GATTON, QUEENSLAND

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One of Queensland's earliest rural settlements, Gatton lies in the heart of a rich farming area. Its fertile black soils are used to grow potatoes, onions, and vegetables for the Brisbane markets and contributes towards its healthy beef and dairy industries.
Location: 90 km west of Brisbane; 104 m above sea level.
Origin of name: believed to be named after the village of Gatton in Surrey, England.
Brief history: The area was explored in 1825 by Major Edmund Lockyer (after whom the Lockyer Creek was named), the man who established the town of Albany in WA two years later. The area was settled by Europeans in the 1840s after land around Moreton Bay was opened up to free settlers. In April 1855 the village of Gatton was gazetted and had become a major stopover point on the road from Brisbane to the Darling Downs. The town was officially surveyed in 1859 and town allotments went on sale in 1860. The railway from Ipswich reached Gatton in 1875.
Natural features: Lockyer Creek; Lake Apex; Scenic Rim National Park
Built features: Gatton College (1897).
Heritage features: Gatton and District Historical Society Museum; Gormans Gap Road (The Marked Tree Line, an old wagon route since 1840s); Rocky Sceub Creek Aboriginal rock shelter and engravings