Proston

Proston is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.

Proston is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Proston had a population of 379 people.Proston is the historic Lake Boondooma township with a business district, residences and farms

The town's name is taken from a pastoral run name, which in turn was a corruption of an Aboriginal word (possibly from the Waka language) meaning kurrajong tree.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.Proston Provisional School (also known as the Proston Construction Camp School) opened on 9 July 1917 to provide schooling for the children of the workers constructing the Proston railway line. It closed on 31 July 1918. Although named Proston, the school name reflects the name of the railway line than its actual location. It is believed the school may have been closer to present day Hivesville than present day Proston.The current Proston State School opened on 24 July 1924 as a primary school. In 1965 it expanded to include secondary education to Year 10. In 1977 it expanded to include a preschool.Shepherd Memorial Anglican Church of St Peter was dedicated on 3 March 1939 by the Most Reverend John William Charles Wand. In 1969 St George's Anglican Church was relocated from Tingoorato the Proston to serve as the St Peter's Church Hall. St George's had operated in Tingoora from 1921 to 1962. The hall is located behind the church on a different allotment. St Peter's closure in November 2015 was approved by Bishop Cameron Venables.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 damming the Boyne River provided a source of water for Tarong Power Station and solved Proston's water problems.

The Proston public library opened in 1994.At the 2006 census, Proston had a population of 304.

The hilliness of the terrain provides striking panoramic views of the area at several points along the main road.Lake Boondooma Dam is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of the township. For fishing, the 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. A Stocked Impoundment Permit is needed to fish Lake Boondooma Dam.The dam offers caravan, camping, bunkhouse and cabin accommodation on the Lake's foreshores along with tennis courts, modern amenities blocks, a central kiosk and extensive landscaped picnic and BBQ areas.Nearby Boondooma Homestead was built in 1850 for the settlers, the Lawson Brothers.The building was built by a Flemish stonemason and recently during restoration, it was discovered to have been built to metric specifications, possibly a first in Queensland.The homestead can be found on the Durong to Mundubbera Road 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Proston.

An unusual attraction in Proston is Sidcup Castle. The "castle" comprises seventeen rooms, five of which are hexagonal. The entire structure was built from second hand materials by Harold Douglas and designed as an exact replica of his childhood home in Sidcup, Kent.