Biddeston, Queensland

Biddeston
Toowoomba Region, Queensland
Biddeston; Toowoomba Region, Queensland
	Fields along Oakey Biddleston Road, 2014
	Biddeston
Coordinates	27°34′13″S 151°42′56″E / 27.5702°S 151.7155°E
Population	269 (2021 census)
• Density	3.645/km2 (9.440/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4401
Area	73.8 km2 (28.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	13.9 km (9 mi) S of Oakey ; 23.6 km (15 mi) W of Toowoomba ; 155 km (96 mi) W of Brisbane ;
LGA(s)	Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)	Condamine
Federal division(s)	Groom
	Localities around Biddeston:

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Biddeston is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2]^[3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people.^[1]

History

Crosshill State School opened on 9 August 1880 and closed on 1940.^[4]^[5]

A postal receiving office opened on 1 February 1882 and was upgraded to a post office on 1 July 1927. During that time it was run by the Anderson family of Biddeston Farm, which is probably the origin of the district name. The post office closed on 5 January 1965.^[2]^[6]

The town reserve was established on 26 August 1890.^[2]

In 1880, a 10-acre block of land on the Oakey-Southbrook Road was aside for a school. However, it was not until 14 October 1919 that the Biddeston State School finally opened, but with only a tent for a schoolroom for the 14 children enrolled under teacher Margaret Cecilla Cloherty Anderson. It was not until 10 October 1921 that the Education Department built a one-room timber building to replace the tent. Despite growing enrolment numbers, the Education Department would not enlarge the building apart from the addition of a verandah in 1927. It was not until 1954 that a second school room was built.^[7]^[8] A pre-school was added in 1986.^[4]

Burton Provisional School opened on 22 February 1900. On 1 January 1909, it became Burton State School. It closed on 5 December 1944.^[4]^[9] It was at 1840 Toowoomba Cecil Plains Road (27°32′58″S 151°45′11″E / 27.5494°S 151.7531°E / -27.5494; 151.7531 (Burton State School (former))).^[10]^[11]

Biddeston was the site of the Biddeston Murders that took place on 2 March 2015 when a grandfather killed his pregnant daughter and grandson.^[12]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 328 people.^[13]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 284 people.^[14]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Biddeston had a population of 269 people.^[1]

Road infrastructure

The Toowoomba–Cecil Plains Road runs through from east to west.^[15]

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:^[16]

Education

Biddeston State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2425 Cecil Plains Road (27°33′15″S 151°41′50″E / 27.5541°S 151.6973°E / -27.5541; 151.6973 (Biddeston State School)).^[17]^[18] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 61 students with 5 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).^[19] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 70 students with 6 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).^[20]

There is no secondary schools in Biddeston. The nearest government secondary school is Oakey State High School in neighbouring Oakey to the north.^[11]