Merlwood is a rural locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Merlwood had a population of 104 people.
Geography The Murgon–Gayndah Road enters the locality from the south-east (Barlil / Oakdale), then north towards the centre of the locality and then west, exiting to the west (Cloyna / Warnung).
The land use is mostly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing.
History Merlwood State School opened on 23 March 1910 under teacher Alice Amelia Wilson. It closed on 22 January 1967. It was located on the north-west corner of Pringle Hill Road and Eisenmengers Road (), just north of the Gayndah Road.
A Methodist church was built in 1913 opposite the state school on the north-east corner of Pringle Hill Road and Eisenmengers Road (). The building was later removed. This church was strongly supported by a prominent local family who were among the first settlers, the Shelton family.https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma99237533402061&context=L&vid=61SLQ_INST:SLQ&lang=en&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=All&query=any,contains,harry%20shelton%20papers&offset=0 Easton, E.W. (1950). Wilderness to Wealth (1st ed.). The Nanango Centenary and South Burnett Historical Committee. >Matthews, Dr Tony (1997). Landscapes of Change (1st ed.). South Burnett Local Govt. Association.
There was a cemetery in Melwood with a proposal to appoint cemetery trustees in 1911 and a burial in 1928. According to oral history, it was in the eastern part of Merlwood near Richards Road (26°10'39.9"S 151°53'58.6"E).
Demographics In the , Merlwood had a population of 88 people.
In the , Merlwood had a population of 104 people.
Education There are no schools in Merlwood. The nearest government primary schools are Cloyna State School in neighbouring Cloyna to the north-west, Wheatlands State School in Wheatlands to the south, and Murgon State School in Murgon to the south-east. The nearest government secondary school is Murgon State High School in Murgon.
References