Lowood

Lowood is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia.

Lowood is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Lowood had a population of 4,159 people.

Lowood railway station (27.4632°S 152.5816°E? / -27.4632; 152.5816? (Lowood railway station (former))) was established as the first terminus of the Brisbane Valley branch railway in 1884 and the town grew from the subdivision around the new railway station.The name Lowoodis derived from the "low woods" of brigalow in the Lowood area, as opposed to the taller trees elsewhere in the Brisbane Valley. The name Lowood replaced local names of The Scrub and Cairnhill.Lowood Post Office opened on 15 October 1888 (a receiving office had been open from 1884).Cairnhill Provisional School opened on 29 June 1881. On 1 April 1889 it become Lowood State School. On 29 January 1963 a secondary department was opened, which closed in 1983 closed whenLowood State High School opened.In 1919, 27 building sites in Morningside Estate were advertised for auction by Kavanagh & Smith Auctioneers. The auction was for resubs 1 to 27 of sub 5 of resub 1 of subs 1A & 3 of resub 2 of sub A of portion 319 (Tarampa). A map produced to advertise the auction shows Morningside Estate is on Peace Street and is close to Lowood Railway Station, the hospital and the state school.During World War II, an airfield called Lowood, which was actually located at Mount Tarampa, was the site of a military airfield operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. No. 71 Squadron operated from the airfield during 1943, conducting coastal patrol and naval convoy escort missions. After the war, the airfield was converted into a motor-racing circuit, the Lowood Airfield Circuit, and operated for 20 years, the highlight hosting the 1960 Australian Grand Prix. The airfield no longer exists, but a small memorial marks its previous location.Lowood State High School opened on 24 January 1983 replacing the secondary department attached to Lowood State School in 1963.The Lowood public library opened in 2000.At the 2006 census, Lowood had a population of 1,010.In the 2011 census, Lowood had a population of 3,336 people.In the 2016 census the locality of Lowood had a population of 4,159 people.

Nearby Lake Wivenhoe is a popular place for activities such as boating and fishing.