Drayton, Queensland

Drayton is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Drayton had a population of 1,710 people.[1]

Drayton
Queensland
Drayton
Coordinates27.5994°S 151.9061°E / -27.5994; 151.9061
Population1,710 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density162.9/km2 (422/sq mi)
Established1842
Postcode(s)4350
Area10.5 km2 (4.1 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location6 km (4 mi) SSW of Toowoomba
LGA(s)Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)Condamine
Federal Division(s)Groom
Suburbs around Drayton:
Glenvale Glenvale Harristown
Westbrook Drayton Darling Heights
Westbrook Finnie Finnie

Drayton is at the outer southwestern edge of Toowoomba. It was first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs, initially being established in 1842.[3] The nearby township of Toowoomba expanded more rapidly than Drayton, and in the 1860s the centre of population shifted to Toowoomba, leaving Drayton as a southwestern suburb.

History

The Drayton area was known as The Springs from around 1840 to 1847.[2]

In August 1842, Thomas Alford established a store at Drayton. He also built his home and established a post office. He is believed to have named the area Drayton after Drayton, Somersetshire, England, where his father Charles Alford was the vicar.[2]

Drayton, 1887

Drayton continued to be the primary settlement in the region until the town of Toowoomba was established four miles to the north-east, whereupon the centre of population rapidly moved to the newer settlement owing to its better access to water and favourable growing conditions. By 1905, the Australian Handbook stated that the town "may now almost be considered a suburb of Toowoomba".[4]

The Drayton National School (later Drayton State School) established on 16 August 1851.[5] It is one of the oldest state primary schools in Queensland.[6]

One of the oldest buildings in the Drayton area is the Royal Bull's Head Inn.[7] The town also saw the area's first newspaper, the Darling Downs Gazette, in 1858.

From 1887 to 1949, Drayton had its own local government, the Shire of Drayton.

Drayton has a core of homes dating to the 19th century and a substantial number of homes and commercial premises dating from the mid years of the 20th century. More recently a large number of detached homes and growing numbers of multi-unit dwellings were built in the 1990s and 2000s, mostly targeted at students from the nearby University of Southern Queensland.

To the west of Drayton, the southern part of ANZAC Avenue forms the axis of a growing industrial and commercial district extending west and north towards Glenvale.

Heritage listings

Drayton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

Drayton State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 55 Brisbane Street (27.6025°S 151.9117°E / -27.6025; 151.9117 (Drayton State School)).[11][12] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 321 students with 36 teachers (29 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent).[13] It includes a special education program.[11]

Royal Bull's Head Inn
Main article: Royal Bull's Head Inn
  • 1847-48: Inn first built; founded by William Horton, an English convict
  • 1858: Currently extant brick and plastered timber structure substantially complete
  • 1879: No longer in use as an inn, became a private home
  • 1973: Purchased by the National Trust
  • 1976: Ongoing restoration began

The building now serves as a show-case of life in the 1870s. Some rooms have been maintained in their original state.

Notable residents
  • Thomas Alford, pioneer of Drayton and Toowoomba
  • Arthur Hoey Davis, better known as author Steele Rudd, was born in Drayton in 1868.[14]
  • Reverend Benjamin Glennie, pioneer Anglican clergyman served the Darling Downs for many years and was resident in Drayton from 1850 to 1860 and from 1872 to 1876[15]
  • James Purcell, an important figure in the Queensland dairy industry in the early 20th century, was born in Drayton.[16]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Drayton (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Drayton - locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47931)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. "Drayton and Drayton Shire". Queensland Places. University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. "Drayton and Drayton Shire". Queensland Places. University of Queensland. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  5. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  6. "The oldest state primary schools in Queensland". education.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  7. "Royal Bull's Head Inn". Australian Council of National Trusts ABN 54 008 444 684. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  8. "St Matthews Church of England (entry 600837)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  9. "Royal Bull's Head Inn (entry 600838)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  10. "O'Shea's Drayton Cottage (entry 601318)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  11. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  12. "Drayton State School". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  13. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  14. Ikin, Van (1981). "Australian Dictionary of Biography: Davis, Arthur Hoey (1868–1935)". Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  15. "Glennie, Benjamin (1812–1900)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  16. French, M. (1988). "Australian Dictionary of Biography: Purcell, James (1874–1953)". Retrieved 17 January 2014.

Further reading
  • Powell, Debbie (2001), Drayton State School 150 years : 1851-2001, Drayton State School, ISBN 978-1-876245-43-6
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