Gatton, Queensland


Gatton is a rural town and locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the, Gatton had a population of 7,101 people.
It is the administrative centre of the Lockyer Valley situated in the Lockyer Valley of South East Queensland.
Over recent years, the rural character of the Gatton area has started to be encroached on by the suburban sprawl of metropolitan Brisbane and Ipswich in the east and Toowoomba in the west. The Warrego Highway, which runs east–west through the Shire, has also experienced increasing strip development, with fuel outlets and commercial properties gradually spreading along the highway.

History

Prior to European settlement the area was occupied by members of the Yuggera Aboriginal language group.
Jagara is one of the Aboriginal languages of South-East Queensland. There is some uncertainty over the status of Jagara as a language, dialect or perhaps a group or clan within the local government boundaries of Ipswich City Council, Lockyer Regional Council and the Somerset Regional Council.
The Gatton area was explored by Major Edmund Lockyer in 1825. A settlement known as Gatton was gazetted in 1855. The name Gatton is taken from the village of Gatton in Surrey, England.
The post office opened 1 January 1866, with Frederick Lloyd, a dairyman, as the first postmaster. The small village did not experience significant growth until the mid-1870s, after the railway to Grandchester attracted people to the area.
Catholic priest Father Brun established St Mary's School in 1868. However, in 1892, the only teacher at the school Miss Mary O'Keeffe married James McKeen of Mount Sylvia, and the school closed.
In January 1875, Gatton residents convened a meeting to establish a school. In June 1875 tenders were called for the construction of a school building and a teacher's residence. Gatton State School opened on 31 January 1876.
The Queensland Agricultural College opened and established an experimental farm in 1897 at Gatton.
In December 1898 three local young people from nearby Blackfellow's Creek were murdered. The crime, known as the Gatton murders, has never been solved.
On 20 December 1902 auctioneer Elias Harding offered 36 town lots ranging in size between in the Gaul Estate, being based around Gaul Street and being bounded by Old College Road to the north, Allan Street to the east, Hickey Street to the south and Park Lane to the west. Only 3 lots were sold.
In 1913, following local agitation, Gatton State School was expanded to offer secondary schooling, which was known by a number of names over the years: Gatton Secondary Department, Lockyer State High School, Gatton Intermediate School, and Gatton State School Secondary Department. On 23 January 1961 it was replaced by a completely separate school, Lockyer District State High School.
Our Lady of Good Counsel School was opened on 14 January 1917 by the Sisters of Mercy, following a fund raising campaign by Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig.
The Gatton Star is a free, local, community newspaper which began publishing in 1956.
Peace Lutheran Primary School opened on 27 January 1982.
At the 2006 census, Gatton had a population of 6,869.
In 2009, Gatton Library relocated from the Civic Centre in Railway Street to the new Cultural Centre.

Heritage listings

Gatton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 7,101 people in Gatton.
As part of the "Salad Bowl" of the Lockyer Valley, the area is primarily agricultural, with vegetables making up the majority of crops. Fruit was grown extensively in the area until the 1990s, when economic conditions changed and many of the orchards were removed. There is also significant beef and dairy cattle farming, along with a growing equine industry, and the town is also a noted producer of fodder crops, particularly prime lucerne hay.

Gatton Bus Services

Edna Linning and her husband started Gatton Bus Services in 1957 when they heard a high school was being built in town. Originally, the business only had one bus travelling to the college and back; since the mid-1980s, the business has 14 buses, eight of which are used for school children.
The buses travelled to Flagstone Creek, Buaraba, Esk, and Forest Hill to pick-up students. The company also organized tours of Gatton for schoolchildren who lived in the city, so they could understand farm life and see how produce is grown and harvested. In its early days the business also ran tours to Brisbane.

Climate

The area has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild, sunny winters. Heavy summer rain and warm conditions have provided ideal conditions for the areas agricultural productivity, although droughts and heatwaves can be problematic at times. Temperatures in Gatton are among the warmest in south-east Queensland in summer due to its position away from the coast but at low elevation in the Brisbane Valley.

Education

Gatton State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 26 William Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 506 students with 44 teachers and 34 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Lockyer District State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at 100 William Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1048 students with 95 teachers and 51 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Our Lady of Good Counsel School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 20 Maitland Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 316 students with 23 teachers and 16 non-teaching staff.
Peace Lutheran Primary School is a private primary school for boys and girls at 36 East Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 262 students with 22 teachers and 15 non-teaching staff.
The University of Queensland has a campus on the former Queensland Agricultural College site at Lawes, just to the east of the town of Gatton. This Gatton campus is now the base for much of the university's rural-focused research and teaching.

Amenities

The Lockyer Valley Regional Council operate a public library in the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre at 34 Lake Apex Drive.

Memorials

The town has a number of war memorials:
The Lights on the Hill Truck and Coach Drivers' Memorial is located at Lake Apex Park on the outskirts of Gatton.