Lochington, Queensland

Lochington Queensland
Lochington
Coordinates	23°57′30″S147°24′38″E / 23.9583°S 147.4105°E / -23.9583; 147.4105 (Lochington (centre of locality)) Coordinates: 23°57′30″S147°24′38″E / 23.9583°S 147.4105°E / -23.9583; 147.4105 (Lochington (centre of locality))
Population	128 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.02873/km2 (0.07441/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4722
Area	4,455.5 km2 (1,720.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Central Highlands Region
State electorate(s)	Gregory
Federal division(s)	Flynn
Suburbs around Lochington: Alpha Willows Anakie Siding Gindie Alpha Lochington Minerva Mantuan Downs Nandowrie Cona Creek

Lochington is a rural locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] At the 2021 census, Lochington had a population of 128 people. ^[1]

Geography

Lochington is bounded to the east and south-east by the Nogoa River. ^[3] The locality is within the Fitzroy River drainage basin. ^[3]

The Capricorn Highway passes through the northernmost part of the locality from Anakie Siding to Willows. ^[3]

The Snake Range National Park is within the east of the locality ( 24°03′17″S147°35′41″E / 24.0547°S 147.5947°E / -24.0547; 147.5947 (Snake Range National Park) ). ^[4] It is 2,687.7 square kilometres (1,037.7 sq mi). ^[3]

The predominant land use is grazing on native vegetation. ^[3]

History

Lochington pastoral station obtained a mail service on 1 January 1937. ^[5]

Lockington Provisional School opened 23 January 1961 on land that was once part of Lockington pastoral station. It became Lockington State School at a new site in January 1965. The school closed 14 December 1979 due to low student numbers. On 29 January 1991, Lochington State School was reopened (but with a new spelling of the name). ^[6]

In the 2011 census, Lochington's population was too low to be separately reported and was combined with neighbouring Willows which had a reported population of 308 people. ^[7]

At the 2016 census, Lochington had a population of 57 people. ^[8]

At the 2021 census, Lochington had a population of 128 people. ^[1]

On 17 April 2020, the Queensland Government re-drew the boundaries of localities within the Central Highlands Region by replacing the locality of The Gemfields with three new localities of Rubyvale, Sapphire Central and Anakie Siding (around the towns of Rubyvale, Sapphire, and Anakie respectively). This included adjusting the boundaries of other existing localities in the Region to accommodate these changes; Lochington lost a small portion of land to the north to the new Anakie Siding, lost a strip of land from its north-eastern edge mostly to Gindie but gained a small piece of land from Minerva, with the overall effect of reducing the area of the locality from 4,533.6 to 4,455.5 square kilometres (1,750.4 to 1,720.3 sq mi). ^{[9] [10] [11] [3]} As a consequence of these changes, the boundary between Lochington and Minerva/Gindie more closely follows the course of the Nogoa River. ^[3]

Education

Lochington State School is a government co-educational primary (P-7) school at the Lochington pastoral homestead off the Glenlee Road ( 23°56′37″S147°31′31″E / 23.943506°S 147.525284°E / -23.943506; 147.525284 (Lochington State School) ). In 2013, the school had 3 students (from the same family) and 1 teacher. ^{[12] [13] [14] [3]} In 2016, enrolment was 10, in 2017, eight, and in 2018, seven. ^[15] In 2021, enrolment was six, including three students in their Prep year. ^[16]

References

1. "2021 Lochington, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
2. "Lochington – locality in Central Highlands Region (entry 46960)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
4. "Snake Range National Park – national park in the Central Highlands Region (entry 31316)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 18 July 2020.
5. "IMPROVED MAIL FACILITIES". The Morning Bulletin . Rockhampton, Qld. 10 October 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 8 July 2014– via National Library of Australia.
6. "Agency ID 5418, Lochington State School". Queensland State Archives . Retrieved 8 July 2014.
7. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Lochington (GL)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lochington (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
9. "Recent place name decisions: Job number 18-115: The Gemfields". Queensland Government. 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
10. "Proposed Locality Boundaries and Names: Anakie Siding, Argyll, Emerald, Gindie, Lochington, Minerva, Rubyvale and Sapphire Central" (PDF). Queensland Government. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
11. "Locality Boundaries and Names: Anakie Siding, Argyll, Emerald, Gindie, Lochington, Minerva, Rubyvale and Sapphire Central" (PDF). Queensland Government. 17 April 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
12. "Queensland State and Non-State Schools". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
13. "2013 School Annual Report" (PDF). Lochington State School. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
14. "Lochington SS" . Retrieved 1 February 2017.
15. "Lochington State School Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 4 November 2022.
16. "Lochington State School Annual Report 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 4 November 2022.

Further reading

• Filet, Pieter Gerrit; Wright, Hugh; Willcocks, Jacqui; Meat Research Corporation (Australia); Queensland. Dept. of Primary Industries (1992), Beef property management in the Lochington area : based on producer experience, Meat Research Corporation