Airville State School has a proud legacy of serving the rural community of Airville, nestled in the Shire of Burdekin, North Queensland. Surrounded by flat, low-lying land used primarily for sugarcane farming and serviced by a network of cane tramways, the area remains a tight-knit locality with a population of just over 300 people as recorded in the 2021 census. The iconic Burdekin River forms its south-eastern boundary.
Our Beginning
The school was originally established on 2nd September 1890 under the name Airdale Provisional School, reflecting the early commitment of the Airville community to education. In 1927, the school was renamed Airville State School, bringing it in line with the name of the surrounding locality.
Over the decades, enrolments have fluctuated significantly—peaking at around 130 students in the late 1990s. Today, in 2025, we are a small but vibrant school with 17 students. Despite our size, Airville State School continues to play a vital role as the only community facility in the area, acting as a hub for local families.
Our School Today
We cater to students from Prep to Year 6, structured into two multi-age classes: one for Prep to Year 3, and another for Years 4 to 6. (Note: 2015 marked the final year Year 7 was included in Queensland primary schools.)
Our dedicated team includes:
Together, we are committed to providing personalised learning in a caring, inclusive, and community-focused environment.
Located among the cane fields of Old Clare Road, Airville State School continues to honour over 130 years of educational tradition in the Burdekin region.
From the Principal’s Chair: Mr Ted Oliver (1955–1960)
"I was posted to Airville in July 1955 with my wife Colette and children Sandra, Rae, and Karen. We moved into the school residence—which had no electricity, no phone—and both the house and school seemed haunted by possums at night!
My strongest memory is of the lovely, responsive children—fifty of them. At times I taught them alone, and at others, I shared duties with my assistant, Colette, followed by Evelyn Landrigan and later Isobel McKell.
Major changes came during our five-year stay: electricity, a phone line, and septic systems were installed. Our school combined with Clare to field a team in the Schools Rugby League Competition and attend swimming lessons in Ayr.
One proud moment was our 'Water Babies' float in the inaugural 1959 Ayr Water Festival—it was a huge success. I cherish the friendships we built, especially with fellow teacher Tim Dansie and wife Pat of Maidavale School, and our neighbours, the Bertello family.
So many memories… I eventually retired in 1980 as principal of Sandgate State School, but Airville holds a special place in my heart."
– Mr Ted Oliver
A Student’s Memory: Beat Elliot (née Kelly), 1936–1943
“My first day at Airville was in 1936. Miss Rodgers was my teacher, and Mr Pehrson the Headmaster. Another five-year-old cried, so I cried too! We wrote on slates with slate pencils, cleaned with little sponge rags in match tins.
I remember chanting ‘A is for apple on a twig’ and ‘G like grandma’s glasses.’ Later teachers included Miss Newton, who had us girls hemming hankies and glass cloths, often through tears, and then young Miss Lynch.
The war years brought air raid drills and slit trenches zigzagging across the playground. We supported the Red Cross, rolled skeins of wool using hat pegs or chair backs, and stayed after school for scholarship lessons.
Yet there was joy too—end-of-year concerts, races, prize books, and packets of boiled lollies. We played rounders with broomsticks and ran chibby chase around the flagpole.
On Club Day, we proudly showcased our Forestry Plot with teak and pine. Everyone ‘joined in’—that’s just what it meant to go to a country school called Airville.”
– Beat Elliot (Kelly)
