BUILT in the 1930s, to replace the original wooden buildings, the impressive brick building of Ipswich North State School overlooked the nearby and equally impressive buildings of the nearby North Ipswich Railway Workshops and nearby Roundhouse. With the school being formed in 1867 a mere two years after the introduction of the Railway in Queensland, it is most certain that an unrecorded number of its students have had a Railway connection.

As a young Ipswich North student in the 1950's I recall looking out from the 'top floor' at smoke rising from the roundhouse where massive steam locomotives were housed and prepared for the day's service.

I also have memories of after school football or cricket training days watching the great number of rail workers riding their pushbikes from Smith St into Downs St under traffic directions given by a police officer standing at the intersection.

Little did I realise at that time, like many students before me and several that were to follow, I was to undertake a very rewarding career as a Queensland Railways employee at the North Ipswich Railway Workshops. During my apprenticeship days that coincided with the end of the steam era, I got to know and work with fathers of students who had attended or were attending INSS, and in some cases they were the fathers of my former classmates.

Several students, including at least one female from my scholarship year, were to also undertake a Railway career, although not all were Workshops based.

Throughout the years within the Railway workforce there was always a number of family member combinations of fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, cousins etc, and of course many were neighbours within the nearby Ipswich suburbs, all being part of what was considered the Railway family. Many of the tradesmen, supervisors, labourers, engineers, together with technical and administration personnel and maybe their children would therefore have been an INSS boy or girl.

One particular family connection was that of the four Robinson siblings who attended INSS and successfully completed the Railway exam, once a condition of gaining an apprenticeship. Brothers Alec (carriage builder) Eric (turner /mechanical engineer), Frank (saw doctor) and William (toolmaker) were but four who until their respective retirements were long serving Railwaymen who spent their early years as boys at Ipswich North State School.

With the forthcoming 150th Anniversary celebrations at Ipswich North State School it is envisaged some former students attending may also take the opportunity to pay a visit to their former place of employment that is now the North Ipswich Rall Museum.

JOHN GRAHAM

North Ipswich