Woodford 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
Moreton Bay Region
The Moreton Bay Region is a local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan city in South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it replaced three established local government areas, the City of Redcliffe and the Shires ...
,
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 Woodford had a population of 3,458 people.
[
The town is noted for the ]Woodford Folk Festival
The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia. Every year ap ...
that takes place over the New Year holidays.
Geography
Woodford is 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 ...
by road north-north-west of 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 ...
and north-west of Caboolture
Caboolture () is a town and suburb in Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 26,433 people. It is located on the north side of the Caboolture River, which separates the town from Morayfi ...
. Kilcoy–Beerwah Road
Kilcoy–Beerwah Road is a continuous road route in the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast local government areas of Queensland, Australia. It is designated as part of State Route 6. It is a state-controlled regional road (number 492). It is par ...
exits to the north-east.
History
'' Duungidjawu (''also known as ''Kabi Kabi, Cabbee, Carbi, Gabi Gabi)'' is an Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
spoken on Duungidjawu country. The Duungidjawu language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Somerset Region
The Somerset Region is a local government area located in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia, about northwest of Brisbane and centred on the town of Esk. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Esk and th ...
and Moreton Bay Region
The Moreton Bay Region is a local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan city in South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it replaced three established local government areas, the City of Redcliffe and the Shires ...
, particularly the towns of Caboolture
Caboolture () is a town and suburb in Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 26,433 people. It is located on the north side of the Caboolture River, which separates the town from Morayfi ...
, Kilcoy
Kilcoy is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kilcoy had a population of 1,898 people.
Geography
The township is on the D'Aguilar Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, ...
, Woodford and Moore''.''
Dalla (also known as Dalambara and Dallambara) is a language of the Upper Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...
catchment, notably the Conondale Range
The Conondale Range is a mountain range in Queensland, located between Maleny, Kenilworth, Kilcoy and Jimna. The range is the most westerly part of the Sunshine Coast hinterland and part of the Great Dividing Range. The highest point on the ra ...
. Dalla is part of the Duungidjawu language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
and Moreton Bay Regional Council
The Moreton Bay Region is a local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan city in South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it replaced three established local government areas, the City of Redcliffe and the Shir ...
s, particularly the towns of Caboolture
Caboolture () is a town and suburb in Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 26,433 people. It is located on the north side of the Caboolture River, which separates the town from Morayfi ...
, Kilcoy
Kilcoy is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kilcoy had a population of 1,898 people.
Geography
The township is on the D'Aguilar Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, ...
, Woodford and Moore.
In 1841 the Archer brothers
The Archer brothers were among the earliest European settlers in Queensland, Australia. They were explorers and pastoralists. Seven sons of William Archer, a Scottish timber merchant, they spent varying amounts of time in the colony of New Sou ...
established Durundur Station
The Archer brothers were among the earliest European settlers in Queensland, Australia. They were explorers and pastoralists. Seven sons of William Archer, a Scottish timber merchant, they spent varying amounts of time in the colony of New Sou ...
along the Stanley River, near where Woodford now stands.
In 1877, were resumed from the Durundur pastoral run and offered for selection on 19 April 1877.
Mr W. Yates was the first to take possession of his selected portion of the country and he built a hotel near a ford across the river. The hotel, and the town which developed around it became known, unofficially, as ''Yatesville''.
The town was positioned on a hill closer to the Stanley River than the present day town. When the introduction of a regular mail service required the town to have an official name a meeting was called and ''McConnel'' was decided on in honour of the senior partner of Durundur Station ‑ but the Postmaster General would not accept that name. Therefore, another meeting was called and those present called it ''Woodford'' in honour of the junior partner, Henry Conwell Wood, and in recognition of the importance to the community of the ford across the river.
Timber cutting was the town's main industry. Most of the timber sourced from the area was sent to a sawmill in Caboolture.
Durundur Provisional School opened on 23 October 1882. In 1885, it was renamed Woodford Provisional School. It closed on 28 October 1887 to reopen on 14 November 1887 as Woodford State School.
A Catholic chapel was opened circa September–October 1890. On 11 January 1930, a new Catholic church and school were officially opened by Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
James Duhig
Sir James Duhig KCMG (2 September 187110 April 1965) was an Irish-born Australian Roman Catholic religious leader. He was the Archbishop of Brisbane for 48 years from 1917 until his death in 1965. At the time of his death he was the longest-s ...
.
St. Matthias' Anglican Church was dedicated on Sunday 28 February 1892 by Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
William Webber. The site on the northern bank of One Mile Creek and much of the cost of the building the church were donated by Messrs McConnel and Wood of Durundur Station. The architect was John H. Buckeridge
John H. Buckeridge (1857–1934) was an English-born Australian architect, who built about sixty churches in Queensland and is also remembered for remodelling the interior of the Macquarie era church of St James', King Street, Sydney.
Life
Jo ...
. A desire for a more central site resulted in its relocation to its current site using a bullock wagon in 1914. It was re-opened on Tuesday 2 December 1913 by the Anglican Archdeacon of Brisbane.
