Prior to British settlement, the
Kambuwal were an Indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.
Norman Tindale estimated that the Kambuwal's territory stretched over . They straddled the border between Queensland and
New South Wales, from south of
Millmerran, and
Inglewood to
Bonshaw. Their eastern flank ended around Stanthorpe,
Wallangarra and the western scarp of the
Great Dividing Range. Stanthorpe was founded by
tin miners. People came from many countries to mine tin from 1872. Prior to 1872 this area boasted some large pastoral runs and a few prospectors in bark huts. At that time, the area was known as 'Quart Pot Creek'. The Private Township of Stannum existed in the area along one side of the present main street. With the discovery of tin and the influx of miners and new businesses, a 'more suitable' name was sought by the town fathers. Thus, Stanthorpe became the name which encompassed all, as this area became for a time, the largest alluvial
tin mining and mineral field in Queensland. Stanthorpe literally means 'tintown', as Stannum is
Latin for 'tin' and
thorpe is
Middle English for 'village'. The
Queensland Surveyor General,
Augustus Charles Gregory, is credited with coining the name in 1872. In July 1872, Presbyterian minister John McAra arrived in Stanthorpe and established a congregation. On 17 November 1872, the Stanthorpe Presbyterian Church was opened by the Reverend Colin McCulloch. St Joseph's Catholic School was established in October 1872 by four Sisters of Mercy: Sisters M Agnes, Emilian, Muredach and Malachy. Stanthorpe State School opened on 9 March 1874.The Post Office with a clock tower and an elaborate
coat of arms was constructed in Maryland Street in 1901 in the
Arts and Crafts style. Following
Federation, the
Commonwealth Government took charge of post and telegraphic services. However, they contracted the construction of post offices in Queensland to the
Public Works Department of the Queensland Government and the Stanthorpe Post Office is believed to be one of the first ordered by the Commonwealth Government. It was designed by the first Commonwealth Government Architect
John Smith Murdoch. The cool dry climate was valued as an aid to health from the early nineteenth century especially for those suffering from
tuberculosis or chest conditions. Following the
First World War, Stanthorpe was a major resettlement area for soldiers recovering from mustard gas exposure. Many of these
Soldier Settlers took up the land leased to them in the areas around Stanthorpe which now bear the names of First World War battlefields. Stanthorpe State High School opened on 23 January 1961. Stanthorpe Adventist Primary School opened on 25 January 1982 and closed in 2002. The College of Wine Tourism was opened in 2007. == Demographics ==