school’s longstanding impact on Queensland education as we celebrate the legacy of generations past but also reaffirmed the College’s commitment to fostering respect, remembrance and pride in place among current students.

​We Invite you to discover more about our rich history through both this page as well as the materials produced for the event. 

Junior School Campus​

The Junior School campus at Kelvin Grove has evolved considerably since its origins as the early primary site of the provisional and later state school. Nestled on the lower slopes of Prospect Terrace, its first purpose built classrooms date from the late 1870s, but much of its character today derives from post war expansions. In the 1950s, when the separate Infants School was established, bespoke playgrounds and timber framed teaching blocks were added to accommodate Prep through to Year 2, complete with sheltered outdoor learning areas and sandpits.

During the 1970s and 1980s the campus saw the introduction of specialised facilities for art and music, reflecting the growing emphasis on a rounded primary education. A multipurpose hall was opened in the early 1990s, enabling school assemblies and indoor sports programmes. In the 2000s, modern library and resource centres were built, replacing several of the smaller, aging classrooms. These centres feature flexible learning pods and digital media suites, underscoring the campus’s move towards 21st century pedagogy.

In recent years, the campus has continued to evolve. Mostly recently a new facility was opened, featuring four Prep and twelve Year 3 to 5 classrooms, a science and technology laboratory, a new staffroom, resource preparation and storage areas, and three outdoor learning areas complete with kitchens . These additions have enhanced the learning environment, providing students with modern, flexible spaces that support contemporary teaching practices.

More recently, extensive landscaping has created native bush play areas and a vegetable garden used in environmental studies. The installation of a covered outdoor learning pavilion and upgraded play equipment in 2018 has further enriched the Junior School’s hands-on approach. Throughout its history, the campus has maintained many heritage elements from preserved redbrick walls to original verandas, providing a tangible link to its late 19th-century roots, even as facilities have been renewed for contemporary learners.​

Middle & Senior School Campus

​​The Middle and Senior school campuses share the upper ridge of Prospect Terrace, occupying the former High School site established in 1961. Its first classrooms began as the Boys School, then were redeveloped into the Infants School, but rapid enrolment growth in the 1960s saw new wings of science laboratories and manual arts workshops added by the mid-1970s.

As Queensland introduced distinct middle and senior school curricula in the late 1980s, Kelvin Grove adapted by creating separate Year 6–9 learning precincts, complete with dedicated student lounges and collaboration zones.

In 1979 the campus marked a milestone with the opening of its Keith Pembleton Performing Arts Centre, designed to serve both the school and wider community. Known as the College Auditorium, this purpose built facility features music classrooms and specialist rehearsal areas.

In 2002, Kelvin Grove State College was officially formed through the merger of the former Kelvin Grove State High School and Kelvin Grove State School. This consolidation created a unified Prep to Year 12 institution, enhancing the continuity of education across all year levels.

In 2015, Kelvin Grove State College opened the purpose-built Trade Training Centre. The centre provides senior students the opportunity to complete the Certificate II in Engineering Pathways.

That same year, the $12 million “Flying Start” building opened, with 18 classrooms, collaborative zones, a Special Education Unit, and staff facilities. In 2018, $3 million was committed under the “2020 Ready” program to expand facilities for a full Years 7–12 cohort. March 2020 saw the opening of the $17.7 million Queensland Ballet Academy, featuring six dance studios and specialist amenities for up to 180 students. In September 2020, the $21.4 million Brooker Stadium and Sports Centre opened with 17 classrooms, multipurpose courts, and sports science facilities, named after teacher Heather Brooker.

As part of this transformation, the College has since expanded its academic and vocational education offerings, providing students with multiple pathways into further education, training and employment.

Architectural Points of Interest​

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