The old Gilberton township lies within a cattle station (privately owned by one family since 1869, which was established on the Ewamian Aboriginal land.[3] The only remains of the town is the stone fortress that was built by the Martell family in 1869. The date palm on the northern side of the Gilbert River is the site of the Corbett store.
The name Gilberton comes from the Gilbert River, which in turn was named by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt on 12 July 1845, after his expedition member John Gilbert who was killed near the Carpentaria coast on 28 June 1845.[2]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, the locality of Gilberton had a population of 4 people.[15]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Gilberton had a population of 26 people.[1]
There are no schools in Gilberton. The nearest primary school is Forsayth State School in neighbouring Forsayth to the north but it is a considerable distance away. There are no nearby secondary schools. Distance education or boarding schools would be options.[4]