Brookstead, Queensland

Brookstead Queensland
Grain silos, Brookstead, 2009
Brookstead
Coordinates	27°45′29″S151°26′48″E / 27.7580°S 151.4466°E / -27.7580; 151.4466 (Brookstead (town centre))
Population	182 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	1.209/km2 (3.132/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4364
Area	150.5 km2 (58.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	20.8 km (13 mi) W of Pittsworth 59.7 km (37 mi) SW of Toowoomba 192 km (119 mi) WSW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)	Condamine
Federal division(s)	Groom
Localities around Brookstead: Branchview Bongeen St Helens Condamine Plains Brookstead Yarranlea Pampas Tummaville Kincora

Brookstead is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. ^{[2] [3]} In the 2021 census, the locality of Brookstead had a population of 182 people. ^[1]

Geography

Harvesting sorghum, circa 1938

The town is located in the south-west of the locality. The North Branch of the Condamine River forms the western boundary of the locality. The land is flat freehold farmland (approx 400 metres above sea level) and is used to grow crops, such as sorgum, corn and wheat. ^{[4] [5]}

St Ronans is a neighbourhood in the west of the locality ( 27°44′00″S151°24′00″E / 27.7333°S 151.4°E / -27.7333; 151.4 (St Ronans) ). ^[6]

The Gore Highway traverses the locality from the south-east to the south-west slightly bypassing the town. At the bypass is the junction with the Brookstead Norworth Road which exits the locality through the north-west. The Millmerran railway line also traverses from the south-east to the south-west through the locality, passing through the town, which is serviced by the Brookstead railway station ( 27°45′37″S151°26′47″E / 27.7603°S 151.4464°E / -27.7603; 151.4464 (Brookstead railway station) ). ^{[4] [7]}

History

The name Brookstead is derived from brook indicating creek/watercourse, and stede (Dutch) or stadt (German) indicating place, together meaning a creek-side camping place. ^[2]

On 21 January 1908, local residents requested a school but there was a dispute about the best location for the school and the government did not proceed with a school. In January 1913, residents again requested a school, but remained divided as to its location. A school inspector visited the district and recommended a specific site on the main Pittsworth Road and the government agreed to erect a 24 by 16 feet (7.3 by 4.9 m) school building. However, the local residents disagreed with the proposed location and instead the local school building committee purchased a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site from B. T. Howells, the secretary of the school building committee. The site was on Pittsworth Road about half a mile east of Brookstead railway station and to the south of the intersection of the railway line and the Gore Highway. Brookstead State School was officially opened on 25 January 1915 by Donald Mackintosh, the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Pittsworth. The first head teacher was Emily Kate Cottle. ^[8] Following ongoing problems with the school grounds being waterlogged after heavy rains, in 1951 the school building was relocated to its present site with an adjacent teacher's residence built in 1958. ^[9] In 1964, the school was enlarged and modernised. ^[10]

The foundation stone ceremony for St Matthews Anglican Church was held on Sunday 26 August 1923 with Archdeacon Osborne officiating. ^{[11] [12]} The church was opened and dedicated by the Venerable Alfred Davies on 30 March 1924. Its closure in circa 2014 was approved by Bishop Cameron Venables. ^[13]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, the locality of Brookstead had a population of 217 people. ^[14]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Brookstead had a population of 182 people. ^[1]

Education

Brookstead State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 30 Ware Street ( 27°45′29″S151°27′02″E / 27.7580°S 151.4505°E / -27.7580; 151.4505 (Brookstead State School) ). ^{[15] [16]} In 2016, the school had enrolment of 32 children with 5 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent). ^[17] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 25 students with 5 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). ^[18]

There is no secondary school in Brookstead. The nearest is Pittsworth State High School in Pittsworth to the east. ^[4]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Brookstead (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Brookstead – town in Toowoomba Region (entry 4685)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
3. "Brookstead – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47898)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 10 October 2020.
5. "Sorghum comes through for Darling Downs croppers". Pacific Seeds. 13 September 2016. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
6. "St Ronans – locality unbounded in Toowoomba Regional (entry 32129)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
7. "Brookstead – railway station in Toowoomba Region (entry 4686)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 1 August 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
9. Brookstead State School (1965), Brookstead State School golden jubilee celebrations 1915-1965 : jubilee brochure, Brookstead Golden Jubilee Committee, pp. 3–5 – via State Library of Queensland
10. Brookstead State School 75th Jubilee, 1915-1990, Brookstead State School 75th Jubilee Committee, 1990, pp. 4–6 – via State Library of Queensland
11. "Advertising". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette . Vol. LXII, no. 194. Queensland, Australia. 25 August 1923. p. 6. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
12. "Church of England". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette . Vol. LXII, no. 199. Queensland, Australia. 31 August 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 28 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
13. "Closed Churches". Closed Anglican Churches of Southern Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Brookstead (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
15. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
16. "Brookstead State School". Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
17. "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Brookstead State School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
18. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.

Further reading

• Brookstead state school 100 years, Brookstead School Centenary Committee, 2015 – via State Library of Queensland

External links

• Town map of Brookstead, 1976