Cairns Technical College and High School Building

The 1941 Cairns Technical College and High School building dominates the streetscape at the corner of Sheridan and Upward Streets. The Department of Public Works designed this facility for state-run secondary and technical education. The project was part of the government's unemployment relief program following the Great Depression and was built using day labour during a period of pronounced construction in Cairns. The site had been reserved for school purposes in 1910 and a technical college was built facing Sheridan Street in 1925. Technical education expanded from the 1960s through a concerted push by the state government. In 1974, all Queensland technical colleges were renamed Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Colleges. In the early 1980s the Cairns TAFE College moved off site to new premises. This allowed the high school to expand into the entire site. The earliest timber buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed in their place.