Pilton, Queensland
Town in Queensland, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pilton is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is south of the city of Toowoomba. In the 2021 census, the locality of Pilton had a population of 71 people.[1]
Pilton | |||||||||||||
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Looking north-east from Pilton State School across farmland, Pilton, 2015.jpg | |||||||||||||
  Pilton | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Pilton | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 27.8683°S 152.0475°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Queensland | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
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| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 41.9 km2 (16.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 71 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 1.695/km2 (4.39/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10:00 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 4361 | ||||||||||||
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Geography
The terrain in the north and south of the locality is more mountainous and is predominantly used for grazing on native vegetation. The terrain from the south-east to the north-west is within a valley through which Kings Creek flows from Upper Pilton through to Manapouri/Ascot and is ultimately a tributary of the Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling basin. The valley is used for cropping.[4]
The Gatton–Clifton Road (State Route 80) also passes through the locality from the south-west (Headington Hill) to the north-west (Hirstglen).[4]
History
Pilton is named after a pastoral run which was excised from Clifton pastoral station in the 1840s. The run was leased by Philip Pinnock, John Gammie, Joseph King and Joshua J. Whitting [from 1851-9]. It might have been named after Pilton, Somerset, England, an Old English name with Pil meaning creek and ton meaning an enclosed homestead.[2]
Pilton Post Office opened on 27 March 1878 (though a receiving office for some years) and closed in 1977.[5]
Pilton Provisional School opened in February 1884.[6] It closed in 1908.[7]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the locality of Pilton had a population of 209 people, living in 74 inhabited dwellings. The median age of the population was 41 years, and the median weekly household income was $866.[9]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Pilton had a population of 88 people.[10]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Pilton had a population of 71 people.[1]
Education
Pilton State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 24 Pilton Valley Road (27.8679°S 152.0497°E).[11][12] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 29 students with 3 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[13] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 18 students with 2 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[14]
There is no secondary school in Pilton; the nearest government secondary school is Clifton State High School in Clifton to the south-west.[4]
Attractions
The Darling Downs Zoo is in the south-west corner of the locality.[15]
