Upper Freestone is a rural locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Upper Freestone had a population of 90 people.[1]

Upper Freestone Queensland
Upper Freestone landscape, 2007
Upper Freestone
Coordinates	28.1233°S 152.2205°E / -28.1233; 152.2205 (Upper Freestone (centre of locality))
Population	90 (2016 census)[1]
• Density	2.13/km2 (5.51/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4370
Area	42.3 km2 (16.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	21.3 km (13 mi) NW of Warwick 90.2 km (56 mi) SSE of Toowoomba 112 km (70 mi) SW of Ipswich 151 km (94 mi) SW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Southern Downs Region
State electorate(s)	Southern Downs
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Suburbs around Upper Freestone: Freestone Gladfield Maryvale Freestone Upper Freestone Swanfels Mount Sturt Swanfels Swanfels

Geography

Mount Dumaresq Conservation Park has two non-contiguous sections. The larger of the two is in the north of the locality (28.0903°S 152.2103°E / -28.0903; 152.2103 (Mount Dumaresq Conservation Park)) extending further north into Gladfield.[3]

Freestone Creek (which rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range) enters the locality from the east on the boundary between Maryvale and Swanfels and flows through the locality exiting to the west (Freestone). It is part of the Murray-Darling drainage basin.[3]

History

Freestone Creek (No 2) Provisional School opened on 19 October 1874. It was renamed Freestone Creek Upper Provisional School circa 1879. In 1885 it became Freestone Creek Upper State School. In 1940 it was renamed Freestone Upper State School. It closed in 1964.[4] The school was on Upper Freestone School Road (28.1369°S 152.1919°E / -28.1369; 152.1919 (Freestone Upper State School (former))).[5]

In 1883 10-acre (4.0 ha) of land was reserved for the Upper Freestone cemetery. A cemetery trust was established in 1896. The cemetery closed in 1971. The only surviving part of the cemetery are a group of graves of the O'Dempsey family which have been maintained by the family.[6] The cemetery is a field to the north of McMaster Road (28.1360°S 152.1984°E / -28.1360; 152.1984 (Upper Freestone cemetery)).[3]

In the 2016 census, Upper Freestone had a population of 90 people.[1]

Education

There are no schools in Upper Freestone. The nearest primary schools are Freestone State School in neighbouring Freestone to the west and Yangan State School in Yangan to the south. The nearest secondary school is Warwick State High School in Warwick to the south-west.[3]

References