Splitting Ipswich and Toowoomba on the Warrego Highway, Gatton is a bustling town in the lush Lockyer Valley, which produces many of the fresh vegetables for Queensland and the other eastern states.
The first seeds in the creation of Queensland’s 'Salad Bowl' were planted by German migrants who led the settlement drive in the 1840s.
Gatton Agricultural College was one of Australia’s first training and teaching institutions dedicated to land development and animal husbandry when it opened in 1897, and is now part of Queensland University.
The valley is studded with antique dealers, craft shops and plant nurseries, while visitors can catch up on the pioneering days at Pepperina Place where an historic cottage and farmyard allows guests to experience life in the late 19th century.
The Gatton Historical Village boasts a collection of more than 10,000 heritage items, many of them still in working order. Nearby Helidon is famed for its spa waters, and for a freestone which has been widely used in Brisbane buildings.
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