Blackbutt 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

South Burnett Region The South Burnett Region is a local government area in the South Burnett district of Queensland, Australia. Origins This Local Government was created in March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in ...

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 , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Blackbutt had a population of 836 people.

Geography

The town is located on the

D'Aguilar Highway The D'Aguilar Highway is a two-lane highway linking the Bruce Highway near Caboolture with Kingaroy in the state of Queensland, Australia. Major towns along the route include Woodford, Kilcoy, Blackbutt, Yarraman, Nanango and Kingaroy. The hi ...

, in the

South Burnett The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing area on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland. It is with the basin of the Burnett River. The area is within two local government areas, South Burnett Region ...

local government area, north-west of the state capital,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. Blackbutt lies within the Cooyar Creek catchment, tributary of the Brisbane River, which rises in the

Bunya Mountains The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The mountain range forms the northern edge of the Darling Downs in the locality also called Bunya Mountains ne ...

to the west.

History

European settlement in the Blackbutt area began in 1842, when the Scott family established Taromeo Station. In 1887, the Scott family ceded land to found both Blackbutt and its neighbouring town of Benarkin. Farms were established in the area and the discovery of gold in the area in the late 19th century led to population growth in the town. The timber industry played an important role in the development of the town. The town is named after ''Eucalyptus pilularis'', commonly known as blackbutt, a common tree of the family Myrtaceae native to south-eastern Australia which is one of Australia's most important hardwoods. Blackbutt, Benarkin and the nearby town of Yarraman are often collectively referred to as the "Timber Towns" and the terms "Timbertown" and "Timbertowners" feature in the name of many local businesses and a sporting teams. Blackbutt Provisional School opened on 20 January 1896 under teacher Rosa Bella Ryan. On 1 January 1909 it became Blackbutt State School. In January 1914, the school relocated to a larger site. Blackbutt Post Office opened by November 1906 (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 s ...

had been open from 1896). When the Blackbutt railway station was built to serve the town, it was some distance from the town, so in 1910 it was decided to name the station Benarkin instead. This in turn gave its name to the new town that formed near the railway station Benarkin. Because of the close proximity ( apart) and intertwined history of the two towns, they are often referred to as the twin towns of Blackbutt-Benarkin. Blackbutt was connected to the

Brisbane Valley railway line The Brisbane Valley railway line was a railway connection in Queensland, Australia connecting Ipswich, west of Brisbane, to the upper Brisbane River valley. Progressively opened between 1884 and 1913, the railway provided a vital transport lin ...

in 1911. However, the line was closed in the 1980s and was converted into a rail trail.

The Blackbutt War Memorial was unveiled on 24 April 1920 by J.A. Lee, the chairman of Nanango Shire. The Blackbutt Library was opened in 1996. Tennis great

Roy Emerson Roy Stanley Emerson (born 3 November 1936) is an Australian former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, for a total of 28 Grand Slam titles. He is the only male player to have completed a caree ...

was born on a farm near Blackbutt and attended Nukku State School for his early education. The former school building now houses the Roy Emerson Museum in Blackbutt. In the , Blackbutt had a population of 1,055 people. In the , Blackbutt had a population of 836 people. On 1 February 2018, Blackbutt's postcode changed from 4306 to 4314.

Transport

Blackbutt is the site of the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended f ...

's first trial of using fibre composite in bridge building when it was used in the replacement of Taromeo Creek bridge in 2005. Fibre composite materials are much stronger than steel and concrete but also much lighter and do not rust.

Education

Blackbutt State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Crofton Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 165 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 18 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent). There is no secondary school in Blackbutt. The nearest are in Yarraman (P-9),

Nanango Nanango is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Nanango had a population of 3,599 people. Geography Nanango is situated north-west of the state capital, Brisbane, at the junc ...

and

Kingaroy Kingaroy is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways, north-west of the state capital Brisbane and south west of Gympie. As a ...

Amenities

The

South Burnett Regional Council The South Burnett Region is a local government area in the South Burnett district of Queensland, Australia. Origins This Local Government was created in March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in ...

operates a public library in Blackbutt at 69 Hart Street (). The Blackbutt Yarraman branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at the QCWA Hall at 65 Coulson Street ().

Infrastructure

Town water supply is provided by Boobir Dam.

Events

The Blackbutt Avocado Festival has been held annually in September since 2016, replacing the former Bloomin Beautiful Blackbutt Festival. It features avocado cooking demonstrations, avocado tossing competitions, presentations on farming avocados, in addition to other festival events, such as arts and craft displays, woodchop competitions and live music.

Attractions

The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail passes through Blackbutt, following the route of the former railway line. It is for walking cycling and horse riding; no motorised vehicles are permitted. The former Nukku school building was relocated to Hart Street () in Blackbutt to house the Roy Emerson Museum celebrating tennis player

References

External links

* *
Blackbutt online
– Community site
Blackbutt-Benarkin cemetery
{{authority control Towns in Queensland South Burnett Region Populated places established in 1887 1887 establishments in Australia Localities in Queensland