A SHORT HISTORY OF GATTON
Prior to European settlement, the area was occupied by members of the Yuggera Aboriginal language group.
The Gatton area was explored by Major Edmund Lockyer in 1825. A settlement known as Gatton was gazetted in 1855. The name Gatton is taken from the village of Gatton in Surrey, England.
The post office opened 1 January 1866, with Frederick Lloyd, a dairyman, as the first postmaster. The small village did not experience significant growth until the mid-1870s, after the railway to Grandchester attracted people to the area.
Catholic priest Father Brun established St Mary’s School in 1868. However, in 1892, the only teacher at the school Miss Mary O’Keeffe married James McKeen of Mount Sylvia, and the school closed.
In January 1875, Gatton residents convened a meeting to establish a school. In June 1875 tenders were called for the construction of a school building and a teacher’s residence. Gatton State School opened on 31 January 1876.
The Queensland Agricultural College opened and established an experimental farm in 1897 at Gatton.
In December 1898, three local young people from nearby Blackfellow’s Creek were murdered; this incident became known as the Gatton murders, and remains unsolved.
On 20 December 1902, auctioneer Elias Harding offered 36 town lots ranging in size between 0.25 to 0.5 acres (0.10 to 0.20 ha) in the Gaul Estate, being based around Gaul Street (27.5544°S 152.2803°E) and bounded by Old College Road to the north, Allan Street to the east, Hickey Street to the south and Park Lane to the west. Only 3 lots were sold.
In 1913, following local agitation, Gatton State School was expanded to offer secondary schooling, which was known by a number of names over the years: Gatton Secondary Department, Lockyer State High School, Gatton Intermediate School, and Gatton State School Secondary Department. On 23 January 1961 it was replaced by a completely separate school, Lockyer District State High School.
Our Lady of Good Counsel School was opened on 14 January 1917 by the Sisters of Mercy, following a fund raising campaign by Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig.
The Gatton Star was a free, local, community newspaper which began publishing in 1956. The final print edition of The Gatton Star was published on 24 June 2020, when it transitioned to a subscription-based online only model.
In the 2016 census the locality of Gatton had a population of 7,101 people.
