Belmont State School

Belmont State School was opened on Monday, 5 June 1876. A.C. Bernecker and other farmers in the local area wrote to the Board of Education in 1875 asking for a school to be built on 2 acres on the corner of Old Cleveland and Scrub Roads. Mr. Bernecker offered the land from his farm “Belmont” to the Board. The school opened in a two-room building, with a teacher’s residence and two earth closets (toilets) at a total cost of 440 pounds. The first Head Teacher was Mr. W.H. Jennings.

School attendance was always poor as attested by frequent official correspondence, leading the school being appointed a provisional school in the late 1890’s.

From 1911, moves were made to resite the school near the Belmont Shire Hall (presently the site of the Belmont Services Bowling Club). In 1917, Belmont School was officially closed as the Head Teacher, Mr. C.K. Briggs, was appointed to open the new Carina School and local parents were requested to send their children there.