[1] Buranda State School, established in 1918, is located in the suburb of Woolloongabba, approximately three kilometres southwest of the Brisbane CBD.

[1] Traditionally the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera people, suburban development around the Buranda State School site began in the 1880s.

The Cleveland railway line ran to the north of the future school site from 1889 and from 1897 electric trams operated along Logan Road to Stones Corner.

From the 1860s until the 1960s, Queensland school buildings were predominantly timber-framed, an easy and cost-effective approach that also enabled the government to provide facilities in remote areas.

Standard designs were continually refined in response to changing needs and educational philosophy and Queensland school buildings were particularly innovative in climate control, lighting, and ventilation.

The timber Girls and Infants School building occupied high ground at the northwest of the site, and was accessed via Martin Street.

[16][17][18][1] This building type, introduced in 1914, was the culmination of years of experimentation that solved many of the problems of light, ventilation, and classroom size, which had plagued previous school designs, as well as providing the ideal, modern education environment.

In c. 1909 high-set timber buildings had been introduced, providing better ventilation as well as further teaching space and a covered play area underneath.

The early and continuing commitment to play-based education, particularly in primary school, resulted in the provision of outdoor play space and sporting facilities, such as ovals and tennis courts.

This included an annual combined schools' fete, fancy dress balls, socials, euchre parties and excursions.

One major outcome of its efforts was the school swimming pool 25 by 10 yards (22.9 m × 9.1 m) with dressing shed, goldfish pond and landscaping, completed for £1800 and opened debt-free.

The perceived benefits of learning to swim for pupils were expounded from 1915 onwards: as a particularly appropriate physical exercise during summer; of value to children's physiques; and for water safety reasons to prevent drownings.

[32][33][34][35][36][37][1] A large section of the swimming pool's retaining wall collapsed early in 1927, taking with it fencing and concrete floor slabs.

[38] The rebuilt structure was described as a "battered stone retaining wall...approximately 10 feet (3.05m) from the baths on the southern side and eastern end...".

Enrolments reached a peak with an average attendance of 1217 in 1934, leading to the opening of a separate Infants' School, fronting Salisbury Street, on 30 January 1934, with 225 pupils.

A remnant of this is the low retaining wall in the south-western corner of the site near the Cowley Street entrance, apparent on aerial photograph from 1936.

Unveiled on 25 July 1944 by James Larcombe, Minister for Public Instruction, the Honour Board displayed the names of 456 former pupils serving in the armed forces.

Buranda State School's significant buildings are located on a plateau in the southwestern corner of the site, edged by steep rocky cliffs along the western and northern sides.

The north-facing wall of the teachers rooms has batten infill to the gable and two timber-framed, skillion-roofed window hoods which retain original asbestos tile cladding.

The western wing contains a double classroom space with the dividing partition removed and incorporates a section of enclosed verandah (used for after school care in 2017).

Non-significant features of the interior include: a set of c. 1967 stairs leading down to the verandah of the 1928 section; recent carpet and linoleum floor linings; kitchenettes; and modern partitions, doors and cupboards.

[1] A range of original and early timber joinery is retained throughout the building, including: high-level, centre-pivoting windows to the eastern and western end walls of each wing; double-hung sashes to the verandah walls (early additions); and double-leaf doors with tall horizontally centre-pivoting fanlights to most classrooms.

A low brick retaining wall runs along the northern edge of western wing with batten screens above, fixed between piers.

[1] Directly south of the eastern end of Block A is a rectangular, in-ground concrete swimming pool, with a timber dressing shed along its northern side.

[1] The terraces comprise: two long retaining walls; a central stairway flanked by square concrete posts; an eastern stairway and pathway; a set of steps heading west from the lower terrace level; a section of wall heading south from the stairs; and garden bed edging adjacent to the dressing shed verandah.

A low stone wall (c. 1934) is located along the south-west perimeter facing Cowley Street, part of an early garden scheme at the entrance to the school.

[1] The suburban timber school building (1920, 1928) represents the culmination of years of experimentation by the Department of Public Works (DPW) with natural light, classroom size and ventilation.

These include: teaching buildings constructed to standard designs; and generous, landscaped sites, with mature trees, assembly and play areas, retaining walls and sporting facilities.

[1] The large suburban timber school building is an excellent, intact example of its type, with its symmetrical plan of three wings, highset form with play space beneath, Dutch-gable and gable roofs, continuous northern verandahs, large banks of south-facing windows providing classrooms with high levels of natural light and ventilation, projecting teachers rooms, single-skin verandah walls, and early joinery including one folding partition.

They typically retain significant and enduring connections with former pupils, parents, and teachers; provide a venue for social interaction and volunteer work; and are a source of pride, symbolising local progress and aspirations.