Summary

Gatton is a small suburb in the southeastern section of Queensland, Australia, in the subregion of Toowoomba. Gatton's residential area, Gatton Shire, is just an hour drive away or 90 kilometers to the west from the downtown area of the capital city Brisbane and is situated in the valley of Lockyer. Its postcode is 4343. The population of Gatton Shire as of year 2001 is 14,781. It covers a land area of 1, 576 square kilometers or a bit more than 608 square miles. It is covered by the federal division of Blair and the state district of Lockyer.

Surroundings

Gatton is surrounded by various other towns in the Toowoomba subregion, as follows: the Woodlands, Lawes, Ringwood, Adare, Caffey, Fordsdale, Woodbine, and Ingoldsby. On the highway of Warrego, Gatton serves as the division between Toowoomba and Ipswich. Other towns encircling Gatton are Rockside, Ropeley, Vinegar Hill, the Black Duck Creek, East Haldon, Junction View, College View, and Upper and Lower Tenthill.

Name Derivation and History

There is no specific reference as to how the town of Gatton got its name. What is certain, though, is that exploration of the area began with the surveying of the Brisbane River for coal by Edmund Lockyer in 1825. Settlers just started living in Gatton two decades after.   read more

Geography

The geographical make up of Gatton contributes a lot to its designation as the Salad Bowl of Queensland. There is Lockyer Valley, a very productive piece of land, where Gatton sits. The Great Dividing Range, an array of lofty peaks, is also characteristic of Gatton. There is also Lake Apex, where the valley apparently gets nutrients enough to make the land fertile.

Attractions

Owing to its reputation as the Salad Bar of Queensland, Gatton has a host of educational institutions on the home front catering to the tilling of land and care of animals, one of which is the University of Queensland - Gatton Agricultural College. Other attractions include the historical village of Gatton, spa water reserves in Helidon, and extensive vegetable farms.

Transport

The most common method of transportation in Gatton as well as the rest of Queensland is the bicycle. Other forms of transportation are motorcoaches, trains, and cruise lines.

Recreation

The most popular forms of recreation in Gatton are farm tours, educational tours, fishing, and nature sports.

Alternative Places

The Gatton Manor in Surrey, United Kingdom (Europe) is a golf course-cum-hotel.