Beaudesert, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Beaudesert is a town located on the Mount Lindesay Highway
, some 64 km south of Brisbane
. It is possibly named after Beau Desert Park
, the property of Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey
in Staffordshire
, England
. Yet it is certain that Queensland's Beaudesert was named in about 1841/42 by 'Ned Hawkins', or Edward Brace Hawkins (1821-1849), who was claiming the area as a sheep station on behalf of his employer Mr. Suttor at Bathurst. It is not known why Hawkins picked the name Beaudesert. He was himself born in Newark Upon Trent in Nottinghamshire, the son of Thomas Fitzherbert Hawkins and wife Elizabeth of Bathurst fame, and it does not seem that he or his family had any personal connections to Beaudesert in England. Ned Hawkins moved on, not long after taking up Beaudesert station, to take take up Boonara Station in the South Burnett.
At the 2006 census
, Beaudesert had a population of 5,388.
, Kooralbyn
, Canungra
, Tamborine Mountain and Jimboomba
. Beaudesert is supported by industries such as Gelita, the gelatine factory, AJ Bush pet foods, several quarries and an abattoir. Recently it has become part of the Scenic Rim Regional Shire.
to Beaudesert and was in regular use from 1886 to 1996. Until 1991 it had served the meat-packing plant on the outskirts of the town. A petition from railway enthusiasts, and considerable grants of government money, resulted in its re-opening in 1999. Beaudesert Rail operated steam-driven tourist trains on the line for a short while thereafter. The company ceased operating in August 2004 after a series of fires, allegedly lit by sparks from the train, were set along the trainline. The company attempted to cover the fault on their train by saying people had thrown cigarettes out of the windows. The company was in large debt and has ceased to exist, with the rolling stock liquidated and physical infrastructure demolished. Beaudesert Rail had also been trading while insolvent, resulting in the closure of several local business who had extended them credit. Several areas of the track have been damaged by erosion, and roadworks conducted in September 2006 at the level crossing in Woodhill removed the train tracks, cutting the line in two. It seems unlikely that the line will be operated in the foreseeable future.
The main, standard gauge Brisbane-Sydney
railway line runs through Bromelton
, a few kilometres to the west of Beaudesert. This line is utilised by Countrylink
's Sydney-Brisbane XPT passenger train and Pacific National's (owned by Toll and Lang Corp) Brisbane - Sydney, Brisbane - Melbourne, Brisbane - Wollongong and Brisbane - Adelaide and return freight train services. The passenger service no longer stops at Bromelton. Beaudesert Shire Council
is hoping that new industries will be attracted to Bromelton because of its proximity to the Port of Brisbane
and to road-transport routes that are clear of the cities to the north.
Mount Lindesay Highway
The Mount Lindesay Highway is a highway in Queensland which has been given the national route number 13. It runs from Brisbane, where it leaves Ipswich Road in the suburb of Moorooka , to the New South Wales border where it becomes the Summerland Way heading south to Kyogle.The highway used to...
, some 64 km south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. It is possibly named after Beau Desert Park
Beaudesert (house)
Beaudesert was an estate and stately home on the southern edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. It was one of the family seats of the Paget family, the Marquesses of Anglesey...
, the property of Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, a hero of the Battle of Waterloo...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Yet it is certain that Queensland's Beaudesert was named in about 1841/42 by 'Ned Hawkins', or Edward Brace Hawkins (1821-1849), who was claiming the area as a sheep station on behalf of his employer Mr. Suttor at Bathurst. It is not known why Hawkins picked the name Beaudesert. He was himself born in Newark Upon Trent in Nottinghamshire, the son of Thomas Fitzherbert Hawkins and wife Elizabeth of Bathurst fame, and it does not seem that he or his family had any personal connections to Beaudesert in England. Ned Hawkins moved on, not long after taking up Beaudesert station, to take take up Boonara Station in the South Burnett.
At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Beaudesert had a population of 5,388.
Geography
Located in the Logan River and Albert River valleys, Beaudesert is a regional hub serving surrounding communities such as RathdowneyRathdowney, Queensland
Rathdowney is a small town in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. It is on the Mount Lindesay Highway 32 km south of Beaudesert at the base of the McPherson Range. It is located in the Scenic Rim Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Rathdowney had a population of 198.The town was named...
, Kooralbyn
Kooralbyn, Queensland
Kooralbyn lies in the Australia's Gold Coast hinterland, approximately 20 km south-west of Beaudesert, itself some 64 km south of Brisbane in South East Queensland, and 56 km west from Queensland's Gold Coast...
, Canungra
Canungra, Queensland
Canungra is a small picturesque rural township in South East Queensland, Australia. Its economy depends on tourism, being a popular destination for short drives from the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Canungra, also called the "Valley of the Owls", is situated in the Gold Coast Hinterland, west of the...
, Tamborine Mountain and Jimboomba
Jimboomba, Queensland
Jimboomba is a growing town of approximately 6,288 people, as recorded in the 2006 census, in the Logan City Local Government Area, South East Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Mount Lindesay Highway, 47 km south of Brisbane central business district...
. Beaudesert is supported by industries such as Gelita, the gelatine factory, AJ Bush pet foods, several quarries and an abattoir. Recently it has become part of the Scenic Rim Regional Shire.
Transport
A branch railway line ran from the outer Brisbane suburb of BethaniaBethania, Queensland
Bethania is an outer southern suburb of Brisbane, the Local Government Area is Logan City from March 15, 2008. It is situated on the main southern suburban railway and lies south of the Logan River...
to Beaudesert and was in regular use from 1886 to 1996. Until 1991 it had served the meat-packing plant on the outskirts of the town. A petition from railway enthusiasts, and considerable grants of government money, resulted in its re-opening in 1999. Beaudesert Rail operated steam-driven tourist trains on the line for a short while thereafter. The company ceased operating in August 2004 after a series of fires, allegedly lit by sparks from the train, were set along the trainline. The company attempted to cover the fault on their train by saying people had thrown cigarettes out of the windows. The company was in large debt and has ceased to exist, with the rolling stock liquidated and physical infrastructure demolished. Beaudesert Rail had also been trading while insolvent, resulting in the closure of several local business who had extended them credit. Several areas of the track have been damaged by erosion, and roadworks conducted in September 2006 at the level crossing in Woodhill removed the train tracks, cutting the line in two. It seems unlikely that the line will be operated in the foreseeable future.
The main, standard gauge Brisbane-Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
railway line runs through Bromelton
Bromelton, Queensland
Bromelton is a small village in southern Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Bromelton and the surrounding area had a population of 536.- Transport :The town has a crossing loop on the national standard gauge railway network...
, a few kilometres to the west of Beaudesert. This line is utilised by Countrylink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
's Sydney-Brisbane XPT passenger train and Pacific National's (owned by Toll and Lang Corp) Brisbane - Sydney, Brisbane - Melbourne, Brisbane - Wollongong and Brisbane - Adelaide and return freight train services. The passenger service no longer stops at Bromelton. Beaudesert Shire Council
Local Government Areas of Queensland
This is a list of local government areas in Queensland, sorted by region. For the history and responsibilities of local government in that state, see Local government in Queensland.-LGAs sorted by region:...
is hoping that new industries will be attracted to Bromelton because of its proximity to the Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port of Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. It is located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River on reclaimed land that was once called Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the river. It currently is the third busiest port in Australia and the nation's...
and to road-transport routes that are clear of the cities to the north.