Gatton
One of Queensland's earliest rural settlements.
Located 90 km west of Brisbane and 104 m above sea level, Gatton was one of the earliest settlements in Queensland. The area was explored as early as 1825 when Major Edmund Lockyer (after whom the Lockyer Creek was named) passed through the area. He had been instructed to explore the Brisbane River and, in a small boat, managed to reach the present site of Ipswich, where he found coal, and discovered the Stanley River.

The area was settled in the 1840s after land around Moreton Bay was opened up to free settlers. By 13 April 1855 the village of Gatton (it was probably named after Gatton, Roxburghshire, Scotland) was gazetted, and by 1858 it had become a major stopover point (it was a changeover point for the horses on the Royal Mail) on the road from Brisbane to the Darling Downs. The town was officially surveyed in 1859 and town allotments went on sale in 1860. By 1875 the railway line from Ipswich had reached the area and the town expanded rapidly as a service centre for the surrounding farms.

One of the most intriguing chapters in Gatton's history is the unsolved multiple murder known either as 'The Gatton Tragedy' or 'The Murphy Murders'.

On 26 December 1898 the sisters Norah and Ellen Murphy and their brother Michael were murdered in particularly strange circumstances. The Murphy family, who had lived in the Gatton area for over 20 years, farmed outside Gatton. On the night of 26 December Michael took his sisters to a dance at the Gatton Divisional Hall. They left their parent's farm by cart at about 8.00pm and arrived in Gatton at 9.00pm. The dance had been cancelled due to a lack of young women. The trio decided to return home and on the way they were waylaid by the murderer. When their bodies were found the next morning Michael and his sister Ellen lay back to back with their hands tied behind them while Norah was on a neatly spread rug with her hands also tied behind her back. They had all been beaten to death and the cart horse had been shot.

The subsequent investigation was a litany of stupid bungling by virtually everyone involved. Within hours the paddock where the Murphys had been killed had up to forty people in it - all destroying what evidence there was. The police took a day to arrive from Brisbane. The first doctor failed to find a bullet in the head of Michael Murphy (it was only found later when his body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out) and the prime suspect, an intinerant labourer named Thomas Day, simply walked out of the town two weeks later and was never heard of again.

All the evidence pointed towards Day. He was living in stables near to the scene of the crime. He had been seen standing by the sliprails of the paddock by a number of people. He had gone to bed at 7.00pm and hadn't been seen at a fireworks display on the property where he was staying and it was claimed that he had washed blood from a pullover a few days after the murder. The evidence was overwhelming but, claiming that he didn't like his employer's food, he simply packed up his swag and disappeared into the bush.

In a poem about the murders John Manifold concludes with the memorable lines:

Whether it was a madman's work
Or that of a fiend from Hell
Only the stark white ringbarked gums
And the silent moon can tell.

The graves of Michael, Norah and Ellen Murphy can be seen in the Gatton cemetery.

Today Gatton lies in the heart of a rich farming area where the fertile black soils provide huge crops of potatoes, onions, and vegetables for the Brisbane markets. The area is also known for its beef and dairy industries.

Things to see:  

Gatton College
This rich agricultural heritage is reflected in the University of Queensland's Gatton College which was started in 1897 as a training college for young farmers. Located on 970 ha it is only 5 km from Gatton on the Warrego Highway. The college includes both cattle and horse studs and it is recognised as the best agricultural college in the country. The college can be inspected. Contact (07) 5460 1111 for more details.

Gatton and District Historical Society Museum
An insight into the history of the town and the Gatton area can be gained by visiting the Gatton and District Historical Society Museum which is located beside Lake Apex. The lake, beside the highway on the Toowoomba side of town, is a bird sanctuary and a popular spot for picnics. The museum, which is open every Sunday between 1.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by contacting (07) 5462 1580 or (07) 5462 2884, has a fascinating collection of local buildings as well as interesting memorabilia from the local area.

	Tourist Information
	Lake Apex Visitor Information Centre Lake Apex Dve Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 3430
	Motels
	Gatton Motel 74 Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1333 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1008
	Federal Hotel 6 Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1007
	Gatton View Hotel 115 Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1072
	Imperial Hotel Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1076
	Royal Hotel 2 Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1029
	Caravan Parks
	Gatton Caravan Park Easter Dve Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1198 Rating: **
	Restaurants
	Commercial Hotel Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1008
	Gatton Chinese Restaurant 44 Railway St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 2313
	Cafés
	Jade Kitchen Willaim St Gatton QLD 4343 Telephone: (07) 5462 1903