Although the first children arrived in Bowen in 1861 with the founding settlers on the Jeannie Dove and the Santa Barbara, attending school would not have been an immediate priority. By August 1862, two and a half acres on Herbert Street had been granted by the Department of Lands for a normal school. Several small private schools were established before the townspeople fundraised for the 750 pounds with which the Government would build a stone school. The Bowen Primary School opened on April 3, 1865 in the temporary premises of Anderson's store. Fees were - 1st and 2nd Class, 6 pence per week; 3rd Class, 1 shilling; 4th Class; 1 and 6 pence and 5th Class; 1 guinea per quarter. 
                           Harmony Runners - 2008
 

Daniel Cannon McGroarty was the first principal and as the numbers increased from the first year’s sixty, Mrs McGroarty became her husband's assistant. The brick school (not stone) was finished by the end of 1865, with verandas front and back and a tiered floor for raising the desks. Girls and boys were on opposite sides of the room and also separated in the shed. Segregation was continued with a dividing fence through the yard.

In 1884, a cyclone damaged the brick school so badly that it had to be pulled down and the building materials were sold. After an enforced holiday, school resumed in temporary accommodation. Timber from Maryborough arrived on the Dancing Wave to build the separate Boy's School and Girls and Infants School which remained, with alteration until amalgamation in 1922. Girls and boys attended the Girls and Infants until Grade 3 when boys went over to the big Boy's School.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Prep - 3 Sports day 2008

Technical College subjects began in the School of Arts in Herbert Street, the main street, in 1889. A technical college building was opened in 1916 in Brisbane Street on the grounds of the former immigration depot. This attractive timber building remained in operation there until 1932 when it was dragged up to the Bowen State School grounds to be the "High Top".

Later, another room was added and Junior classes studied there until a separate high school was built in 1961 to take students to Senior. From this building is seen a panoramic view from Holborne Island to Gloucester Island, the northernmost island of the Whitsundays. These were all named by Captain Cook.

In 1922, the Boy's and Girls and Infants' Schools were amalgamated and at this time a new building was built as well as raising the former boys school building for access underneath. The 'Big Room" housed many large classes until 1978 when it was opened up as a staff room. A brick and timber open area building was begun in 1974 and gradually was added to until it had space for eight classes. A large, hopefully cyclone proof library was opened in 1975.The five room high timber building facing Poole Street was replaced with the eight room cement block, air-conditioned building in 1997. It is the three old timber buildings which give shade and shelter "under the house."

In the former domestic science buildings, the cooking room is used as the instrumental music room while the sewing room is a small classroom. Underneath is the Tuckshop and an Art room is in the former Manual Arts room.

In the early days, the school children's horses rested in the present oval area after the long ride along dusty roads to school. Also the children from St. Mary's School, diagonally opposite, left their horses in the horse paddock for the day.

In 1919, after the Great War and the soldiers returned home, they brought with them the world epidemic of influenza. Several times the school was closed (it was planned to be used as an isolation ward); details of the disinfecting afterwards are amusing to read in more enlightened times. An Honour Roll of Bowen Boys State School past students from 1914-1918, painted in faux marble, is on display at the Bowen Museum.

In the latter years of World War 2, the Scoutmaster organized boys into a Volunteer Air Observers Corp. Each afternoon they left school and sat on Miles' Hill identifying aircraft flying over the town. In the nearby hut were many pictures of aeroplanes for use in identification and imagine their surprise when a Japanese plane was seen. It had been captured and was being flown south by an Australian. At this time the children had to practise Air Raid drill, rushing to the trenches with a sugar sack on their head and a piece of rubber cut from the side wall of an old tyre, between their teeth. Many families left to live with relations down south.

With our ever increasing concern about skin care in the sun, the playground equipment has been covered with shade cloth and steel posts support billowing sails over the parade and volleyball court area. Two playing areas and the “Link” across Poole Street have been added for much needed space, joining the Special Education Unit which faces Gordon Street. Native plants surround this area and provide shade around the school.

Although our school was established in 1865, there are few trees that would be forty years old. This is a product of a dry tropical climate which, when cyclonic rains fail entirely, can have a dry "wet" season.

Contributed by Helen Nicholas - Unofficial historian and teacher  at Bowen State School.