Her Royal Highness, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone opened the Barkly Highway State School on May 16 1959.
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Sixty years on the school celebrated with a Jubilee Fete on Friday evening followed by a Gala Dinner on Saturday night at the Buffs Club.
Hundreds of people browsed through stalls and sampled delicious food while the younger ones enjoyed jumping castles, sand art, tombola, show bags, lucky dips, face painting, tattoos, hairspray and glo products.
The large crowd were entertained by the Barkly school instrumental band, dance groups and various other sporting clubs like North West Gymnastics and Sikaran.
P and C president Kath Donnelly said the fete committee and Barkly school staff had been working tirelessly to ensure it was a night to remember.
HISTORY OF BARKLY HIGHWAY STATE SCHOOL
Dan Coleman was the first Principal of the school.
Theiss Brothers and Mount Isa Mines supplied heavy machinery and trucks to assist in transforming the playground of stones and spinifex grass into what you see today.
The ground was solid rock so gelignite was used to blow holes in the ground to plant the fig trees which lined the Bougainville fence line.
The trees came from Darwin and were donated by Mr W Farlow senior.
The oval was named after parents Mr Percy Lloyd and Mr Keith Martin because of their hard work in establishing the oval. A plaque was unveiled officially naming the oval, the Lloyd-Martin oval, on the 16 May, 1984.
Barkly schools four sporting houses were named after people of historical significance.
Athlone was named after Her Royal Highness, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone who officially opened the school and the spot house named Abel Smith comes from Sir Henry Abel Smith who was then the Governor of Queensland.
Bowen comes from Sir George Ferguson Bowen who was the first Governor of Queensland and the sport house called Kent was named after Princess Alexsndra of Kent who visited the school soon after it had opened.
It is unknown how many students were enrolled in the first year but in 2019 Barkly school is learning host to over 400 students.
The school has received many upgrades over the years, with a new undercover area, a Resource Centre and a new playground which was installed in 2015 by funds raised through the P & C and the Student Council.
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