Following the destruction of the original brick school building by a cyclone in 1884, Bowen State School was restructured into two separate schools — one for boys, and one for girls and infants. The Girls’ and Infants’ School was built soon after: a low-set timber-framed structure with a gable roof, verandas front and back, and modest decorative detailing in the carpenter gothic style.
Originally comprising a single large classroom, the building was later extended to include an additional classroom and a separate room for infants. It was located at the corner of Herbert and Poole Streets, where the upper tennis courts are now situated.
In 1923, when the Department of Education approved the amalgamation of the boys’ and girls’ schools, the building was remodelled and relocated to the western side of the Big Room. In line with the Sectional School design ideals of the time, it was raised to improve ventilation, the southern veranda was removed, and the interior was partitioned into three classrooms. These modifications gave the structure a balanced and symmetrical appearance, particularly from the Poole Street entrance. It was at this point the building was renamed B Block.
A connecting veranda and stairway was constructed as part of the new campus layout, easing movement between buildings. For a time, a small platform at the midpoint of the B Block stairs housed the school bell — making it more accessible to senior students entrusted with the task of ringing it.
By the late 1990s, the aging timber structure had reached the end of its working life. In response to growing enrolments and a need for flexible, modern learning spaces, the decision was made to demolish the original 1884 Girls’ and Infants’ School building. It was replaced by the two-storey, eight-classroom facility that stands today, also known as B Block.
Though its weatherboards may no longer remain, the legacy of the Girls’ and Infants’ School lives on — in the memories of students and teachers who once learned and taught within its walls, and in the progress it made possible for generations to come.