Proston
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Proston Queensland |
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 Proston
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| Coordinates | 26°10′0″S 151°36′0″E / 26.16667°S 151.60000°ECoordinates: 26°10′0″S 151°36′0″E / 26.16667°S 151.60000°E |
| Population | 304 (2006 census) |
| Postcode(s) | 4613 |
| Elevation | 368 m (1,207 ft) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | South Burnett Region |
| State electorate(s) | Callide |
| Federal Division(s) | Wide Bay |
Proston is a small town and locality in South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. The town is located 280 kilometres (170 mi) north-west of the state capital, Brisbane and 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of the South Burnett regions commercial centre, Kingaroy. At the 2006 census, Proston had a population of 304.
The area around Proston is hilly, grassland, grazing country, most of it cleared from the original brigalow scrub that once covered the immediate vicinity.
The town was founded in 1910 with a land ballot that attracted a group of settlers from England. With little access to water, early settlers struggled to maintain a living from the land. The coming of the railway in 1923 eased some of the early hardships. The construction of the South Burnett Dairy Co-operative Butter Factory in 1934 led to even more growth.
The closure of the railway line and Butter Factory in the 1970s threw the area into a long period of slow decline. The creation of the nearby Boondooma Dam in the 1970s by daming the Boyne River provided a source of water for Tarong Power Station and solved Proston's water problems.
Proston has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The main agricultural activities in the Proston area are dairying, beef cattle and duboisia, a shrub used in the production of the drug butylscopolamine.
The area is well catered for with sports facilities and clubs. There is the nine-hole Proston Golf Club on the western edge of town. Proston's Lawn Bowls Club and the Over 50's group are also popular amongst the locals. Social tennis is held every Thursday night at the tennis grounds, Wondai Road. The locals have dances every week at the Public Hall.
For fishing, the nearby Boondooma Dam is stocked with Australian bass, golden perch (yellowbelly), silver perch and saratoga. There is also a naturally occurring population of eel-tailed catfish (Jew) and spangled perch. Visitors to the dam can also waterski, sail and swim. For quieter fishing and canoeing, Proston Weir is located just south of the town. The weir doesn't provide toilet facilities or picnic tables.
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Wikipedia