Amiens, Thulimbah, Applethorpe District

The Amiens, Thulimbah and Applethorpe district is north and west of Stanthorpe. During the 1920s-30s it had as many as 12 villages or localities, six of them with primary schools. All of the primary schools continued.

A defining feature of the district was a branch line from the Warwick to Stanthorpe railway. It ran from Cottonvale in a quarter-circle, 20 km long, west then south. The stopping places on the line were Fleurbaix, Pozieres, Bullecourt, Passchendaele, Bapaume, Messines and Amiens, all names of notable French and Belgian battle places during World War I. These places were mostly settled by returned-soldier orchardists.

Today, the district has six census areas: Thulimbah in the north and (travelling clockwise), The Summit, Applethorpe, Broadwater, Amiens and Pozieres. Their total population is 2374 (2011 census).

Thulimbah area: includes the villages of Cottonvale and Thulimbah, on or near the New England Highway, 15 km and 11 km respectively north of Stanthorpe. Named after an early farmer, E. Cotton, Cottonvale was the start of the spur line to Amiens. In 1949 the post office directory recorded 60 orchardists, a store, a school of arts and a branch of the Queensland Fruit-Growers Society at Cottonvale. It has a general store, and had a primary school 1958-2004. Thulimbah, perhaps named after an Aboriginal expression describing a place of water, was a railway station (1883) on the line to Stanthorpe. Its school opened in 1914. The post office directory in 1949 recorded nearly 60 orchardists, a sawmill, a store, a blacksmith, a butcher and a baker. There is a camping ground at Thulimbah.

The Summit area: near the New England Highway and 8 km north of Stanthorpe. The village was named after the railway station, located on the highest point of the railway line. The primary school opened in 1921, coinciding with soldier settlement. From 21 orchardists recorded in the post office directory in 1929, there were 87 in 1949. There were also a co-operative sawmill, two fruit-packing sheds and (1949) a motor garage, a store, a grocer and a butcher. The census population was over 350. The Summit has a general store and post office.

Applethorpe area: early orchardists and vignerons were the Roessler family, who gave their name to the village. A school opened in 1911. Anti-German feeling changed the name to Applethorpe in 1915. It is on the New England Highway 5 km north of Stanthorpe. Applethorpe has the Granite Belt Horticultural Research Station, opened by the CSIRO in 1934 and taken over by the State Government in 1962.

Broadwater area: occupies the space encircled by all the other census areas. Broadwater Crossing school opened in 1903, so named because it was on a creek that had been widened by mining operations (tin and related metals). Broadwater is 6 km west of Stanthorpe on the Texas Road. In 1949 there were 46 orchardists recorded at Broadwater.

Amiens area: includes the localities of Messines, Bapaume and Passchendaele, all stopping places on the Cottonvale to Amiens railway (1920-74). In the 1924 post office directory over 100 orchardists were recorded in the Amiens-Passchendaele area. The local school (1919) was at Amiens, where there was also a store. (Some families probably had children at the Pozieres school.) Amiens also had a school of arts and a local fruit producers association (1949). Amiens is 17 km north-west of Stanthorpe.

Pozieres area: includes Bullecourt and Fleurbaix. Pozieres is 17 km north-west of Stanthorpe. Its school opened in 1921, and post office directories (1924-49) recorded over 30 orchardists and some vegetable growers.

Most agriculture in the six areas is orcharding and vegetable growing. Only a few of the 35 vineyards in the Granite Belt area are north of Stanthorpe. Census data for the six areas has been: