Drayton, Queensland

Drayton Toowoomba, Queensland
Looking towards Drayton from Mount Peel
Drayton
Coordinates	27.5994°S 151.9061°E / -27.5994; 151.9061 (Drayton (centre of locality))
Population	1,813 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	172.7/km^2 (447.2/sq mi)
Established	1842
Postcode(s)	4350
Area	10.5 km^2 (4.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	6.0 km (4 mi) SW of Toowoomba CBD 131 km (81 mi) W of Brisbane
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 a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Drayton had a population of 1,813 people.^[1]

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.

Geography

The South Western railway line forms the south-western boundary of the locality, which is served by Drayton railway station (27.5927°S 151.9173°E / -27.5927; 151.9173 (Drayton railway station)).^[4]

Mount Peel is in the north-west of the locality (27.6016°S 151.8934°E / -27.6016; 151.8934 (Mount Peel)) rising to 711 metres (2,333 ft).^[5][6]

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.

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.

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".^[7]

The Drayton National School (later Drayton State School) established on 16 August 1851.^[8] It is one of the oldest state primary schools in Queensland.^[9][10]

One of the oldest buildings in the Drayton area is the Royal Bull's Head Inn.^[11] 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.

On Sunday 31 March 1940, 500 people attended a ceremony to place a cairn to mark the site of the first church on the Darling Downs in memory of its founder Canon Glennie.^[12] The Anglican church was on the corner of Rudd Street and Cambooya Street (27.5999°S 151.9072°E / -27.5999; 151.9072 (Archbishop Benjamin Glennie cairn)).^[13]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Drayton had a population of 1,710 people.^[14]

In the 2021 census, Drayton had a population of 1,813 people.^[1]

Heritage listings

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

• St Matthew's Anglican Church, 45–49 Glennie Street (27.5986°S 151.9118°E / -27.5986; 151.9118 (St Matthew's Anglican Church))^[15]
• Royal Bull's Head Inn, 47–59 Brisbane Street (27.601°S 151.9133°E / -27.601; 151.9133 (Royal Bull's Head Inn))^[16]
• Drayton State School, 71–89 Brisbane Street (27.6021°S 151.9116°E / -27.6021; 151.9116 (Drayton State School))^[17]
• O'Shea's Drayton Cottage, 56 Gwynne Street (27.6102°S 151.9102°E / -27.6102; 151.9102 (O'Shea's Drayton Cottage))^[18]

Education

Drayton State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 71–89 Brisbane Street (27.6025°S 151.9117°E / -27.6025; 151.9117 (Drayton State School)).^[19][20] 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).^[21] It includes a special education program.^[19]

Facilities

Drayton Police Station is at 35 Brisbane Street (27.6001°S 151.9151°E / -27.6001; 151.9151 (Drayton Police Station)).^[22][23]

Amenities

St Matthew's Anglican Church is at Glennie Street.^[24]

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.^[25]
• 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^[26]
• James Purcell, an important figure in the Queensland dairy industry in the early 20th century, was born in Drayton.^[27]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Drayton (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Drayton – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47931)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
3. "Drayton and Drayton Shire". Queensland Places. University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
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. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
6. "Mount Peel – mountain in Toowoomba Region (entry 26293)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
7. "Drayton and Drayton Shire". Queensland Places. University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
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. "The oldest state primary schools in Queensland". education.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
10. "Our school". Drayton State School. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
11. "Royal Bull's Head Inn". Australian Council of National Trusts ABN 54 008 444 684. 27 June 2013. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
12. "Archdeacon Glennie". Warwick Daily News. No. 6455. Queensland, Australia. 1 April 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
13. "Archdeacon Benjamin Glennie". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Drayton (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
15. "St Matthews Church of England (entry 600837)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
16. "Royal Bull's Head Inn (entry 600838)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
17. "Drayton State School (entry 650246)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
18. "O'Shea's Drayton Cottage (entry 601318)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
19. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
20. "Drayton State School". Drayton State School. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
21. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
22. "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
23. "Drayton Station". Queensland Police. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
24. "St Matthew's Anglican Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
25. Ikin, Van (1981). "Arthur Hoey Davis (1868–1935)". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Davis, Arthur Hoey (1868–1935). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
26. "Benjamin Glennie (1812–1900)". Glennie, Benjamin (1812–1900). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
27. French, M. (1988). "James Purcell (1874–1953)". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Purcell, James (1874–1953). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. 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

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Drayton and Drayton Shire
• National Trust Queensland - Bulls Head Inn
• Bulls Head Inn Information on Drayton State School's webpage
• Drayton State School
• Queensland Place Histories - Drayton, Queensland - John Oxley Library Blog, State Library of Queensland