Biddeston, Queensland

Biddeston is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census the locality of Biddeston had a population of 284 people.[1]

Biddeston
Toowoomba Region, Queensland
Fields along Oakey Biddleston Road, 2014
Biddeston is located in Queensland
Biddeston
Biddeston
Coordinates27.5702°S 151.7155°E / -27.5702; 151.7155 (Biddeston (town centre))
Population284 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density3.848/km2 (9.967/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4401
Area73.8 km2 (28.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)Condamine
Federal division(s)Groom
Localities around Biddeston:
Aubigny Oakey Kingsthorpe
Linthorpe Biddeston Wellcamp
Westbrook
Linthorpe Southbrook Athol

History
Biddeston State School opened in a tent, Queensland, 1919
The one-room school at Biddeston, circa 1921

Crosshill State School opened on 9 August 1880 and closed on 1940.[4][5]

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.[2][6]

The town reserve was established on 26 August 1890.[2]

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.[7][8] A pre-school was added in 1986.[4]

Burton Provisional School opened on 22 February 1900. On 1 January 1909, it became Burton State School. It closed on 5 December 1944.[4][9] It was at 1840 Toowoomba Cecil Plains Road (27.5494°S 151.7531°E / -27.5494; 151.7531 (Burton State School (former))).[10][11]

In the 2011 census, Biddeston had a population of 328 people.[12]

Biddeston was the site of the Biddeston Murders that took place on 2 March 2015 when a grandfather killed his pregnant daughter and grandson.[13]

In the 2016 census the locality of Biddeston had a population of 284 people.[1]

Road infrastructure

The Toowoomba–Cecil Plains Road runs through from east to west.[14]

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[15]

Education
Biddeston State School, 2014

Biddeston State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2425 Cecil Plains Road (27.5541°S 151.6973°E / -27.5541; 151.6973 (Biddeston State School)).[16][17] 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).[18] 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).[19]

There is no secondary schools in Biddeston. The nearest government secondary school is Oakey State High School in neighbouring Oakey to the north.[11]

Events

The Biddeston Tractor Pull is an annual event in which restored and modified tractors compete to pull heavy loads.[20]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Biddeston (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Biddeston – town in Toowoomba Region (entry 2451)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. "Biddeston – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47890)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  5. "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.
  6. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  7. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  8. "School history". Biddeston State School. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  9. "Agency ID 8921, Burton State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  10. "Parish of Westbrook" (Map). Queensland Government. 1932. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Biddeston (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  13. "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.
  14. Biddeston, Queensland (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  15. "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  16. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  17. "Biddeston State School". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  18. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  19. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  20. "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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