Tallebudgera State School was officially established in 1877 and has played an active role in the community ever since.
Tallebudgera is an Aboriginal word said to mean “good fish” and derived from “talle” meaning “fish” and “budgerie” meaning “good”.
By the early 1870’s the Tallebudgera area was permanently settled. The population mainly consisted of timber getters and small maize crop farmers. As the price for maize was low at the time the locals could not afford to raise the necessary money to have a vested (State) school established and so privately employed a Mr Coll as a teacher and rented a house for the school.
Tallebudgera’s location along the main stock route between New South Wales and Queensland (The Coach Road), led to it becoming a convenient stop and changeover point for Cobb & Co. Coaches. This resulted in a small village developing near the intersection of Old Coach Road and Trees Road. During the 1870’s a number of businesses and services began to appear including a hotel, general store and blacksmith.
By 1876 a school reserve had been donated by Mr Dwyer and the local parents had collected enough money to pay the one third of the total cost for establishing a school. As a result the Department of Public Instruction agreed to establish the Tallebudgera State School.
Rainforest timber harvesting and dairy farming became important to the area from the 1890’s and as a result the community grew and with that the school.
The history of the school is important to us as it reminds us of our humble beginnings and what we can achieve.
Our sports houses, Dwyer, Tobin and Andrews are named after three of the pioneering and founding families of the school in the 1870’s. The school celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2002.