Pikedale, Queensland

Pikedale is a locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[1] It is one of the areas used for soldier settlements following service in World War I.

Pikedale
Queensland
Pikedale
Coordinates28.6388°S 151.6502°E / -28.6388; 151.6502
Established1845
Area342.6 km2 (132.3 sq mi)
LGA(s)Southern Downs Region
State electorate(s)Southern Downs
Federal Division(s)Maranoa
Suburbs around Pikedale:
Terrica Goldfields Amiens
Warroo Pikedale Greenlands
Pikes Creek Springdale Nundubbermere

Geography

The Texas Road passes through the locality from the east to the south-west. It has a junction with the Stanthorpe Inglewood Road which exits the locality to the north west.[2]

Pike Creek flows from the north-west to the south-west of the locality, becoming a tributary of the Dumaresq River.[2]

History

The locality takes its name from a pastoral station named by John Pike in 1845.[1]

Pikedale station
Pikedale Homestead

The Pikedale station was established by John in 1843 as a sheep station. In 1859 it was sold to W.B. Tooth and Cran who used it as a cattle station, selling it to Massie and Walker. In 1874 Donald Gunn purchased the property and established a sheep stub, which became famous for its wool quality, leading to the export of rams to the United States. Fred White and his son Charlie White operated the station until they sold it to James A. Rogerson in 1919. The Rogerson family owned the property until 1957. H. Vahl Rubin purchased the property in 1957. The homestead (then a 53 room mansion) burned down on Sunday 3 August 1963.[3]

In March 1942 during World War II fearing a Japanese invasion, St Hilda's School evacuated 90 boarders from Southport to the Pikedale homestead.[4] The school returned to Southport in December 1942.[5]

Land selection

Land in Pikedale was open for selection on 17 April 1877; 27 square miles (70 km2) were available.[6]

Pikedale soldier settlement
State Sawmill, Pikedale, 1920

Under the Discharged soldiers’ settlement Act, 1917 and associated legislation and regulations, every discharged member of the armed forces was entitled to apply for land and financial assistance. The important goals within this initiative were to open up new land for settlement as well as place willing and suitable settlers on this land. At the same time, it aimed to provide employment as well as the necessary support for the many discharged servicemen who had served their country.[7]

The Stanthorpe Shire was one such area selected for settlement and around 17,000 acres was set aside in the parishes of Pikedale and Marsh. Eventually, more than seven hundred returned soldiers were allocated blocks in what became known as the Pikedale Soldier Settlement. Within this wider settlement, a number of locations were named by those returning servicemen in honour of famous battlefields, no doubt including some where they had fought. Eventually supported by a branch railway line, they included the settlements of Amiens, Messines, Bapaume, Passchendaele, Bullecourt, Pozieres and Fleurbaix. This rail line, known as the Amiens railway line, was opened in June 1920, with construction costing around £40,000 and operated for some 54 years. The official opening was performed by Edward, Prince of Wales who was visiting Australia at the time.[7]

As with other soldier settlements, life was difficult due to the varying quality of the land, isolation, lack of farming or other agricultural experience, adverse climatic conditions and the general lack of financial and other government support. However, the branch railway line helped in terms of access and a number of Queensland Government enterprises were established.[7]

Schools

Pikedale Road Provisional School opened on circa 1876 and closed on circa 1887.[8]

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References
  1. "Pikedale - locality in Southern Downs Region (entry 45966)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  2. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  3. "How grand Pikedale Station weathered past 170 years". Toowoomba Chronicle. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. "Pikedale Homestead". Warwick Daily News (7039). Queensland, Australia. 18 February 1942. p. 5. Retrieved 27 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "ST. HILDA'S, SOUTHPORT". Queensland Country Life. 9 (25). Queensland, Australia. 30 December 1943. p. 8. Retrieved 27 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Proclamations under the New Land Acts". The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 2 March 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 19 February 2020 – via Trove.
  7. Randall, Brian (3 November 2014). "Pikedale Soldier Settlement". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  8. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0

Attribution

This Wikipedia article contains material from the Pikedale Soldier Settlement by Brian Randall published by the State Library of Queensland under CC-BY-3.0, accessed on 27 July 2017.

Further reading

Media related to Pikedale, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

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