Lawes, Queensland

Lawes Queensland
Foundation Building or the Gatton Agricultural College, 2009
Lawes
Coordinates	27°34′50″S152°19′28″E / 27.5805°S 152.3244°E / -27.5805; 152.3244 (Lawes (centre of locality))
Population	105 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	6.91/km2 (17.89/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4343
Area	15.2 km2 (5.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	7.2 km (4 mi) E of Gatton 43.4 km (27 mi) E of Toowoomba 82.9 km (52 mi) W of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Lockyer Valley Region
State electorate(s)	Lockyer
Federal division(s)	Wright
Suburbs around Lawes: Lake Clarendon Lake Clarendon Lake Clarendon Gatton Lawes College View Woodlands Glen Cairn Forest Hill

Lawes is a rural locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Lawes had a population of 105 people. ^[1]

Geography

Lawes is located on the eastern outskirts of the town of Gatton. The Warrego Highway enters the locality from the north-east (College View) and exists to west (Gatton) through the northern part of the locality. Further to the south, the Main Line railway enters the locality from the south-east (Forest Hill) and exits to the west (Gatton). ^[3] Lawes railway station served the locality ( 27°34′12″S152°19′38″E / 27.5699°S 152.3271°E / -27.5699; 152.3271 (Lawes railway station (former)) ) but is now abandoned. ^[4]

The University of Queensland Gatton Campus occupies most of the north of the locality, consisting of buildings and farms used for agricultural teaching and research purposes. ^[5] There are two lakes on the campus, Lake Galletly ( 27°33′15″S152°20′28″E / 27.5541°S 152.3411°E / -27.5541; 152.3411 (Lake Galletly) ) and Lake Lenor ( 27°33′17″S152°20′22″E / 27.5547°S 152.3394°E / -27.5547; 152.3394 (Lake Lenor) ). ^{[6] [7]}

The south of the locality consists of privately-owned farms used for crop growing and grazing on native vegetation. ^[8]

History

Queensland Agricultural High School and College, 1939

The University of Queensland Gatton Campus was established in 1897 as the Queensland Agricultural College. The college initially operated as a tertiary agricultural institution offering a basic practical and theoretical agricultural education for young men and short courses for farmers on specific topics, but from its inception, there was also an expectation that the college would be involved in agricultural research and experimentation. In 1922, it was re-structured as the Gatton Agricultural High School and College. From 1927, the College also took students from the University of Queensland for a year of practical experience. During the Second World War, the college was used as a field hospital by the United States Army from 1942 to 1944. After the war, it continued to operate as both a secondary and tertiary institution until the high school section was closed in 1962. In the 1960s the college began to diversify the courses on offer and the first women students enrolled in 1969. In 1990, the college merged with the University of Queensland. ^[9]

On 28 August 1900, a public meeting was held to obtain a school in the district as there was an estimated 30 children who would attend. The Queensland Agricultural College offered 1 acre (0.40 ha) of its land (although this was subsequently increased as the Queensland Government thought more land was required for a school). ^[10] College View Provisional School opened on 26 August 1901 with Miss Lewis as headteacher. ^[11] On 1 January 1909, it became College View State School. A school residence was built in 1913. ^[12] The school closed in 1958. ^[13] It was at 5391 Warrego Highway (approx 27°32′40″S152°20′30″E / 27.54456°S 152.34162°E / -27.54456; 152.34162 (College View State School (former)) ). ^{[14] [15] [16]}

Lawes takes its name from the Lawes railway station, which in turn was named in 1936 (previously known as College Siding because of the adjacent Queensland Agricultural College). ^{[17] [18]} The Lawes name was proposed by the college principal, John K. Murray, in honour of Sir John Bennett Lawes, who was a scientist and founder of Rothamsted Experimental Station in Hertfordshire, England and promoted the use of artificial fertilizers and particularly superphosphate. ^{[17] [2]}

Lake Galletly and Lake Lenor were constructed in 1980 as a habitat for waterbirds by Dr Jim Galletly (a former student and staff member of the college). Lake Galletly was named after him and Lake Lenor was named after his wife. ^{[6] [7]}

In 2016, the University of Queensland opened the Gatton Solar Research Facility in 2016 on the former campus airstrip. Consisting of more than 37,000 thin-film photovoltaic panels installed over 10 hectares (25 acres), it supplies electricity to both the university campus and the Lockyer Valley area. ^{[19] [20]}

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Lawes had a population of 304 people. ^[21]

In the 2016 census, Lawes had a population of 328 people. ^[22]

In the 2021 census, Lawes had a population of 105 people. ^[1]

Education

The heritage-listed University of Queensland Gatton Campus is located at Lawes. ^[23] The Gatton Solar Research Facility is a solar farm on the campus ( 27°33′37″S152°20′21″E / 27.56039°S 152.33903°E / -27.56039; 152.33903 (Gatton Solar Research Facility) ). ^[24]

There are no schools in Lawes. The nearest government primary schools are Forest Hill State School in Forest Hill to the south-east, Gatton State School in neighbouring Gatton to the west, and Lake Claredon State School in neighbouring Lake Claredon to the north-east. The nearest government secondary school is Lockyer District State High School in Gatton. ^[25]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Lawes (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Lawes – locality in Lockyer Valley Region (entry 50249)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 10 January 2021.
4. "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
5. "Places of interest". gatton.uq.edu.au. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
6. "Lake Galletly – lake in Lockyer Valley Regional (entry 49737)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 20 May 2024.
7. "Lake Lenor – lake in Lockyer Valley Regional (entry 49738)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 20 May 2024.
8. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
9. "University of Queensland Gatton Campus (Queensland University) (entry 601672)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
10. "COUNTRY NEWS". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser . Vol. XLI, no. 6153. Queensland, Australia. 2 February 1901. p. 9. Retrieved 16 November 2019– via National Library of Australia.
11. "COLLEGE VIEW LETTER". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser . Vol. XLII, no. 6331. Queensland, Australia. 27 August 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 16 November 2019– via National Library of Australia.
12. "COLLEGE VIEW STATE SCHOOL". The Brisbane Courier . No. 17, 160. Queensland, Australia. 11 January 1913. p. 12. Retrieved 23 November 2024– via National Library of Australia.
13. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
14. "Ipswich" (Map). Queensland Government. 1955. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
15. "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m43" (Map). Queensland Government. 1937. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
16. "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Watercourse; Land parcel". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 November 2024.
17. "Lawes – locality in the Lockyer Valley Region (entry 44970)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 28 September 2017.
18. "Lawes – railway station in the Lockyer Valley Region (entry 19057)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 28 September 2017.
19. "Gatton - Solar". University of Queensland . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
20. "Gatton Solar Research Facility". University of Queensland . 2 June 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Lawes (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
22. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lawes (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
23. "University of Queensland Gatton Campus (Queensland University) (entry 601672)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
24. "Landmark Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
25. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2024.