Cecil Plains, Queensland

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Cecil Plains
Queensland
Cecil Plains
Coordinates 27°32′0″S 151°12′0″E / 27.53333°S 151.20000°E / -27.53333; 151.20000Coordinates: 27°32′0″S 151°12′0″E / 27.53333°S 151.20000°E / -27.53333; 151.20000
Population 678 (2011)[1]
Postcode(s) 4407
Location
  • 217 km (135 mi) W of Brisbane
  • 93 km (58 mi) W of Toowoomba, Queensland
  • 43 km (27 mi) S of Dalby
  • 46 km (29 mi) N of Millmerran
LGA(s) Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s) Southern Downs
Federal Division(s) Maranoa

Cecil Plains is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located in the Toowoomba Region, 217 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2011 census, Cecil Plains had a population of 678.[1] The fertile black soil around Cecil Plains is ideal for cotton production and the town is now the home of one of the largest cotton gins in the southern hemisphere.[2]

History

European settlement in the area began in 1842, when Henry Stuart Russell claimed land around the Condamine River to establish Cecil Plains station. The site of the station homestead was to become the site of the town. Ludwig Leichhardt used the homestead as a base for two expeditions into the surrounding region in 1844 and 1847. The station originally grazed cattle but later moved to wool production.[2]

In 1916, Cecil Plains station was acquired by the Queensland government and subdivided for closer settlement, with some parcels reserved for soldier settlers. The new settlers produced mainly wheat and dairy. The railway arrived in 1919,[3] followed by a post office in 1921 and a police station in 1934. The local pub is called the Victory Hotel, as a result of a successful vote in 1938 (on the third attempt) to establish a drinking establishment in the town. From the 1960s cotton became the main crop grown in the area.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cecil Plains (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 1 July 2013. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Cecil Plains". Travel (Sydney Morning Herald). 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2007-06-08. 
  3. The Oakey Region Tulk, Darren Australian Railway History, August, 2008 pp251-264

External links


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