Murray River Provisional School, the first in the area, commenced on 10 July 1893, it was located on the northern bank of the Murray River at the crossing of the Cardwell-Johnstone River road. The school was moved to its current site and opened in January 1904, the first principal was W.T.C Boyle and the student population consisted of 10 children. Originally there was only the one building but as the school grew the number of buildings increased also.
The school ceased being a Provisional school on 1 October 1909 and became Murray River Upper State School. The school celebrated 100 years in 2004 and there is a school tile mural at the front of the school with all the students and staff names on a tile, who were at the school in this year.