Stanthorpe | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Stanthorpe Post Office, 2015 | |||||||||||||
  Stanthorpe | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:28°39′17″S151°56′06″E / 28.6547°S 151.935°E /-28.6547; 151.935 (Stanthorpe (town centre)) | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Queensland | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 33.8 km2 (13.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 690–924 m (2,264–3,031 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 5,286 (2021 census)[2] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 156.39/km2 (405.0/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10:00 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 4380 | ||||||||||||
| County | Bentinck | ||||||||||||
| Parish | Stanthorpe, Broadwater, Folkestone | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 8.9 °C (48.0 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 763.8 mm (30.07 in) | ||||||||||||
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Stanthorpe is a rural town andlocality in theSouthern Downs Region,Queensland, Australia.[3][4] In the2021 census, the locality of Stanthorpe had a population of 5,286 people.[2]
The area surrounding the town is known as theGranite Belt.
Stanthorpe lies on theNew England Highway near theNew South Wales border 223 kilometres (139 mi) fromBrisbane viaWarwick, 56 kilometres (35 mi) north ofTenterfield and 811m above sea level.[5] The record low temperature of -10.6 °C (12.9 °F) was registered on June 23, 1961 in Stanthorpe. This is the lowest temperature recorded inQueensland.[6]
Stanthorpe was developed around Quart Pot Creek which meanders from south-east through the centre of town and then out through the south-west, where its confluence with Spring Creek forms theSevern River. Quart Pot Creek forms part of the south-western boundary of the locality, while the Severn River forms part of the south-western boundary.[7]
TheNew England Highway passes through the locality fromApplethorpe in the north toSevernlea in the south. Originally it passed through the town centre along the main street, Maryland Street. However, it now bypasses to the west of the main developed area of the town. TheStanthorpe–Texas–Inglewood Road connects Stanthorpe andBroadwater to the west, then travels south-west toTexas.[7]
The land within the boundaries of Stanthorpe is primarily used for urban purposes: housing, recreational, commercial and industrial with some undeveloped land on the hillier slopes. Although an agricultural centre of theGranite Belt, there is little agriculture within the town's boundaries.[7] Crops grown in the surrounding area includevegetables,apples,grapes andstone fruit.Wine is also produced in the area, andsheep andcattle grazing is also prevalent.
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The town lies in the valley of Quart Pot Creek and its tributary Funkers Gap Creek (28°39′04″S151°55′43″E / 28.6511°S 151.9286°E /-28.6511; 151.9286 (Funkers Gap Creek))[8] at 690 metres (2,260 ft) above sea level.[7]
The locality has the following mountains:
Prior to British settlement, theKambuwal were an Indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.Norman Tindale estimated that the Kambuwal's territory stretched over 3,700 square miles (9,600 km2). They straddled the border between Queensland andNew South Wales, from south ofMillmerran, andInglewood toBonshaw. Their eastern flank ended around Stanthorpe,Wallangarra and the western scarp of theGreat Dividing Range.[13]
Stanthorpe was founded bytin miners. People came from many countries to mine tin from 1872. Prior to 1872 this area boasted some large pastoral runs and a few prospectors in bark huts. At that time, the area was known as 'Quart Pot Creek'. The Private Township of Stannum existed in the area along one side of the present main street. With the discovery of tin and the influx of miners and new businesses, a 'more suitable' name was sought by the town fathers. Thus, Stanthorpe became the name which encompassed all, as this area became for a time, the largest alluvialtin mining and mineral field in Queensland. Stanthorpe literally means 'tintown', as Stannum isLatin for 'tin' andthorpe isMiddle English for 'village'.[14] TheQueensland Surveyor General,Augustus Charles Gregory, is credited with coining the name in 1872.[3]
When the tin prices fell, many miners turned to farming. Thesubtropical highland climate was very suitable for growing cool climate fruits and vegetables. Grapes were first planted here in the 1860s with encouragement from the local Catholic parish priest FatherJerome Davadi to produce altar wine. His Italian descent made grape growing and wine production a familiar pastime and the notion caught on in the area. There were plenty of Italian settlers and wine was made for home enjoyment.
