D Block holds a special place in the heritage of Bowen State School, with its origins tracing back to the aftermath of a devastating cyclone in January 1884. Following the destruction of the original Bowen National School, the decision was made to build separate facilities — one for boys and another for girls and infants — reflecting the educational norms of the era.
The Bowen State Boys’ School (No. 10) was constructed on the western side of the original building site, while the Bowen State Girls’ and Infants’ School (No. 235) was positioned to the east, divided by a central fence.
By 1915, calls for change were growing. The school committee, supported by many in the Bowen community, began advocating for the amalgamation of the two schools, arguing that a unified campus would provide more space and smoother progression into secondary education. Their efforts were successful, and in 1923, the two schools merged to form Bowen State School (0010).
As part of this transition, the original 1884 buildings were remodelled in line with the latest educational ideals, adopting a style inspired by sectional school architecture. The Girls’ and Infants’ School was moved to the western side of the Big Room, and both buildings were raised, with their southern verandas removed. Inside, the large rooms were partitioned into three classrooms each, walls were board-lined, and large casement windows were installed along the southern walls to provide optimum natural light — desks were even rearranged to ensure students worked in the best possible lighting conditions.
Although the renovations modernised the space, they did little to expand capacity. Still, the transformation marked an important chapter in the school’s evolution.
Today, the original Boys’ School building survives as D Block, serving as the school’s administration building — a living link between past and present, where history continues to support the everyday running of Bowen State School.