History

Considering Eidsvold Goldfield was only established by proclamation on November 17 1887, the people of the township which quickly sprang up did quite well to have obtained a school by early in 1889. The Eidsvold Provisional School was opened on April 1 1889 in a nine metre by five metre building with galvanised iron roof. The first teacher appointed was Mr. Arthur McKenzie. The attendance for the June quarter of 1889 was 161, a considerable increase on the opening attendances of approximately 100. It is not surprising that requests were immediately made for a bigger school and on October 27 1890, the provisional school was moved into a more suitable building. The state school was opened in 1892 after a new building was completed. During the 1890s the attendances rose dramatically and accommodation problems and staffing difficulties predominated. Pupil teachers were used to overcome staff problems and in 1900 the school's staff consisted of the head teacher, two assistant teachers and two pupil teachers. In 1965, the opening of a secondary department for the post-primary education of Eidsvold youth to Year 10 level met a gaping need. The attachment to the school of the preschool to satisfy pre-compulsory education need and the extension to Years 11 and 12 in 1986 allowing students to undertake post-compulsory education supported the concept of developing the total individual.

The Archer brothers were the first settlers of this district in 1848, and named their home run Eidsvold after the town of Eidsvoll in Norway, where they had landholdings - also where that country's constitution was signed. By 1850 several large holdings including Eidsvold Station had been taken up, deriving their income from sheep until a series of droughts in the 1880s led to the demise of the native grasses; spear grass took over, which proved fatal to sheep. This led to the introduction of cattle to all properties, and today citrus orchards, agriculture, timber and fat and store cattle form the basis of the district's economy. Gold was being mined in the area as early as 1866, but it was not until 25 July 1887 that the mining warden Mr E.F. Craven, declared Eidsvold as a Goldfield. This led to the establishment of the town at the foot of Mount Rose, and a typical Australian goldfield emerged. By the early 1900s the large payable reefs had petered out, and the town became a quiet country village which it remains today.

Eidsvold belongs the slogan of Beef Capital of the Burnett, through its long association with the industry, and in 1932 a world record 7,482 head of cattle were sold in one day at the Martin Snelling Saleyards. Henry Collins (Olympic boxer Sydney 2000) went to school at Eidsvold.

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