Mount Marlay was named after Edward Marlay, a selector and tin miner. On 3 July 1872 he purchased Allotment 1, Section 1 in the Town of Stanthorpe.[15]
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In July 1872, Presbyterian minister John McAra arrived in Stanthorpe and established a congregation. On 17 November 1872, the Stanthorpe Presbyterian Church was opened by the Reverend Colin McCulloch.[16]
St Joseph's Catholic School was established in October 1872 by four Sisters of Mercy: Sisters M Agnes, Emilian, Muredach and Malachy.[17][18]
Stanthorpe State School opened on 9 March 1874.[17]
On Tuesday 3 May 1881, theSouthern railway line was officially opened to Stanthorpe by the Queensland Colonial Secretary,Arthur Palmer.[19][20]
The Post Office with a clock tower and an elaboratecoat of arms was constructed in Maryland Street in 1901 in theArts and Crafts style.[21] FollowingFederation, theCommonwealth Government took charge of post and telegraphic services. However, they contracted the construction of post offices in Queensland to thePublic Works Department of the Queensland Government and the Stanthorpe Post Office is believed to be one of the first ordered by the Commonwealth Government. It was designed by the first Commonwealth Government ArchitectJohn Smith Murdoch.[22][23]
The cool dry climate was valued as an aid to health from the early nineteenth century especially for those suffering fromtuberculosis or chest conditions. Following theFirst World War, Stanthorpe was a major resettlement area for soldiers recovering from mustard gas exposure. Many of theseSoldier Settlers took up the land leased to them in the areas around Stanthorpe which now bear the names of First World War battlefields.
Stanthorpe State High School opened on 23 January 1961.[17]
The Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery was established in 1972.[24]
Stanthorpe Adventist Primary School opened on 25 January 1982 and closed in 2002.[17]
The Stanthorpe Library opened in 1987 with a major refurbishment in 2004.[25]
The College of Wine Tourism was opened in 2007.[26]
In the2016 census, the locality of Stanthorpe had a population of 5,406 people.[27]
In the2021 census, the locality of Stanthorpe had a population of 5,286 people.[2]
Stanthorpe has a number ofheritage-listed sites, including:
Stanthorpe State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Marsh Street (28°38′59″S151°56′03″E / 28.6498°S 151.9343°E /-28.6498; 151.9343 (Stanthorpe State School)).[35][36] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 308 students with 33 teachers (27 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (13 full-time equivalent).[37] It includes a special education program.[35]
St Joseph's Catholic School is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school at 100 High Street (28°39′10″S151°56′17″E / 28.6528°S 151.9381°E /-28.6528; 151.9381 (St Joseph's School)).[35][38]
Stanthorpe State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 2 McGlew Street (28°38′44″S151°55′54″E / 28.6456°S 151.9317°E /-28.6456; 151.9317 (Stanthorpe State High School)).[35][39] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 653 students with 57 teachers (53 full-time equivalent) and 45 non-teaching staff (31 full-time equivalent).[37] It includes a special education program.[35]
Queensland College of Wine Tourism at 22 Caves Road (28°38′31″S151°56′02″E / 28.6419°S 151.9340°E /-28.6419; 151.9340 (Queensland College of Wine Tourism)) offers Bachelor level degrees. The college operates in co-operation with the local Stanthorpe State High School,[40] as well as other regional schools to provide secondary, undergraduate, and graduate certification related to wine and tourism industries.[26]
Stanthorpe Library and Regional Art Gallery building is located in Lock Street beside Weeroona Park (28°39′13″S151°55′57″E / 28.6537°S 151.9326°E /-28.6537; 151.9326 (Stanthorpe Library and Art Gallery)). Both are provided by theSouthern Downs Regional Council.[41][42]
The Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery has a changing set of exhibitions.[24] A number of internationally recognised Australian artists are represented in the collection, such asWilliam Robinson,Jon Molvig,Margaret Olley andCharles Blackman. The biennial Stanthorpe Art Prize attracts entries from across Australia.[43]
The Southern Downs Regional Council operates the Stanthorpe Civic Centre Complex and council offices in Marsh Street (28°39′14″S151°56′02″E / 28.6539°S 151.9339°E /-28.6539; 151.9339 (Stanthorpe Civic Centre Complex)).[44]
The Stanthorpe branch of theQueensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 5 Victoria Street.[45]
St Paul's Anglican Church is at 2 Corundum Street (28°39′10″S151°56′15″E / 28.6528°S 151.9376°E /-28.6528; 151.9376 (St Denys Anglican Church)). It is part of the Stanthorpe Parish within theAnglican Diocese of Brisbane.[46]
Parkland has been developed along both sides of Quart Pot Creek as it flows through Stanthorpe with a network of paths for walking and cycling with bridges and other crossings.[47]
The Stanthorpe Heritage Museum at 12 High Street has a number of heritage buildings relocated to the museum site and a large number of displayed items from the district's history, many unique to theGranite Belt. The relocated buildings include:[48]
Several private art galleries operate in Stanthorpe including the Glen Aplin Art Gallery which supports emerging artists and musicians who wish to display new works and perform at public functions.[49][50] There are many interesting works of street art on Stanthorpe streets.[51]
There are many local events, including the annual Australian Small Winemakers Show,[52] the biennialApple & Grape Harvest Festival,[53] Ballandean Estates' Opera in the Vineyard and the Stanthorpe Show.[54]
