Gordonbrook, Queensland

Gordonbrook
Queensland
Gordonbrook; Queensland
	Gordonbrook
Coordinates	26°28′09″S 151°42′56″E / 26.4691°S 151.7155°ECoordinates: 26°28′09″S 151°42′56″E / 26.4691°S 151.7155°E
Population	175 (2016 census)
• Density	0.8629/km2 (2.235/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4610
Area	202.8 km2 (78.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	11.8 km (7 mi) W of Kingaroy ; 109 km (68 mi) NE of Dalby ; 160 km (99 mi) N of Toowoomba ; 223 km (139 mi) NW of Brisbane ;
LGA(s)	South Burnett Region
State electorate(s)	Nanango
Federal division(s)	Flynn; Maranoa;
	Suburbs around Gordonbrook:

Gordonbrook is a rural locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2016 census Gordonbrook had a population of 175 people.^[1]

Geography[]

Gordonbrook mainly consists of grazing land, with irrigated crops growing close to the banks of the Stuart River. The Stuart River dissects the locality, with the large artificial lake, the Lake Gordonbrook damming the river in the northern part of the district. Very little of the area is developed with most of the land covered by bush and grazing land. Reedy Creek, a tributary of Stuart River downstream of Gordonbrook Dam, is another major waterway in the locality.

History[]

Gordonbrook was one of the districst used for soldier settlements after World War I. In February 1920, an initial total of 5,038 hectares (12,450 acres) were divided in 25 land parcels offered up for selection by returned soldiers and the general public. Although it was recommended that the settlers grow cotton, most took up dairying. By June 1923 there were 29 settlers in the scheme but by 1929 only 13 remained.^[3]

Gordon Brook Provisional School opened in 1924. On 11 September 1928 Gordon Brook South Provisional School opened and both schools operated "half time" (the full-time teacher being split between them). In 1929, Gordon Brook Provisional School closed and Gordon Brook South Provisional School continued on a full-time basis. On 1 October 1938 it became Gordon Brook South State School and then closed in 1945.^[4]

In 1941 Gordonbrook Dam was constructed to provide the town of Kingaroy and its former WWII airforce base, R.A.A.F Kingaroy with a reliable water supply. In 1986, the dam was extensively upgraded, including the raising of the dam wall and spillway by two metres.

Formerly in the Shire of Kingaroy, Gordonbrook was included in the newly formed South Burnett Region following the local government amalgamations in March 2008.

In the 2011 census, Gordonbrook had a population of 322 people.^[5]

In the 2016 census Gordonbrook had a population of 175 people.^[1]

Education[]

There are no schools in Gordonbrook. The nearest primary schools are Crawford State School in neighbouring Crawford to the east, Kingaroy State School in neighbouring Kingaroy to the south-east, Kumbia State School in Kumbia to the south, Wooroolin State School in neighbouring Wooroolin to the north-east and Tingoora State School in Tingoora to the north-east. The nearest secondary school is Kingaroy State High School in Kingaroy.^[6]

Economy[]

There are a number of homesteads in the area, including:^[7]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Gordonbrook (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
^ "Gordonbrook – locality in South Burnett Region (entry 50130)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
^ Johnson, Murray David (2002), Honour denied : a study of soldier settlement in Queensland, 1916-1929 (PhD thesis), University of Queensland, pp. 251, 389, retrieved 12 February 2021
^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Gordonbrook (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
^ "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.