A short way south of Toowoomba's built-up suburbs there are rural/residential localities running east from Wyreema (see separate entry). They were in Drayton Shire until it was abolished in 1949 and in Cambooya Shire until it was incorporated into Toowoomba Regional Council in 2008.
Vale View is immediately east of Wyreema and south of the suburb of Drayton. The Eton Vale pastoral run included the locality, but any connection with the name of the pastoral run is apparently unrecorded.
Hodgson Vale and Top Camp are east of Vale View and are on the New England Highway. Hodgson Vale was named after Sir Arthur Hodgson, proprietor of the Eton Vale pastoral run (1840) and MLA for Warrego (1868-9). Top Camp's name arose from cattle resting or camping at night on the top of Big Hill. Hodgson Vale has a neighbourhood Lions Park, a community sports club and a retail convenience centre.
Preston is east of Hodgson Vale. The origin of its name is apparently unrecorded. Local businesses include Preston Manor, a function centre, and Preston Peak Wines.
Many of the farm settlers in these areas were of German origin.
State primary schools in the localities have been:
- Preston: 1896-1925; reopened in 1940s and closed again
- Hodgson Vale: 1905-1957
- Top Camp: 1949 (using Preston school building) - 1960
- Vale View: 1931-current
Vale View's school building is the original one from 1931.
Census populations for Toowoomba's Southern Localities have been:
| census date | population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vale View | Hodgson Vale and Top Camp | Hodgson Vale | Top Camp | Preston | |
| 2006 | 803 | 1466 | 634 | ||
| 2011 | 700 | 1274 | 669 | 763 | |
Rae Pennycuick, The Cambooya story 1840-1990, Greenmount, Cambooya Shire Council, 1991
