haden had been a thriving town with numerous pubs and stores at the turn of the 20th century. with the arrival of rail and haden state school which was opened in 1912 the town prospered. it became an established place to live, as the surrounding land was ideal for cattle and dairy farming. with the rapid increase in technology and the decline of the dairy industry in queensland due to deregulation, the population began to decline. only a handful of farms continue to operate in the area, with the majority of farmers turning to cattle and crop production.