Woodford, Queensland

History

In 1841 the Archer brothers established Durundur station along the Stanley River, near where Woodford now stands. After the lease of Durundur expired in October 1878, some land was thrown open for selection. Mr W. Yates was the first to take possession of his selected portion of the country and he built a hotel near a ford across the river. The hotel, and the town which developed around it, became known, unofficially, as Yatesville.

The town was positioned on a hill closer to the Stanley River than the present day town. When the introduction of a regular mail service required the town to have an official name a meeting was called and 'McConnel' was decided on in honour of the senior partner of Durundur Station ‑ but the Postmaster General would not accept that name. Therefore, another meeting was called and those present called it ‘Woodford' in honour of the junior partner, Mr H.C. Wood, and in recognition of the importance to the community of the ford across the river.

Timber cutting was the town's first primary industry, followed by dairying. A co-operative dairy factory opened in the town in 1904. Most of the timber sourced from the area is sent to a saw mill in Caboolture.

Woodford is the terminus for the disused Kilcoy railway line, which reached Woodford in 1909 and extended from Caboolture to Kilcoy. Between Caboolture (where it branches from the North Coast railway line) and Wamuran, the tracks and corridor are mostly still in place. Beyond Wamuran, the railway was removed after its closure in the mid 1960s, and much of the land has been sold.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Woodford recorded a population of 2,517 people, 40.2% female and 59.8% male. The median age of the Woodford population was 37 years, the same as the national median. 82.9% of people living in Woodford were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 4.6%, England 3.4%, Netherlands 0.8%, Scotland 0.7%, Vietnam 0.4%. 74.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Dutch, 0.3% German, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% French, 0.1% Spanish.

Culture

Woodford's main claim to fame is the Woodford Folk Festival which is held in the town in December each year. In 2010 and 2011, the Australian music festival Splendour in the Grass was held in Woodford in the same location as the Folk Festival. The Aboriginal cultural event, the Dreaming Festival, is also held at the same site. One of the sporting events in the town each year is the Woodford Annual Fun Run for Peace, which is organised by the Anglican Church. Woodford is the home of the Stanley River Cricket Club, which supports junior and senior cricket in the local area.

There is a small rail museum in the town which operates a steam train on the first and third Sunday of each month. On the third Sunday of each month, a small market is held in the middle of the town, consisting mainly of white elephant stalls. Woodford was also one of the principal locations for the low-budget horror film, Undead.

A local landmark up until its closure in 2010 was the Elvis Presley-themed fruit and vegetable shop, "Elvis Parsley's Grapelands." An agricultural show is held in June each year and attracts a number of visitors. The town has its own community newspaper.

Woodford is home to Australian music artist Jode Gannon

Urbanisation

Once an insular country town, Woodford is now urbanising with new housing subdivisions being established on Kropp Road and Ironbark Drive during 2010 and 2011. In addition, a Woolworths shopping centre opened in the town in 2010.

A sandmining operation has been proposed for the nearby area which, if approved, will further change the culture of the town.