in progress or completed. The Toowoomba National School opened on 22 January 1865 on the school reserve, with James Hodgson appointed the first Head Teacher. As pupil attendance increased, the initial building soon became inadequate. Construction of a new building on the site to accommodate female and infant students was complete by October 1869. The school was remade into two separate departments, renamed Toowoomba South Boys' State School and Toowoomba South Girls' and Infants' State School. The Girls' and Infants' school began with 98 pupils enrolled with Mary Jane Roulston as the first Head Teacher. In 1869, the school was separated into the Toowoomba South Boys School (number 109) and the Toowoomba South Girls School (number 112). This led to there being two campuses the original on Ruthven Street being the Girls School, the other one block northeast on Neil Street the new Boys School campus (adjacent to the Market Reserve (now Groom Park)). The two schools were separated by Neil Street and St Patrick's Church (Catholic). In 1878, the girls school became known as the Toowoomba Middle Girls State School and the Infants School was opened as Toowoomba Middle Infants (number 399). During the 1870s Toowoomba consolidated its status as the main urban centre of the Darling Downs. The arrival of the Main Line railway in 1867 secured the town's development and subsequently made it the hub for the Southern and Western railways. The economy diversified to include numerous small-scale manufacturing outlets, while the majority of administrative, service and other government and education functions for the surrounding region were centred on the town. Toowoomba's progress was reflected in improvements to the physical environment. Important capital works were commenced or completed including the draining of the swamps, improved water supply, gasworks for lighting, extensive tree plantings and the initial development of Queen's Park. Earlier temporary structures were increasingly replaced with more permanent and impressive buildings. In 1877 the hospital adjacent to the school was vacated after a new hospital was built on the outskirts of the town. The school expanded to incorporate the hospital site and occupied the two newly-vacant hospital buildings; the boys occupied the former men's ward and the girls and infants occupied the former women's ward. A playshed was constructed to the rear of the former hospital buildings in January 1884. Playsheds were free-standing shelters that provided covered play space and were often used for unofficial teaching