Dairying was also a major industry. A co-operative dairy factory opened in the town in 1904.
Woodford was a stop on the now-closed Kilcoy railway line
The Kilcoy railway line is a disused, partly demolished narrow gauge railway in South East Queensland, Australia.
History
The first section of the line opened from Caboolture to Woodford on 6 December 1909. It was extended to Kilcoy on 22 D ...
. The line reached Woodford in 1909 and connected the town to the small regional centre of Caboolture
Caboolture () is a town and suburb in Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 26,433 people. It is located on the north side of the Caboolture River, which separates the town from Morayfi ...
. There were two railway stations servicing the area: Durundur railway station () and Woodford railway station (). Most of the railway infrastructure was removed after the line closed in the early 1960s with parts of the line dismantled in 1965. Much of the land has been sold.
The Woodford Show Society was established in 1911 and the town's show continues to be held annually.
Woodford Methodist Church was opened on Saturday 6 April 1912 by Reverend Henry Youngman. The church was in a central position of the main street and was . It subsequently became Woodford Uniting Church. It has now closed but the church building is still extant at 126 Archer Street ().
Woodford Baptist Church opened in 1924.
St Joseph's Catholic School opened on 28 January 1930 and closed on December 1965.
The Woodford public library opened in 1978.
The Maleny Folk Festival relocated from Maleny to Woodford in July 1994, then being renamed the Woodford Folk Festival. The festival commenced in the showgrounds at Maleny in 1987 but its popularity outgrew the site.
Woodford was one of the principal locations for the 2003 low-budget horror film, ''Undead
The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
''.
The Dreaming Festival which celebrates Indigenous culture was first held at the Woodford Folk Festival on 10 to 13 June 2005. It was held annually until it was incorporated into the Woodford Folk Festival in 2011-2012,
A Woolworths supermarket
Woolworths Supermarkets (colloquially known in Australia as "Woolies") is an Australian chain of supermarkets and grocery stores owned by Woolworths Group. Founded in 1924, Woolworths today is Australia's biggest supermarket chain with a ma ...
opened in the town in 2010.
A local landmark up until its closure in 2010 was the Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
-themed fruit and vegetable shop, ''Elvis Parsley's Grapelands''.
New housing subdivisions were established on Kropp Road and Ironbark Drive during 2010 and 2011.
In 2010 and 2011, the Australian music festival Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
was held in Woodford on the Woodford Folk Festival site.
The town had an online community newspaper from 2010 to approximately 2014.
In the , Woodford recorded a population of 2,517 people, 40.2% female and 59.8% male. The median age of the Woodford population was 37 years, the same as the national median. 82.9% of people living in Woodford were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 4.6%, England 3.4%, Netherlands 0.8%, Scotland 0.7%, Vietnam 0.4%. 74.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Dutch, 0.3% German, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% French, 0.1% Spanish.
In the , the locality of Woodford had a population of 3,458 people.
Education
Woodford State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 171 Archer Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 391 students with 42 teachers (33 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
program.
For secondary education to Year 12, the nearest government secondary schools are Tullawong State High School in Caboolture to the south-east, Beerwah State High School in Beerwah to the north-east, and Kilcoy State High School in Kilcoy
Kilcoy is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kilcoy had a population of 1,898 people.
Geography
The township is on the D'Aguilar Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, ...
to the west.
Facilities
The Woodford Correctional Centre
Woodford Correctional Centre is an Australian prison facility located on Neurum Road, Woodford, City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres north from Brisbane and 30 kilometres from Caboolture.
It is a hi ...
is on the outskirts of town.
Amenities
The Moreton Bay Regional Council operates a public library in Woodford at 1 Elizabeth Street ().
Woodford Baptist Church is at 115 Archer Street (). It has also been known as Stanley River Valley Community Church.
St Matthias' Anglican Church is part of the Kilcoy-Woodford Parish within the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane
The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, also known as Anglican Church Southern Queensland, is based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The diocesan bishop's seat is at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane. The diocese stretches from the south-eastern coastl ...
. It is at 88 Archer Street ().
St Mary's Catholic Church is at 16 Peterson Road (). It has a strong ecumenical focus and maintains a close relationship with the Anglican church.
Woodford Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses is at 26 Scotts Lane ().
Woodford is the home of the Stanley River Cricket Club, which supports junior and senior cricket in the local area.
Events
The Woodford Folk Festival
The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia. Every year ap ...
is held in the town in December each year.
The Woodford Markets are held on the third Sunday of each month in the middle of the town.
The Woodford Show is held in June each year.
Attractions
The Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society operates a railway museum at the Woodford railway station. The society was established in January 1971 to preserve the history of narrow-gauge railways in Queensland. The society has collected steam, diesel and petrol locomotives and rollingstock using the 2-foot gauge and has established their Durundur railway at Woodford as an operating heritage line. The society operates a steam train on the first and third Sunday of each month.
The Woodford Historical Society operate a museum at 109 Archer Street as part of the library complex ().
References
External links
{{Authority control
Suburbs of Moreton Bay Region
1841 establishments in Australia
Populated places established in 1841
Localities in Queensland