The Condamine River forms the north-eastern boundary of the locality, while Sandy Creek flows through the locality from Leslie Dam (the locality) to the west towards Leslie to the north-west (eventually becoming a tributary of the Condamine River.[3]
The Cunningham Highway passes through the locality from the south-east (Rosenthal Heights) towards the west (Leslie Dam). The South Western railway line runs roughly parallel to the south of the highway; there is no railway station within the locality. Major arterial roads in the locality are Sandy Creek Road which runs from the highway north-west to Leslie. The Leslie Dam Road runs south from the highway towards the Leslie Dam.[3]
The predominant land is agriculture, both cropping and grazing.[3]
History
The locality is probably named after William Allan, an early settler, when the railway station was opened in 1904.[4][5] Another theory is that it is named after botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham.[6] The district was formerly known as Sandy Creek after the local creek.[7]
A number of hotels were built at Sandy Creek in 1866. Adam Smith built the Darling Downs Hotel (locally known as the Sandy Creek Pub) in 1875.[8] It operated as a coach stop for changing horses from 1880 until the railway opened in 1904. In the 1920s, the old Darling Downs Hotel was replaced with the current building.[9]
Sandy Creek Provisional School on 13 May 1872. The school and residence were built by W. Wallace and H. Marshall for £304/10/0. In 1929, it became Allan State School. It closed in December 1967.[7][10][11]
St Matthew's Anglican Church was opened on 17 November 1901. It closed in 1969 and the church building was relocated to the Slade School in Warwick.[12]
There are no schools in Allan. The nearest primary schools are Wheatvale State School in Wheatvale to the north-west and Warwick West State School in Warwick to the south-east. The nearest secondary school is Warwick State High School in Warwick to the east.[3]
^"Railway Station Names". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LX, no. 14, 372. Queensland, Australia. 5 February 1904. p. 4. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^Waterson, D. B. "Allan, William (1840–1901)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
^"Advertising". Warwick Examiner And Times. Vol. IX, no. 421. Queensland, Australia. 27 March 1875. p. 1. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Closed Churches". Anglican Church of Southern Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. p. 224. ISBN978-0-86439-102-5.
Mt. Gordon School : Mt. Gordon 90th anniversary 2003, Mt. Gordon Anniversary Committee, 2003 — includes Inverleigh School, Allan / Sandy Creek School, Rookwood School, Mountside School, Rosenthal School, and Rose Hill School
A history of Wheatvale and district : produced to commemorate 100 years of State School Education in Queensland, 1875-1975. 1975. — via State Library of Queensland, includes the districts of Allan, Bony Mountain, Greymare, Pratten, Rodger's Creek, Thane, Thane's Creek and Wheatvale.