Gatton

Gatton, Queensland, Australia

Gatton, town, southern Queensland, Australia. It lies along Lockyer Creek, about 60 miles (100 km) west of Brisbane.

Likely named for the village of Gattonside in the Borders region of Scotland or for the parish of Gatton in Surrey, England, it was gazetted as the site for a village in 1855 and by 1858 was a place of call for travelers between Brisbane and the Darling Downs. Gatton is now the service centre for the Lockyer Valley, a mixed-farming district known as Queensland’s “Salad Bowl,” which produces most of the state’s fruits and vegetables. The University of Queensland’s Gatton campus, formerly the Queensland Agricultural College (1897), specializes in education and research in agriculture, veterinary science, and environmental studies. The Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre, which opened in 2009, includes the Queensland Transport Museum, an art gallery, a library, and other venues. Nearby is the Gatton and District Historical Society Museum. Pop. (2006) urban centre, 5,295; (2011), urban centre, 6,178.