Mackay Central State School

Mackay Central State School is a heritage-listed state school at 251 Alfred Street, Mackay, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Department of Public Works (Queensland) and built in 1933. It is also known as Mackay Intermediate School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 July 2000.HistoryThe Mackay Central State School, the second to be built on the site, was constructed in 1933 to a design from the Office of Public Works.In search of new pastoral land, John Mackay and his party entered and named the valley of the Mackay River in 1860 (renamed Pioneer River in 1862), and the following year he returned to establish a cattle station. In 1862, the ketch "Presto" entered the Mackay River landing stores and building materials, then surveyed the river mouth, which consequently was gazetted as a Port of Entry. The first settlers arrived in October 1862, establishing the settlement of Port Mackay on the south bank of the river. By the end of 1863, the name of the river had been changed to the Pioneer River, the first survey of the town of Mackay had been made, and the first land sale of town lots had been held.The town of Mackay soon began to prosper through the growth of the port, the nearby pastoral holdings, and the plantations along the river which included the beginnings of the local sugar industry. River Street developed as a busy waterfront precinct with wharves (the Government wharf opened in 1868), warehouses, offices, ships' chandleries, boat builders, hotels and boarding houses, and the Customs complex which by 1870 included the Customs House, the bond store and the Sub Collectors residence.