The village of Wingham, established in 1844, was growing quickly, and within 20 years, the need for a school became more urgent. A Board of Patrons - locals supporters - found suitable land and designed a "slab and shingle" buildings to serve as the school.

 

They proposed two buildings: one classroom measuring approximately 12m x 5.3m (36' x 16'), and a smaller room measuring 5.7m x 3m (17' x 9'). In addition to the classrooms, it was customary to build a modest residence where the schoolmaster and his family would live.

 

In 1862, the Patrons of Wingham submitted their plans to the Board of National Education, and construction commenced in 1963.

 

As construction progressed, the Patrons had to recommend a teacher for the new school. They recommended that a Mrs Begbie be appointed to the role of teacher at Wingham School, but Mr Lobban, a teacher at Oxley Island, requested a transfer to Wingham. When Mrs Begbie changed her mind, a Mr Alderton of Tinonee was recommended.

 

As it turned out, neither Mr Lobban nor Mr Alderton became the first teacher at Wingham. On January 1st, 1864, Mr W.H. Miller officially accepted the position.

 

More delays were encountered when the Inspector of Schools found the building to be substandard. The main problem was that the timbers used were insufficiently seasoned. This fault, along with others noted during inspection, had to be rectified at the cost of the locals as the building contractor could not be found.

 

By April 1864, Mr Miller was only waiting on school supplies to arrive on the steamer 'Samson', and on April 25, the school was opened with an initial enrolment of 36 students.

 

The early years of Wingham School were unstable. Weather was taking its toll, and a series of floods during the 1860s and 1870s saw the size of the school enrolment hover perilously close to 30, the minimum number required. Although the school stayed open, the teacher's salary was reduced. By 1875, the enrolment had increased to 61, and an assistant was appointed.

 

As the school population continued to grow, the need for a larger school became more pressing. There were several options: the current school residence could be converted to a classroom and a new residence built, or a new, larger school could be built, either at Schoolhouse Gully, or closer to the centre of town. The existing buildings would not go to waste, as they could continue to provide accomodation for the larger staff at the school.

 

As had been the case in 1863, when the original school was constructed, the local community was expected to contribute one third of the cost of construction. Regardless of the option chosen, it was unlikely that the township of Wingham could provide much financial support, as yet another flood had raged down the Manning River, taking with it crops, livestock and buildings, and stalling all traffic on the river for some weeks.