History alive at Kedron

Vol 18. Number 01, January/February 2009
By Rebecca Perry

While a national history curriculum is set to become compulsory for students until Year 10 in 2011, students at a Brisbane high school are already soaking up their local history thanks to a teacher with a passion for the past.

Physics teacher at Kedron State High School, Jim Wheatley, has turned his keen interest in history into a labour of love, preserving old photographs, trophies and uniforms to celebrate the school's history, going back to its opening in 1956 on a site long used for horse racing.

The school has its own archive, which is listed in the Australian Directory of Archives. Since 2003, thanks to Mr Wheatley's enthusiasm and drive, it also has its own museum in an old storeroom close to the administration area.

Mr Wheatley said the school's history has been affected by a number of factors.

'Changing transport routes around our area have shaped the demographics of our school,' Mr Wheatley said.

'Also physical changes to the school's landscape have been very significant.

'The architecture of the school is interesting. The buildings were originally designed without air conditioning with high ceilings and verandas on the northern side.

'After the 1974 flood, when the three-story building designed for specialist science, maths and SOSE classes was built, verandas were put on the southern side, so teachers could keep a better eye on students.'

Mr Wheatley, currently on long-service leave, gives new students a taste for the school's history by conducting orientation tours of the grounds. He has also taught Latin to both students and teachers.

Changing displays in the museum keeps interest high. A recent exhibition offered an international perspective on the school's diverse population, which now includes fee-paying students from overseas.

'We held our first All Nation's Day in 1989 to celebrate the different cultures at our school and that has grown into a week-long festival,' Mr Wheatley said.

'Of the more than 1000 students who attend the school, more than 44 languages are spoken at home as a primary language, covering everything from Amharic to Thai and German to Portuguese.

'The only language we don't have any more is Icelandic - our student from Iceland graduated some years back.'