Oakview, Queensland

The southern half and northern edge of Oakview are mountainous with lower flatter land in-between. The lower land has an elevation of 100–150 metres above sea level and is used for grazing. The northern edge contains Sugarloaf Mountain (340 metres above sea level) and is undeveloped land. The southern half rises to an unnamed peak at 630 metres above sea level and is part of the Oakview State Forest and the Oakview National Park.[3]

Wide Bay Creek meanders from west to east through the northern flatter part of the locality; it is a tributary of the Mary River.[3]

The railway line from Theebine to Nanango passes from east to west through the locality through the flatter land, but the line is no longer operating. Oakview was served by the Oakview railway station (26°04′37″S 152°19′52″E).[4] The Wide Bay Highway runs from east to west through the flatter land to the south of the railway line.[3]

The Oakview National Park contains a bottle tree (Brachychiton) scrub with two near-threatened flora: the giant ironwood Choricarpia subargentea and the Rhodamnia pauciovulata. It is also the habitat of the endangered gecko Phyllurus kabikabi and Nangur spiny skink Nangura spinosa.[5]

Tennis players standing outside Oakview State School, 1946

The Oakview Provisional School opened in 1895. It closed temporarily in 1901, reopening in 1902. In 1913, it became a half-time school, sharing its teacher with Running Creek Provisional School. In 1914 it resumed its full-time status but closed later that year. The school reopened as Oakview State School on 12 September 1918, but closed again in 1928. It reopened for the last time on 1 June 1937 as Oakview State School and closed permanently in 1963.[6]

Oakview sawmill was operated by the Spencer Brothers from 1934 to 1971. It was located near the Oakview railway station (26°04.8′S 152°19.9′E).[7]

In 2001, 3,490 hectares (8,600 acres) of Oakview State Forest was converted to Oakview Forest Reserve in order to converse its ecosystem. In 2009, 1,011 hectares (2,500 acres) of the forest reserve was converted to Oakview National Park while the other 2,479 hectares (6,130 acres) became a Resource Reserve to allow mining exploration (the south-western area of the locality having been mined for copper in the 1860s and 1870s). After the mining exploration was completed, the resource reserve land was added to the converted to national park.[5]

In the 2016 census Oakview had a population of 29 people.[1]

Mount Clara smelter and chimney, 2012

Oakview has the following heritage listings:

• Rossmore Road, in the upper reaches of Fat Hen Creek: Mount Clara smelter[8]

Media related to Oakview, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons