About Clifton Shire

Situated half way between Toowoomba and Warwick on the wide fertile plains of the Darling Downs, Clifton is a quiet shire welcoming visitors with country hospitality and a relaxed atmosphere. Clifton and Nobby are the principal towns in the shire, which also includes the localities of Back Plains, College Green, Ellangowan, Elphinstone, Felton South, Headington Hill, Kings Creek, Leyburn (part), Manapouri, Missens Flat, Mt Molar, Nevilton, Pilton, Ryeford, Sandy Camp, Spring Creek and Victoria Hill (part).

Clifton and Nobby are just a few kilometres off the New England Highway, easily accessible from the north, south, east or west.  For the best way to find Clifton and Nobby go to the RACQ Map Maker.

Natural Features
Clifton Shire has an area of 865km2,  population of 2660 and is bounded by the area’s western most ridge of the Great Dividing Range.  This eastern region is characterised by steeply sloping ridges and gullies, often with slopes up to 50%, which form catchments for dozens of intermittent streams that eventually feed the Condamine River.

Parts of the ridges in the eastern portion of the Shire reach heights of around 900m above sea level and from here towards the western portion the Shire levels to plain lands as low as 390m above sea level.  This western area is traversed by the Condamine River, where land subject to inundation is common.

A number of gentler sloping hills of between 10% and 30% located in the Shire form distinctive features on the landscape, including Mt Saddletop (667m), Mt Molar (588m) and Ellangowan (514m).  Hodgson Creek, which forms part of the north-western boundary, Kings Creek and Dalrymple Creek, are tributaries of the Condamine River.  These creeks flow in a west/south-westerly direction towards the Condamine River.  Three other creeks, Canal Creek, Middle Creek and Thanes Creek flow in the western portion of the Shire.

Clifton Shire is dependent on its farming base.  Approximately 81 809 hectares of the Shire, representing 94.55% of the total area, is utilised for rural activities.  Of this, 42 412 hectares, or 49% is under cultivation for summer and/or winter crops or forage crops for stock.  24 764 hectares (28.6%) is utilised for animal husbandry and 14 633 hectares (16.9%) for mixed farming.

History
Little is known of Aboriginal history in the Shire, but European settlement began when Clifton Station was taken up and stocked, mostly with cattle, in the first year of Downs settlement.  Clifton was named by an early owner after his English birthplace.  The town of Clifton dates back to 1875, whilst the Clifton Shire Council was created in 1903, following the abolition of its predecessor, the Clifton Divisional Board (created in 1880).