[1] The origin of the suburb is from a former 50 acres (20 ha) 1860s cotton plantation which was originally spelt as 'Yamahanto', the property jointly owned by Queensland's first government medical officer Henry Challinor (1814–1882) and his cousin George Miles Challinor (1832–1888).

[3][4] Previous names used for this area were Mine Accident, Loamside and Yahmahnto.

In conjunction with the expansion of the nearby RAAF Base Amberley the suburb is experiencing an influx of businesses as well as redevelopment of existing businesses.

[citation needed] In the 2016 census, Yamanto had a population of 4,906 people.

Approximately one quarter of the students have a parent in the defence forces, many serving at the air base; these children may have lived in many other places due to their parents' deployments.