Lowood's Story
Indigenous History
The traditional owners of the Brisbane Valley district are the Jagera, Yuppera and Ugarapul people who occupied the region for thousands of years prior to European settlement.
During settlement in the 1880s a Bora Ring, a sacred Aboriginal initiation site, was discovered at Clarendon, west of Lowood. In 1981 archaeologists recovered Aboriginal artifacts about 5300 years old from an ancient site near Fernvale, 9km from Lowood.
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Exploration and Settlement
Major Edmund Lockyer and his party were the first Europeans to navigate the upper reaches of the Brisbane River. From 10 September to 6 October 1825, 14 men in two row boats explored the Brisbane River as far as its source, over 200km from the penal settlement at Brisbane.
On September 17th dead trees lying across the river forced the crews to pull the boats overland in the region where Lowood later developed - becoming the first Europeans to visit and explore this district.
They also discovered the tributary later named Lockyer Creek and explored it for about 5km. They encountered friendly Aborigines during their journey.
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From the 1840s European settlers began arriving in the region to take up government leases. By 1848 18 large 'runs' had been established by Brisbane Valley's first pastoralists, among them 'Fernie Lawn', 'Wivenhoe' and 'Tarampa', whose boundaries covered the area where a later settlement would become Lowood.
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Along with settlers from Britain, many immigrants from Prussia and Germany settled in the region and introduced their culture, farming techniques and language to this district.
In the 1880s there were still many Aborigines living off the abundant plants, insects, animals and birds in the scrub that blanketed the district, and numerous fish species in the rivers and creeks. As settlers cleared the scrub and expanded their settlements Aborigines were forced to move away from the district.
Industry and the Railway
When Lowood became the first terminus of the Brisbane Valley Branch Line in 1884, it consisted of a handful of scattered homes, Bethel Lutheran Church (1876) and Cairn Hill Provisional School (1881).
The district was simply known as "The Scrub", being the northern end of Rosewood Scrub, a dense vine forest that blanketed the region from Rosewood through Minden, Marburg, Glamorgan Vale and Tarampa.
Initially rail authorities named the terminus location '19 Miles', its distance from Ipswich, before it became Lowood, supposedly after the area's low-growing woods.
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Timber getting and small crop farming became important local industries. A thriving township developed around the railway precinct as shops, hotels and businesses were established and more homes were built.
Lowood became the market distribution centre for the district. Soon tonnes of local produce were being despatched daily by train to Ipswich and Brisbane.
The district was remarkably productive: sheep, pigs, poultry and beef cattle were raised and Lowood became well known for its quality dairy produce.
Agricultural crops in the district were as diverse as maize, fruit, lucerne, grapes, onions, potatoes, legumes, cotton, sugar cane and even coffee.
Four Shires and Three Electorates
In the early 1900s Lowood district was divided among four shires - Walloon (based at Marburg), Tarampa (based at Gatton), Rosewood and Esk, and three State electorates - Rosewood, Lockyer and Stanley. From 1912 to 1917 Lowood had its own Shire Council before being merged with Esk Shire.
Fires and Flooding Rains
Floods in the 1880s and 1890s destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and pasture, and washed away homes and other buildings along with hundreds of head of stock and sections of the railway.
In February 1893 Brisbane River rose 86 feet (26.4m) at Lowood, still a record and several metres higher than the major floods of 1974 and 2011. The railway line from Fernvale was submerged and the telegraph lines were several feet under water.
Nine major fires ravaged parts of the town between 1904 and 1940. The eastern side of Railway Street was destroyed three times in eight years - remarkably the opposite side of the street remained unscathed.
Thanks to the heroic efforts of the volunteer "bucket brigades" no lives were lost in these fires. After each blaze new buildings soon appeared and life went on.
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Railway Closed, Heritage Remains
Improvements in roads and heavy transport progressively reduced rail transport to uneconomic levels. The Brisbane Valley Railway branch line ceased operations to Lowood in 1989 after 105 years of service.
Lowood's historic railway station and rail yards now form part of a large public park in the town centre, while the former rail corridor from Fernvale has become a popular section of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
Lowood has preserved a surprising array of historic buildings and sites that are important reminders of the town's character and heritage.