Byrnestown, Queensland
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Byrnestown Queensland |
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 Byrnestown
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| Coordinates | 25°31′18″S 151°46′03″E / 25.52167°S 151.76750°ECoordinates: 25°31′18″S 151°46′03″E / 25.52167°S 151.76750°E | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4625 | ||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | North Burnett Region | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Electoral district of Callide | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Flynn | ||||||||||||
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Byrnestown is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region of Queensland, Australia. The town was established as one of the first communes in Queensland.
In response to the idea of communes promulgated by upotian William Lane, in 1893 the Queensland Government legislated the Queensland Co-operative Communities Land Settlement Act to allow a group of 30 or more men and their families to establish a commune in Queensland. This led to many groups forming to pursue the goal of establishing a commune; one of these groups called themselves Byrnestown after the then Queensland Attorney-General Thomas Joseph Byrnes (who would become Premier of Queensland in 1898).
In late 1893, the groups were offered sites near Roma but, following an inspection, the Byrnestown group rejected that location believing that the sites offered were too far from the town. In January 1893, the Byrnestown group inspected land in the Burnett area and found it suitable, having a water supply from the Wetherton Creek and frontage to the prospective railway to Gayndah. As a result, the Byrnestown commune (comprising 34 members) was registered on 24 February 1894 receiving 4,600 acres (1,900 ha) for an 8-year term. Another group calling themselves Resolute selected land immediately to the east of the Byrnestown group, while a third group Bon Accord also took land in the Burnett area at Bon Accord.
The first of the Byrnestown settlers arrived in March 1894. Although all communes were given initial funds, by June 1894, Byrnestown requested and received additional financial assistance. By October 1894, there were 169 people in the Byrnestown commune: 34 men, 28 wives and 107 children. The group had erected numerous bark dwellings, farm buildings and were beginning work on a school building, but had made more limited progress on clearing and planting the land.
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