The town is on the Kennedy Developmental Road that links Hughenden and Winton, 1,504 kilometres (935 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane and 446 kilometres (277 mi) west of the regional centre of Townsville. It is situated in the north-east of the locality.[4]
Stamford was once an overnight stop for Cobb & Co coaches travelling between Winton and Hughenden.[8]
The Hughenden-Winton railway line (a branch line of the Great Northern railway line) opened to Stamford in 1897, closing officially in 2008 and dismantled in 2012.[8] It followed the same route as the Kennedy Developmental Road. There were a number of now-abandoned railway stations on the line within the locality (from north-west to south-east):
Stamford Provisional School opened in 1899 and closed in 1906.[10]
The neighbourhood of Chinbi takes its name from the Chinbi railway station, which in turn was named on 18 February 1915 by the Queensland Railways Department. It is an Aboriginal word meaning star.[5]
In 2012, the town of Stamford consisted of a roadhouse and has a permanent population of 3.[8]
Prior to 19 November 2021, the town of Marathon was within the locality of Stamford. However, this arrangement caused confusion, so on 19 November 2021, a new locality of Marathon was created around the town, excising the land from the localities of Dutton River and Stamford.[15][16][17]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the locality of Stamford and the surrounding area had a population of 75 people.[18]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Stamford had a population of 43 people.[19]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Stamford had a population of 77 people.[1]
Economy
There are a number of homesteads in the locality, including:[20]
There are no schools in Stamford. The nearest primary schools are Hughenden State School in neighbouring Hughenden to the north-east and Cameron Downs State School in neighbouring Tangorin to the east. The nearest secondary school is Hughenden State School which provides schooling to Year 12. However, given the size of the locality, the distances involved may necessitate using alternatives such as distance education and boarding schools.[4]
Events
The Stamford Races are a popular social event in the area involving horse racing.[8]