Biddeston, Queensland

Biddeston
Town
Fields along Oakey Biddleston Road, 2014
Biddeston
Interactive map of Biddeston
Coordinates: 27°34′13″S 151°42′56″E / 27.5702°S 151.7155°E / -27.5702; 151.7155 (Biddeston (town centre))
CountryAustralia
StateQueensland
CityToowoomba Region
LGA
Location
Government
 • State electorate
 • Federal division
Area
 • Total
73.8 km2 (28.5 sq mi)
Population
 • Total269 (2021 census)[2]
 • Density3.645/km2 (9.440/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+10:00 (AEST)
Postcode
4401
Localities around Biddeston
Aubigny Oakey Kingsthorpe
Linthorpe Biddeston Wellcamp
Westbrook
Linthorpe Southbrook Athol

Biddeston is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[3][4] In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people.[2]

Geography

The Toowoomba–Cecil Plains Road runs through from east to west.[5]

History

Crosshill State School opened on 9 August 1880 and closed in 1940.[6][7]

A postal receiving office opened on 1 February 1882 and was upgraded to a post office on 1 July 1927. During that time it was run by the Anderson family of Biddeston Farm, which is probably the origin of the district name. The post office closed on 5 January 1965.[3][8]

The town reserve was established on 26 August 1890.[3]

In 1880, a 10-acre block of land on the Oakey-Southbrook Road was aside for a school. However, it was not until 14 October 1919 that the Biddeston State School finally opened, but with only a tent for a schoolroom for the 14 children enrolled under teacher Margaret Cecilla Cloherty Anderson. It was not until 10 October 1921 that the Education Department built a one-room timber building to replace the tent. Despite growing enrolment numbers, the Education Department would not enlarge the building apart from the addition of a verandah in 1927. It was not until 1954 that a second school room was built.[9][10] A pre-school was added in 1986.[6]

Burton Provisional School opened on 22 February 1900. On 1 January 1909, it became Burton State School. It closed on 5 December 1944.[6][11] It was at 1840 Toowoomba Cecil Plains Road (27°32′58″S 151°45′11″E / 27.5494°S 151.7531°E / -27.5494; 151.7531 (Burton State School (former))).[12][13]

Biddeston was the site of the Biddeston Murders that took place on 2 March 2015 when a grandfather killed his pregnant daughter and grandson.[14]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 328 people.[15]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 284 people.[16]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people.[2]

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[17]

Education

Biddeston State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2425 Cecil Plains Road (27°33′15″S 151°41′50″E / 27.5541°S 151.6973°E / -27.5541; 151.6973 (Biddeston State School)).[18][19] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 61 students with 5 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[20] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 70 students with 6 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[21]

There is no secondary schools in Biddeston. The nearest government secondary school is Oakey State High School in neighbouring Oakey to the north.[13]

Events

The Biddeston Tractor Pull is an annual event in which restored and modified tractors compete to pull heavy loads.[22]

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Biddeston (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  2. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Biddeston (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Biddeston – town in Toowoomba Region (entry 2451)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Biddeston – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47890)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  5. ^ Biddeston, Queensland (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  7. ^ "School for Crosshill". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 1464. Queensland, Australia. 11 March 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  10. ^ "School history". Biddeston State School. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Agency ID 8921, Burton State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Parish of Westbrook" (Map). Queensland Government. 1932. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Man took own life after murdering grandson, daughter: police". www.abc.net.au. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  15. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Biddeston (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Biddeston (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  18. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Biddeston State School". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  20. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  21. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Tractors pull Biddeston crowd". Farm Online. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.

Further reading

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