Biddeston Toowoomba Region, Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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![]() Fields along Oakey Biddleston Road, 2014 | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 27°34′13″S151°42′56″E / 27.5702°S 151.7155°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 269 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 3.645/km2 (9.440/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4401 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 73.8 km2 (28.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Toowoomba Region | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Condamine | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Groom | ||||||||||||||
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Biddeston is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people. [1]
The Toowoomba–Cecil Plains Road runs through from east to west. [4]
Crosshill State School opened on 9 August 1880 and closed in 1940. [5] [6]
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] [7]
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. [8] [9] A pre-school was added in 1986. [5]
Burton Provisional School opened on 22 February 1900. On 1 January 1909, it became Burton State School. It closed on 5 December 1944. [5] [10] It was at 1840 Toowoomba Cecil Plains Road ( 27°32′58″S151°45′11″E / 27.5494°S 151.7531°E ). [11] [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 2011 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 328 people. [14]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 284 people. [15]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people. [1]
There are a number of homesteads in the locality: [16]
Biddeston State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2425 Cecil Plains Road ( 27°33′15″S151°41′50″E / 27.5541°S 151.6973°E ). [17] [18] 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). [19] 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). [20]
There is no secondary schools in Biddeston. The nearest government secondary school is Oakey State High School in neighbouring Oakey to the north. [12]
The Biddeston Tractor Pull is an annual event in which restored and modified tractors compete to pull heavy loads. [21]