Grandchester, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Grandchester
state = qld


caption =
lga = City of Ipswich
postcode = 4340
pop = 735 (2006)
area =
dist1 = 76
location1= Brisbane
dist2 = 34
location2= Ipswich
fedgov = Blair
stategov = Electoral district of Ipswich West
Electoral district of Lockyer
near-nw = Hatton Vale
near-n = Summerholm
near-ne = Woolshed
near-w = Laidley
near-e = The Bluff
near-sw = Laidley South
near-s = Laidley South
near-se = Ashwell
Calvert

Grandchester is a town in the Lockyer Valley region in South East Queensland, Australia. It is located 76km west of the Brisbane CBD and is situated on the border of the Ipswich and Laidley local government areas. The name comes from the village outside of Cambridge in England. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Queensland/Grandchester/2005/02/17/1108500203358.html]

History

Grandchester is home to the first narrow gauge mainline railway in the world. The first track opened to traffic on 31 July 1865 from Ipswich and terminated at this small town [Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1965 pp121-136] . The original railway station, formerly known as Bigge's Camp, still exists.

Grandchester was the home of one of the last known surviving steam-powered flat-belt sawmills in Australia. The engine powering it was manufactured in 1910, and the mill had been in operation from 1945 until it was destroyed beyond repair in a fire sometime in the early hours of 6 May 2007. [ [http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/icc_cms/plugins/media_releases/viewMediaReleasePDF.php?id=866 Ipswich City Council Media Release, May 9, 2007] ]

ee also

*Rosewood
*Rail transport in Queensland

References

External links

* [http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au Ipswich City Council]