Brandon was surveyed as a site for a township in 1882 and the first allotments were sold later that year.[4] The town is named after Henry Brandon a sugar pioneer in the Mackay and Lower Burdekin regions.[5] Henry Brandon was also the son-in-law of the colonist, Korah Halcomb Wills.[6]
Brandon Post Office opened on 6 September 1883.[7] Prior to that a Receiving office called Pioneer Estate, Lower Burdekin had serviced the area. The Receiving office name was changed to Brandon in August 1883.[8]
Brandon Provisional School opened in the town on 9 April 1888. It became Brandon State School on 11 July 1898.[9]
Kalamia State School opened beside the Kalamia Sugar Mill on 18 July 1928.[9]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the town of Brandon had a population of 783 people.[10]
In the 2011 census, the locality of Brandon had a population of 1,267 people.[11]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Brandon had a population of 1,094 people.[12]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Brandon had a population of 1,088 people.[1]
Brandon is a sugarcane growing area with underground water supplies to irrigate crops. Wilmar Sugar Australia operates two sugar mills in Brandon, the Kalamia Sugar Mill in the north-east of the locality on Lilliesmere Road beside the Lilliesmere Lagoon (19°31′22″S 147°24′59″E / 19.5229°S 147.4163°E / -19.5229; 147.4163 (Kalamia Sugar Mill)) and the Pioneer Sugar Mill in the west of the locality on Pioneer Mill Road (19°33′30″S 147°19′51″E / 19.5583°S 147.3309°E / -19.5583; 147.3309 (Pioneer Sugar Mill)).[14]
Education
Brandon State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Drysdale Street (19°33′13″S 147°20′55″E / 19.5537°S 147.3485°E / -19.5537; 147.3485 (Brandon State School)).[15][16] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 45 students with 4 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[17]
Kalamia State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Lilliesmere Road (19°31′07″S 147°25′03″E / 19.5185°S 147.4176°E / -19.5185; 147.4176 (Kalamia State School)).[15][18] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 14 students with 1 teacher and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[17]
There are no secondary schools in Brandon. The nearest government secondary school is Ayr State High School in neighbouring Ayr to the east.[19]
^"Brandon – town in Shire of Burdekin (entry 4348)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
^"Brandon – locality in Shire of Burdekin (entry 44667)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
^"BURDEKIN RICHEST GEM OF THE NORTH". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LXIX. Queensland, Australia. 1 September 1948. p. 2. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Brandon". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
^Hall, Glen. "Korah Halcomb Wills". Mackay Mayors. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
^"INTERCOLONIAL". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 7, 990. Queensland, Australia. 21 August 1883. p. 5. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"St Patrick's Catholic Church (former) (entry 600372)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
^"Wilmar Sugar Mills - Our Mills". www.wilmarsugarmills.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^ a b"State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
^"Brandon State School". Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
^ a b"ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
^"Kalamia State School". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.