The small agricultural community of Yangan, south-east of Toowoomba, first developed in the 1860s. A meeting in the Oddfellows hall in September 1877 moved that a school of arts be established. Following the appointment of canvassing, building, and management committees, a site was purchased, and tenders called for a building. It opened on 16 May, 1898 at a cost of 50 pounds, 15 shillings, with an additional nine pounds spent on furniture. Membership subscriptions were 10 shillings.

The library had a stock of 120 books as well as periodicals and newspapers including the Toowoomba Chronicle, Darling Downs Gazette, Warwick Examiner and Times. Warwick Argus, The Standard (Ipswich), The Weekly Times, The Echo, Review of Reviews, War Cry, Young Soldier and Victor, Windsor Magazine, The Agricultural Journal, Courier (Brisbane) and Sydney Mail, as well as The Government Gazette and Hansard.  In the first six weeks 200 books were issued to borrowers. In the years to 1900 the committee conscientiously increased the stocks of books, including the 25 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica for 26 pounds. The building was extended to twice its size in 1901.

The committee gave permission to the Warwick Technical College in 1905 to use the reading room for agricultural and dress making classes, and again in 1909 for dressmaking. Negotiations commenced in 1910 for the sale of the building to the Masonic Lodge, and a new building was opened in October 1912. Twenty-five years after the school of arts was founded, the subscriptions for the 52 members were raised from 10 to 16 shillings, and the library stocked 1963 books with an annual circulation of 3160. This had increased to 2.355 books and circulation of 2832 by 1932. The selection increased when the Queensland Schools of Arts Association commenced circulating books by rail from December 1933.

Lighting of the building was always a major expense. Initially kerosene was used and meetings scheduled to coincide with a full moon when possible. When acetylene proved too expensive, other power supplies including a shellite pressure system, a small DC electric plant, and finally a battery system were tried between 1917 and 1947.

Like that of all other schools of arts, Yangan’s membership dropped away during the war years and funds dwindled. A meeting of community organisations in 1948 decided, however, to support the school of arts and a concerted effort to rejuvenate it was successful. Major maintenance in 1984 was made possible by generous contributions from local organisations. The school of arts became an incorporated body in 1992. A further grant from the Gaming Machine Community Benefit Fund allowed restoration work to proceed in 1995, and the building was listed under the Queensland National Trust in 1996.

Reference:

History of the Yangan School of Arts, 1897-1997, A.C. Maunch, Yangan Masonic Lodge, No 148 U.G.L.O. Heritage Day, Sunday April 13^th, 1997, to Celebrate the Establishment of the Yangan School of Arts Building, 1897, the Erection of the Yangan School of Arts Building,898, Heritage Listing of the Buildings, 1992.