As Queensland struggled during the economic depression of the 1930s, a handful of Brisbane schools were made out of expensive red bricks.

Across the state, most schools built between 1826 and 1969 were made of timber, a material considered one-third cheaper than bricks at the time.

However, there is a scattering of brick schools still standing in Brisbane today.

The main buildings at Ashgrove, Morningside and West End state schools are multi-storey brick buildings.

The education department has put forward submissions to have the three buildings added to the state’s heritage register.

The heritage application report submitted as part of all three applications said that during the economic depression, building work in Queensland came to a halt.

“In combat, the Queensland government embarked on a capital works program to provide impetus to the economy,” the report said.

“The construction of substantial three-storey schools provided tangible proof of the government’s commitment to remedy the unemployment situation.”

The report said between 1928 and 1947 there were 30 brick schools built in Queensland by the state, which was more than double the number built in the past two decades.

At the end of the World War II, it was required for schools to be built quickly and cheaply and brick builds were no longer commonly constructed.

None of the brick buildings are identical and many have already been added to the state heritage register.

On February 1, 2018, an application was made to add the three additional schools to the register.

Ashgrove State School opened in 1887 and the existing brick building on the site was built in stages in 1937, 1944 and 1958.

The heritage application said the brick building demonstrated the pattern of construction of brick depression era schools in Brisbane which related to the development of suburb centres.

“The school sits within a family of similar brick schools constructed between the wars,” it said.

“Within this group, the school is important for demonstrating the phased construction of the schools, also, in demonstrating the changes in approach of Works Department architects to making additions.”

Morningside State School opened in 1923 and construction of the first brick building, an infants’ school, was built in 1937.

Brick infant schools were also built at Windsor and Yeronga State Schools in the 1930s, and both are already listed on the heritage register.

The heritage application said the building was symmetrical and made of red face brick and had an art deco entrance.

“The windows were casements with fanlights protected by tiled hoods. The gambrel roof was tiled,” it said.

In West End, the state school opened in 1875 and a brick building was constructed in the early 1930s to meet the demand for increased class sizes.

“Much of the work on the new building was carried out by relief labour under the government’s unemployment relief initiative,” the heritage application said.

“Three classrooms from the old school were shifted to beside the Boys’ School and the original brick school was demolished.”

“In contrast with other similar school buildings built at the same time this building was built in one stage within one year.”

Public consultation on the applications to add each school to the register is open until March 16.

If the schools are added to the Queensland Heritage Register any proposed changes, additions or construction of new buildings will be assessed under a set of criteria for heritage buildings.

There are currently 42 Brisbane schools currently listed on the heritage register and a further 97 across Queensland.