Applethorpe is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

in the

Southern Downs Region The Southern Downs Region is a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, along the state's boundary with New South Wales. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Warwick and the Shire of Stanthorpe. ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. In the the locality of Applethorpe had a population of 511 people. Applethorpe is on Queensland's border with

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It is well known for the production of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

Geography

The town is positioned on the

New England Highway New England Highway is an long highway in Australia running from Yarraman, north of Toowoomba, Queensland at its northern end to Hexham at Newcastle, New South Wales at its southern end. It is part of Australia's National Highway system, an ...

just north of

Stanthorpe Stanthorpe is a rural town and locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Stanthorpe had a population of 5,406 people. The area surrounding the town is known as the Granite Belt. Geography Stanthorpe lies on the New ...

in the

Granite Belt The Granite Belt is an area of the Great Dividing Range in the Darling Downs region of Queensland and the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The Granite Belt is centred on the town of Stanthorpe. The cool, high country of the gra ...

region at an elevation of . The

Southern railway line The Southern railway line serves the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The long line branches from the Western line at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, and proceeds south through Warwick and Stanthorpe to the New South Wales/Queensl ...

passes through the locality from north ( The Summit & Glen Niven) to south (Stanthorpe). The town is served by the Applethorpe railway station.

History

The area was originally called ''Roessler'' after an early German settler, but the name was changed to Applethorpe (reflecting the apple orchards in the district) in 1915, as part of the

anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as Anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language. Its opposite is Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment largely began with t ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1910, the establishment of the Four Mile Stanthorpe School was given and the school was opened on 14 September 1911. However, from November 1911 to November 1916, it was called Roesseller State School. However, like the town itself, the school name was changed to Applethorpe State School due to the anti-German sentiment. In December 1910 the Roessler railway station was established at the point between Thulimbah and Stanthorpe. In September 1916 it was renamed Applethorpe railway station due to

. Four Mile State School opened on 14 September 1911. In November 1911 it was renamed Roesseller State School in Nov 1911 and in 1917 it was renamed Applethorpe State School. Applethorpe Post Office opened around 1919 (a

receiving office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

had been open since 1916) and closed in 1991. In 2006, Applethorpe had a population of 748; of which, 20% worked in the

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

produce Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and g ...

industries. In the the locality of Applethorpe had a population of 511 people.

Climate

During a cold snap in 2007, the town recorded a minimum temperature of −7.7 °C. In July 2010, Applethorpe recorded a minimum of 13.6 °C which was the highest minimum on record ever for that month.

Transport

Applethorpe is accessible by the New England Highway and the 'Fruit Run' Granite Tourist Drive. Crisps Coaches also runs regular services to Applethorpe from Brisbane, Toowoomba, and other cities in the area. Despite the name, Stanthorpe Airport is on Aerodrome Road in Applethorpe (). It is a public airport operated by the

Southern Downs Regional Council The Southern Downs Region is a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, along the state's boundary with New South Wales. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Warwick and the Shire of Stanthorpe. ...

. There are no regular scheduled services to this airport.

Amenities

The Applethorpe Memorial Park on Ann Street commemorates those who served in defence of Australia. Granite Mountain Disc Golf course is also located in Applethorpe. It is a privately owned frisbee golf course, that hosted both the 2018 and 2019 Queensland state championships of the sport.

Education

Applethorpe State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 25576 New England Highway (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 38 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).

References

External links

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Amiens, Thulimbah, Applethorpe District

Town map, 1976
{{authority control Towns in Queensland Southern Downs Region Localities in Queensland