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Goonoowigall is an aboriginal name. There are several versions of what the name means: the most widely held one is "plenty rock wallaby". This appears feasible as the area is wooded granite country.The school was transported to the village from the old settlement of Goonoowigall three miles south of Inverell. This area was the scene of some early Inverell industries. Colin Ross began a wool-scouring and fellmongering industry there in 1860's, and in 1902 a brick kiln was established in the area.In l887 an application for the establishment of a school was made by Minister for Public Instruction. Mr, Samuel Rowlands, who at this time owned the tannery, was the prime mover along with other residents who were mostly farmers or were men employed at the local wattle bark tannery and woolscouring establishments.In 1887 a wooden building costing £150 was erected and school began with an enrolment of 44 children. These children ranged in age from 4 to 16.Although the Inverell Public School was only 3 miles distant from Goonoowigall, the children could not attend school at Inverell owing to the fact that to cross the river safely a detour of a further mile was necessary. The first teacher was William J Cunningham.In the early part of the century great emphasis was placed on the three R's. Barefoot children learned by rote from the few books available and escaped with relief to their outside interests after an average of only three or four years schooling.