Fordsdale is a rural

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

Lockyer Valley Region The Lockyer Valley Region is a local government area in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia, between the cities of Ipswich and Toowoomba. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Gatton and the Shire of Lai ...

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 , Fordsdale had a population of 52 people.

Geography

The terrain in the area is rugged. Lower areas along the creeks have been farmed while the steep and elevated parts remain vegetated. Silky Oak Creek joins Ma Ma Creek, a tributary of

Lockyer Creek The Lockyer Creek is a creek located in South East Queensland, Australia. A tributary of the Brisbane River, the creek is a major drainage system in the Lockyer Valley. Rising on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the creek fl ...

at Fordsdale. Dwyers Scrub Regional Park has been established in the west. The Gatton–Clifton Road runs through from north-east to south.

History

The locality is said to be named after William Thomas Ford, a farmer of Mount Whitestone, who carried the mail from

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...

to Mount Whitestone run from 1896. Ma Ma Creek Upper Provisional School opened on 8 July 1895 with Mr H. C. Tronc as headmaster. In 1906, it was renamed Fordsdale Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Fordsdale State School. In April 1929, it was closed but reopened in 1931. It was at 1902 Gatton Clifton Road (). Fordsdale School of Arts was officially opened on 27 May 1932 by Councillor Byrne, chairman of the Tarampa Shire Council. In 1933, the school closed again. It reopened in 1937 with Miss E. G. M. Allen as head teacher with classes being held in the School of Arts as it was thought to be a more central location. As attendance at the new location was successfully maintained, it was decided to build a new school building on a site near the hall donated by Mr W. Bynon. The new school was officially opened on Saturday 3 June 1939 by the Leader of the Opposition, Ted Maher. The school closed in 1967. It was at approx 2085 Gatton Clifton Road (). At the , Fordsdale and surrounds recorded a population 211. In the , Fordsdale had a population of 52 people.

Education

There are no schools in Fordsdale. The nearest primary school is Mount Whitestone State School in neighbouring Mount Whitestone to the north-east. The nearest secondary schools are Lockyer District State High School in Gatton to the north-east and

Centenary Heights State High School , motto_translation = Through Hard Work to the Top , established = 13 February 1968 , principal = Darren Cook , founder = Bob Dansie , president = Wayne Heading , enrolme ...

Centenary Heights Centenary Heights is a residential locality of Toowoomba in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Centenary Heights had a population of 6,063 people. Geography Centenary Heights is located from the central business district. Hi ...

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 ...

to the north-west.

Amenities

Fordsdale School of Arts Hall is at 2085 Gatton Clifton Road ().

References

External links