Coastal traffic grew, and copper was first mined at Mount Perry in 1871, which enabled Bundaberg to develop as a port and supply centre, in spite of competition from Maryborough for this trade.

Although the higher southern bank of the river was officially surveyed as the town site, both sides soon developed wharves and buildings and were initially linked by ferry, then by bridges in the 1870s.

Shortly afterwards, the institution opened in a simple weatherboard structure with little pretension to style, but which had a reading room and a library composed largely of fiction books.

[1] The first Mechanics' Institutes or Schools of Arts were established in Britain in the early 1800s and were intended to assist self-improvement and to promote moral, social and intellectual growth, by providing lectures, discussions and lending libraries to a rising middle class.

The first School of Arts committee in Queensland was established in Brisbane in 1849 with the aim of "the advancement of the community in literary, philosophic and scientific subjects".

As towns and districts became established, local committees were formed to set up schools of arts, which became one of the principal sources of adult education.

The library received a considerable boost from the donation of 3 cases of English classics, ordered from London at a cost of £100, by Thomas McIlwraith, later to become Premier of Queensland and a life member of the School of Arts.

It was also much larger than required and in 1887 the Committee petitioned the Queensland Legislative Assembly to permit them to divide the land and sell part of it to finance a building in keeping with the town's current position and future needs.

After winning the competition for the design of the School of Arts in 1888 he went briefly into partnership with William Champ, a builder, to carry out this and several other large commissions.

Bennett, President of the School of Arts Committee, expressed their satisfaction in the "elegant and substantial edifice, so suitable in every way for the purpose for which it was designed".

[1] From 1889 the School of Arts offered technical classes in a variety of practical subjects including drawing, shorthand, bookkeeping, typing, dressmaking, millinery, chemistry, dairy work, manual training and carpentry.

However, in 1908 the Technical Education Act shifted responsibility for provision of such classes to the government, a factor in the demise of Schools of Arts generally.

Running the institute was largely a voluntary affair and those involved in the work included many prominent local people, a number of whom were mayors.

Bundaberg's museum collection was broken up after World War II, but the earnings from rentals and the excellent library helped the School of Arts to survive.

[1] The former School of Arts is a substantial 2 storey rendered brick building in classical revival style and is located close the major intersection of the Bundaberg central business district.

These are formed of pilasters with Corinthian capitals on masonry plinths supporting a semicircular arch with a central key and edge mould.

Double hung sash windows with round-headed fanlights echo the arcade at the front of the building, as do arches across the interior hallways.

The main staircase at the rear of the hall is semicircular in plan and has two niches and a window in the stairwell and a turned timber balustrade leading to a first floor landing.

The building is one of the most important works of prolific local architect Anton Hettrich and also has associations with him as a long-standing member of the School of Arts committee and as a teacher of drawing and German at this institution.