27 Pugsley Street, WALKERSTON QLD 4751

The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay. Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). Palms is a neighbourhood within Walkerston, located to the east of the town (21°10′00″S 149°04′59″E).

This town was commonly known as Scrubby Creek from as early as 1866, and sometimes as Baker’s Creek; later these two names were interchangeable with Walkerston and, to a lesser degree, Alsatia. Scrubby Creek was definitely not a nickname for Walkerston; there were no inverted commas included when the words were printed in newspapers or almanacs. The name was well deserved, for the wild bush scrub grew luxuriantly on the banks of Baker’s Creek. In May 1860, Scots-born John Mackay was only 21 years old when he left Armidale, New South Wales in January 1860 with men, horses and provisions in search of land for cattle runs in north Queensland. They travelled up the east coast, taking a mainly inland route until they came to the junction of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River, in an area about 15 miles west of present-day Walkerston. They then followed the river, firstly named by Mackay’s companions as the Mackay River but now known as the Pioneer. The Pioneer Valley railway reached Walkerston from Paget on 10 August 1885. Whilst there was a station building, there was no passenger platform, passengers accessing the trains from the ground. The Walkerston public library opened in 1977. At the 2006 census, Walkerston had a population of 2,563.

The town has two primary schools, a post office, three bars (including a sports club), and a supermarket. Walkerston State School caters for students from Prep to Year 6. It opened on 24 April 1880. St John's Catholic Primary School is on Creek Street, Walkerston. It accepts enrolments for students from Prep to Year 6. The Catholic primary opened 29 January 1924. The Mackay Regional Council operates a library in Dutton Street.