Didcot

History

A report by R. W. Winks of the Department of Agriculture, Brisbane, surveying for the proposed Degilbo to Gayndah railway line extension, dated 10 November 1897 stated:- "After arranging for a horse, I proceeded to what is known as Irwin's Hotel, an accommodation-house on Didcot Creek, about from Woowoonga." Degilbo at that time was known as Woowoonga. Mount Shamrock was declared a goldfield in July 1886. Mount Shamrock Provisional School opened on 24 February 1890. In August 1890, were reserved for school purposes on Mount Shamrock Road (). The school closed in October 1893 due to low student numbers. It reopened on 7 April 1896 as Mount Shamrock Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Mount Shamrock State School. It closed in July 1935. The school was on a site on the south-western corner of Merritt Street and Hamilton Street (). Town and suburban land parcels in Didcot were offered for sale in March 1910.

Geography

Gooroolba Biggenden Road enters the locality from the south-west (Gooroolba), passes through the town (where it is called Merritt Street) and exits to the north-east (Coringa / Degilbo). The now-closed Mungar-Monto railway line passed through Didcot from west to east with two now-abandoned railway stations serving the locality: * Didcot railway station, serving the town () * Chowey railway station in the east of the locality (). Didcot has two mountains in the north-east of the locality: * Mount Shamrock () * Mount Melville () Mount Shamrock is a former mining town in the north-east of the locality (), immediately south of the mountain of the same name. Degilbo Timber Reserve 1 is in the east of the locality and Degilbo Timber Reserve 2 is in the south-east of the locality. Apart from these protected areas, the land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation.

Most-observed species

• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  82
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  56
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  41
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  38
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  37
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  36
• Striated Pardalote

  Pardalotus striatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  35
• Red-backed Fairywren

  Malurus melanocephalus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  32

Most recent

• M 4.9 — 2025-08-15
  12 km ESE of Cherbourg, Australia
• M 4.9 — 2015-02-15
  42 km N of Mundubbera, Australia
• M 4.4 — 2004-01-16
  27 km SE of Monto, Australia