Didcot, Queensland

Didcot is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the, Didcot had a population of 85 people.

Geography

The now-closed Mungar-Monto railway line passed through Didcot from west to east with two now-abandoned railway stations serving the locality:

Didcot railway station in the west of the locality
Chowey railway station in the east of the locality.

Didcot has the following mountains:

Mount Melville
Mount Shamrock

Mount Shamrock is a former mining town in the north-east of the locality, immediately south of the mountain of the same name.

History

A report by R. W. Winks of the Department of Agriculture, Brisbane, surveying for the proposed Degilbo to Gayndah railway line extension, dated 10 November 1897 stated:- "After arranging for a horse, I proceeded to what is known as Irwin's Hotel, an accommodation-house on Didcot Creek, about from Woowoonga." Degilbo at that time was known as Woowoonga.
Mount Shamrock Provisional School opened on 24 February 1890, closing circa 1894. The school reopened on 7 April 1896 as Mount Shamrock Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Mount Shamrock State School. It closed circa 1935.
Didcot Provisional School opened on 23 November 1908. On 1 January 1909, it became Didcot State School. It closed in 1967.

Demographics

In the, Didcot and nearby districts had a population of 287 people.
In the, Didcot had a population of 60 people.
In the, Didcot had a population of 85 people.

Heritage listings

Didcot has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Chowey Cemetery Road, off Gooroolba Biggenden Road: Chowey Cemetery
on the Mungar-Monto railway line: Deep Creek Railway Bridge

Engineers Australia listed on their Official Register of Engineering Heritage Markers:Degilbo-Mundubbera Railway Bridges in October 2016. A total of 12 bridges that are situated on the Mungar Junction to Monto railway line, including the Deep Creek Railway Bridge, are recognized with one Engineering Heritage Marker representing the "best example of a collection of historic railway bridges in Australia".

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:

Avalon
Bibaringa
Brahman Pk
Danebo
Nora Creina
Plum Tree
Warra Creek

Education

There are no schools in Didcot. The nearest government primary schools are Coalstoun Lakes State School in neighbouring Coalstoun Lakes to the south and Biggenden State School in neighbouring Biggenden to the south-east. The nearest government secondary schools are Biggenden State School and Burnett State College in Gayndah to the south-west.