Stanthorpe is on theSouthern railway line. Since 1972, there have been no scheduled passenger services operating toStanthorpe railway station (28°39′27″S151°56′15″E / 28.6575°S 151.9375°E /-28.6575; 151.9375 (Stanthorpe railway station)).[55]Downs Explorer (formerly the Southern Downs Steam Railway) operates a tourist steam train most months from Warwick to Wallangarra and return, stopping in Stanthorpe.[56]
Despite the name, theStanthorpe Airport is on Scott Walker Drive inApplethorpe. It is a public airport operated by theSouthern Downs Regional Council. There are no regular scheduled services to this airport.[57]
Rebel FM 97.1 MHz was Stanthorpe's first commercial FM radio station. Rebel FM has a new & classic rock music format.The Breeze broadcasts on 90.1 MHz with an easy adult contemporary and classics hits format. Both stations are part of the Rebel Media group. Toowoomba based station CFM also broadcasts in Stanthorpe on 97.9 MHz. CFM is a part of the Australia wide Southern Cross Media network.[58]
The Stanthorpe area is served by a local Community Radio StationTen FM. The Station is currently transmitting on 98.7 MHz with a low power transmitter situated onMount Marlay.[59][60] The station has in 2011 upgraded its Stanthorpe studios with a new mixing desk, new computers and professional grade monitor speakers. Ten FM has a local focus, derived in part from the stringent rules controlling Community Radio Stations. The station transmits a broad range of programs to attract the widest audience. In particular, the station broadcasts Italoz, a weekly program with an Italian theme to cater for the many listeners around the Stanthorpe area with an Italian background.[61]
TheStanthorpe Border Post is the only paid local newspaper servicing the district and is relied upon for its coverage of local news and events.[62] Since 2020, it has been an online-only publication.[63]
Stanthorpe is also serviced by a Christian radio network3ABN Australia rebroadcasting on FM 88.0 MHz.[64]
Stanthorpe has a popular European football culture and thus supports a relatively large number of teams in relation to its population size:[65]
| Club | A-Grade | Colts | Womens | Home Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanthorpe International Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | International Football Club |
| Stanthorpe United Redbacks Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | International Football Club |
| Stanthorpe Carlton United Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | C.F White Oval |
| Tenterfield Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rugby League Park |
| Ballandean Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ballandean Football Club |
| Stanthorpe City Football Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | C.F White Oval |
Several of these teams share a home ground due to the small size of the town.
Owing to its elevation, Stanthorpe features asubtropical highland climate (Cfb). At an altitude of 784 metres (2,572 ft),[5] Stanthorpe holds the record for the lowest temperature recorded in Queensland at −10.6 °C (12.9 °F) on 23 June 1961.[66]
Sleet and light snowfalls are occasionally recorded, with the most significant snowfall in over 30 years occurring on 17 July 2015.[67] Up to 8 centimetres (3 in) fell on Stanthorpe and nearby areas that day.[68]
| Climate data for Stanthorpe Leslie Parade (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1957–present); 784 m AMSL; 28.66° S, 151.93° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.8 (100.0) | 37.2 (99.0) | 34.2 (93.6) | 30.6 (87.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 32.6 (90.7) | 35.5 (95.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 38.0 (100.4) | 38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 33.9 (93.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 30.6 (87.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 23.6 (74.5) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 23.1 (73.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 32.5 (90.5) | 33.5 (92.3) | 35.4 (95.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.9 (82.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.2 (77.4) | 22.5 (72.5) | 19.1 (66.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 15.6 (60.1) | 17.6 (63.7) | 20.8 (69.4) | 23.6 (74.5) | 26.0 (78.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 22.4 (72.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.7 (67.5) | 16.1 (61.0) | 12.4 (54.3) | 9.7 (49.5) | 8.6 (47.5) | 9.8 (49.6) | 13.3 (55.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.0 (69.8) | 15.8 (60.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 15.9 (60.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 9.7 (49.5) | 5.6 (42.1) | 3.3 (37.9) | 1.6 (34.9) | 2.0 (35.6) | 5.8 (42.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 9.3 (48.7) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 7.6 (45.7) | 2.6 (36.7) | −2.3 (27.9) | −4.2 (24.4) | −4.9 (23.2) | −4.6 (23.7) | −1.2 (29.8) | 2.3 (36.1) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | −5.8 (21.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) | 3.3 (37.9) | −0.2 (31.6) | −2.2 (28.0) | −6.9 (19.6) | −10.6 (12.9) | −9.4 (15.1) | −7.8 (18.0) | −5.6 (21.9) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | −10.6 (12.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 92.5 (3.64) | 80.3 (3.16) | 58.1 (2.29) | 26.5 (1.04) | 45.1 (1.78) | 41.2 (1.62) | 37.4 (1.47) | 34.9 (1.37) | 38.9 (1.53) | 71.1 (2.80) | 80.1 (3.15) | 107.2 (4.22) | 713.3 (28.07) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) | 7.8 | 7.6 | 6.4 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 74.5 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 8.9 (48.0) | 7.0 (44.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 3.6 (38.5) | 2.1 (35.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 12.5 (54.5) | 8.7 (47.7) |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology (dew point for 3pm)[69] | |||||||||||||
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