Abbeywood

Abbeywood is a rural locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.

Abbeywood is a rural locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Abbeywood had a population of 23 people.

Abbeywood Provisional School operated between in August 1912 and July 1913 as a half-time school with Speedwell Provisional School (meaning they shared a single teacher between them). In November 1914Abbeywood State School was established, closing on 31 December 1969. It was at 402 Cridlands Road (26.1070°S 151.6292°E? / -26.1070; 151.6292? (Abbeywood State School)).The name of the district was selected by schools' inspector Clement Lynam Fox when he approved the establishment of Abbeywood State School, choosing the name of his home town in England.Prior to this the area was known interchangeably as the 'Overseas Settlement' or the 'Oswestry Grange Settlement', these names arising from the fact that a number of the newly surveyed blocks for selection were reserved for new immigrants and many of these had arrived on the ship Oswestry Grange. These early settlers formed a progress association which agitated government authorities for improvements such as roads, schools at both Abbeywood and nearby Speedwell and a branch railway line which was later opened in 1923 to a new terminus at Proston, including a station at Hivesville.The nearby village of Hivesville was for many years the main town of business for these early farmers.

One of the first selectors to take up a bush block for development into a farm was John (Reuben) Bull with his wife Louisa and six children in 1910.Others which followed closely were Leonard Hatchett, Sydney Shaw, John Slinger, George Perkins, A. Chesterton, Martin Comerford, Martin McGovern, E.J.Cridland, William Waters, Wildfred Welch, Ezekial York, Henry Holdsworth and Harry Olsen. Sydney Shaw became the first teacher at Abbeywood State School.

In the 2016 census, Abbeywood had a population of 23 people.