History

The school opened on 3rd October, 1892, as the Maleny Provisional School. In January 1893 the name was changed to Teutoburg Provisional School and to Teutoburg State School in January 1909. It finally became Witta State School in 1916.

There were seventeen ‘first-day’ pupils, including the following, shown in the photo with the first Head Teacher was Mr J.W. Thiedecke,

    • Adel Vandrieke
    • Emily and Max Manitsky
    • Martha Thiedecke
    • Elizabeth, Augusta and Christine Sommer
    • Charles Bergann
    • August and Charlie Flesser

Mr Thiedecke was followed by Miss Wassall, Mr Jones and Mr MacKenzie.

Members of the original school committee were Messrs. F. Warne, C.M. Nothling and Bergann.

The first school was a weather-board building of pit-sawn timber. built by

Messrs. Bergann and F. Vendrieke, It was also the first post office, the mail being brought weekly from Landsborough by packhorse.

In 1974, student numbers had dwindled to 7, so the school was closed and the remaining students were bussed into the Maleny State School.

696 students were enrolled at the school during the 82 years that the school was open.

Source: 

Witta State School 80th Year Jubilee Celebration Souvenir Booklet, 21st October 1972.

School Pupils – 1937
[Names provided as written on a copy of the photo held by the Manitzky family.]


Back Row (Left to Right): Keith Diefenbach, Neville Franks, Jim Lynch, Fred Sommer, Bernie Oehmichen, Doug Sommer, Russell Franks, Jesse Lymberry

Third Row (Left to Right): Barry Tesch, ? Hayes, Neville Diefenbach, Phylis Manitzky, Grace Sommer, Aubrey Bergann, Unknown.

Second Row (Left to Right): Gwen Tesch, Audrey Bellingham, Grace Bellingham, Nance Cox, Betty Wall, Evelyn Bellingham, Marcia Manitzky.

Front Row (Left to Right): Henry Ball, Len Ball, ? Hayes, Neville Noyle, Cecil Nothling, Harvey Brooker, Jack Ward.

The Inside Story: Phylis Manitzky, who became Phylis Schulz, told her granddaughter the reason behind the mischievous smiles on her and Jim Lynch’s faces is because he was bending his knees into her back to push her forward and she was leaning back as subtly as she could to try to push him in to the bushes in the background, that she said were quite thorny! 
See Phylis in the third row (4 from left) and Jim in the back row (3 from left)