Grantham 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

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 Laidl ...

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. The town is located west of the state capital,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. In the , the locality of Grantham had a population of 634 people.

Geography

The

Warrego Highway The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 715 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint ...

passes through from east to west. The north-west corner is occupied by part of the Lockyer State Forest.

History

The area was first settled in 1841, by George Mocatta. He named his pastoral run ''Grantham,'' which became the name of the town. In 1866 a

railway siding A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

from the main Toowoomba line was opened which assisted in the development of a small settlement. It wasn't until the mid-1870s that the

Grantham railway station Grantham railway station is on the East Coast Main Line in the United Kingdom, serving the town of Grantham, Lincolnshire. It is down the line from and is situated on the main line between to the south and to the north. Two secondary lines ...

was built. In August 1895 tenders were called for the erection of a provisional school at Grantham Scrub. In January 1896 teacher Catherine M. Ludeman was appointed to the Grantham Scrub Provisional School, suggesting it opened around that time. On 1 January 1909 it became Grantham Scrub State School. It closed circa 1950. Grantham Provisional School opened on 23 January 1905. On 1 January 1909 it became Grantham State School. A butter factory was established in 1907. The building was replaced in 1926 by a brick building which operated until 1971. Grantham Post Office opened on 1 January 1890 (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 from 1876). On 10 January 2011, Grantham was severely damaged in a huge flash flood. 12 people died and a large number of houses and other buildings were destroyed. Following the floods, Grantham received visits by politicians including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh on numerous occasions. Australia's Governor-General

Quentin Bryce Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, (née Strachan; born 23 December 1942) is an Australian academic who served as the 25th governor-general of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the first woman to have held the position, and was previously the ...

also visited the town. In May 2011, it was announced that the town would be moved to higher ground to prevent future damaging floods. A 935-acre site was purchased so that landholders could be provided a voluntary swap of equivalent-sized blocks. The new site is situated on a hill overlooking Grantham and has permission from the state government to bypass the normal development approval process. Residents of nearby Murphys Creek, Postmans Ridge,

Withcott Withcott is a rural town and locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Withcott had a population of 1844 people. Geography Withcott is in the Lockyer Valley. The town is located on the Toowoomba Connection Road, form ...

and Helidon have been included in the fast-tracked plan. As of March 2022, 110 houses are on the hill but over 50 dwellings remain in the older part of town. In the , the locality of Grantham had a population of 634 people. 81.1% of people were born in Australia and 90.9% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 24.3%, Catholic 17.8% and Anglican 15.5%. CC-BY icon

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Education

Grantham State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 15 Victor Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 95 students with 6 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).

References

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in Queensland Localities in Queensland Lockyer Valley Region 2010–2011 Queensland floods