Clifton

History

The lands around the town was first settled by Europeans in 1840. The town takes its name from a pastoral run named by John Augustus Milbourne Marsh around 1844. In 1877, were resumed from the Clifton pastoral run and offered for selection on 17 April 1877. Clifton Colliery Provisional School opened on 11 December 1876. It became Clifton Colliery State School on 7 October 1878. It closed in 1936. Clifton Homestead Area State School opened circa 1879 and closed circa 1918. An article in the Darling Downs Gazette on 20 June 1885 notes the sale of allotments at the new township of King's Creek. On Sunday 21 October 1888, the Roman Catholic Church of St James and St John was consecrated by Bishop Robert Dunne. A Presbyterian church was built in the town in 1890. However, the building became too small for the congregation, so on Wednesday 18 November 1908, there was a stump-capping ceremony for a new Presbyterian church building capable of seating 250 people. St Andrew's Presbyterian Church opened on Wed 3 March 1909. It was described as a "striking and substantial edifice". The foundation stone for All Saints' Anglican Church was laid by Mrs H. Fisher of Headington Hill with an address by the Anglican Bishop of Brisbane William Webber on Thursday 14 March 1889. It was dedicated later in 1889. In 1905 it was re-built and re-dedicated. Clifton State School opened on 19 September 1892. On 28 January 1964 it opened a secondary department, an arrangement which continued until Clifton State High School opened on 24 January 1966. In 1900, a Methodist Church was built in Clifton at a cost of £192 or £196. It had closed before 2003. It was at 17 Queen Street (). St Francis De Sales' Catholic School was officially opened on 25 February 1917 by Archbishop James Duhig. It…

Geography

Clifton is a town in the Darling Downs. The town is situated just west of the New England Highway, about south of Toowoomba and west of Brisbane. Bange's Airfield, six kilometres west of Clifton, is a centre for ultralight aircraft, and home to the Lone Eagle Flying School and the Darling Downs Sport Aircraft Association Inc. Boab trees are an important cultural heritage feature, particularly alongside the main street. The New England Highway runs along the eastern boundary. Gatton–Clifton Road enters from the east, Felton-Clifton Road enters from the north, and Clifton-Leyburn Road exits to the west. The South Western railway line enters the locality from the north (Kings Creek), passes through the centre of town, and exits to the south (Elphinstone). The town is served by the Clifton railway station ().

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  253
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  242
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  222
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  201
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  187
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  185
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  171
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  168