The early days of Gatton, in colour.

The first mention of Gatton as a locality near Moreton Bay comes from a Sydney paper in 1846.

“A smart gallop of half an hour brought me to Gatton, Messrs Pitt and Co.’s station, passing which, another half hour gave the dwelling and station of Mr. Pearce to view, on the left bank of the Creek.”

Bell’s Life in Sydney, 1846.

This photo was captioned, “The First Hotel at Gatton.” It may be the Halfway House Inn that existed in 1847, but without further information, I can’t say for certain.

Gatton was named after that local station, and it became the accepted name of the locality long before a town was gazetted in that name. The town was officially born in 1855, and housing lots were put up for sale in the 1860s and 1870s. Gatton grew in earnest after the railway went through.

Railway Bridge at Gatton, 1925

Life in and around Gatton.

Children from the Brunnich family wading in the shallows of Lockyer Creek, Gatton, 1901.
Two boys with a dog and a toy wagon in Gatton area. No-one appears to be having fun here… Even the dog.
Two Lake Clarendon stockmen with Mr W. Armstrong, M.L.A., 1899. I’m going to hazard a guess that the Member of the Legislative Assembly is the chap on the right, based largely on the headgear and cravat. Pity the poor woman (and in those days it was always a woman) who had to launder their kit.
The Imperial Hotel at Gatton in 1905.

Gatton College.

Administrative building of the Queensland Agricultural College, c 1906. Happily, this building has survived the intervening 120 years.

The establishment of the Gatton Agricultural College in 1897 offered practical and theoretical courses for would-be and established farmers. Over the years, the college expanded its purpose to include a research facility, and is now the University of Queensland’s Gatton Campus.

Ploughing the fields at Gatton Agricultural College, 1899.
Modern dairy at the Queensland Agricultural College, 1913.
Students receiving a lecture at the Gatton Agricultural College, c 1900.

All images are from the digital collection of the State Library of Queensland, and are out of copyright. AI colourisation by Copilot.

  • Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer (NSW: 1845-1860), Saturday 27 June 1846, page 1
  • The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld: 1846-1861), Saturday 16 February 1850, page 1

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