Booubyjan Homestead facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Booubyjan Homestead
Cottage at Booubyjan Homestead, 1996
Location	Booubyjan Road, Booubyjan, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century)
Built	1860s to 1870s
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Booubyjan Homestead, Boonbyjan
Type	state heritage (landscape, built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600639
Significant period	1860s-1870s (historical) 1860s-1870s (fabric)
Significant components	residential accommodation - caretaker's quarters, furniture/fittings, trees/plantings, out building/s, dining room, views from, residential accommodation - main house, views to
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Booubyjan Homestead is a historic group of buildings in Booubyjan, Australia. It was built between the 1860s and 1870s. This homestead is very important to Queensland's history. It is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

A Look Back at Booubyjan's History

Booubyjan Homestead is made up of several timber buildings. The Lawless family built these structures over many years. They added more buildings as their family grew and needed more space. The name "Booubyjan" has been spelled in different ways over time. You might see it as Boonbyjan or Boombagan in old records.

The Lawless Family Arrives

The story of Booubyjan began in 1847. Two brothers, Paul and Clement Lawless, came from Ireland. They arrived in Australia in 1841. First, they settled on a farm in the Hunter Valley. Then, they moved to the Moreton Bay area.

In 1847, the brothers were looking for good land for sheep farming. They joined an exploration trip to the Brisbane Valley. There, they found the land that would become Booubyjan. They named it after a large rock nearby.

Early Life and Challenges

Life on the station was not always easy. Clement Lawless wrote a letter in 1849. He mentioned that wool prices were low. This caused financial difficulties for the station.

To help with the work, many laborers were hired. The station's wage books show that many workers from China were employed. They were paid less than European workers. Language was a challenge, but the Chinese workers were very good at tending sheep. They often used signs to communicate.

Clement also wrote about not having a proper land title yet. The government was changing land rules. All the land needed to be surveyed before leases could be given. This process took a long time.

Land Ownership and Changes

By 1850, the government officially listed Paul Lawless as the owner of Windera. Clement Lawless was listed for "Boombagan" (Booubyjan). The Lawless brothers actually ran three properties together: Booubyjan, Boonimba, and Windera. Paul owned Windera, Clement owned Booubyjan, and they shared Boonimba.

In 1862, they received a 14-year lease for Booubyjan and Windera. But in 1869, they got new leases for these properties.

Family Changes and the Homestead's Future

Clement Lawless went back to Ireland around 1860 to get married. He lived there until 1869. He returned to Booubyjan for one year, then went back to Ireland again.

In 1873, Clement sold his share of Booubyjan to Ellen Lawless. Ellen was the wife of his brother, Paul. Paul had also returned to Britain in 1858 to marry Ellen Nash. They came back to Australia in 1859.

Paul and Ellen had three children. By 1865, Paul's health was poor, so they returned to Britain. Paul died shortly after. Ellen then owned her husband's share of the Australian properties. She traveled in Europe with her children for some years. They returned to Booubyjan in late 1870.

Ellen passed away in 1922. The property then went to her two sons. One son, William Burnett Lawless, was living at the homestead at the time. William and his wife did not have children. So, when William died in 1945, the property went to his nephews, Ivan Desmond Lawless and Burnett Rhys Lawless.

Burnett Rhys Lawless continued to live at the homestead for many years until his death in 1995. Today, Booubyjan is run by Burnett's son, Michael, along with his wife and children. The Lawless family has lived on this land since 1847!

When Were the Buildings Built?

It's hard to know the exact dates when each building was built. The oldest building is likely the one called the Dining Room. People think it was once used as a nursery. In 1960, a special plaque was placed on this building. It said the building was about 100 years old, dating back to 1860.

Photos from the 1870s show two other main buildings. These are called the Homestead and the Cottage. They were likely built in or before the early 1870s.

Over the years, the homestead complex has changed. Some buildings were removed, and new ones were added. Some were even moved slightly. For example, an old timber building near the Cottage was removed.

In the 1950s, an old kitchen behind the Dining Room was taken down. A new kitchen was built onto the back of the Homestead. In the 1970s, a storm damaged the roofs of the Cottage and the Homestead. They were replaced with simpler roofs.

Old photos from 1928 show that the buildings looked very similar back then. The inside of the buildings still had many original furniture pieces and items from earlier times.

What Booubyjan Homestead Looks Like Today

Booubyjan Homestead is located on a large 9000-acre property. It is about 14 kilometers (9 miles) north of Tansey, a small town.

The homestead sits on a high part of the land. This gives it great views of the surrounding area. The complex has many timber buildings. They are connected by open verandahs (porches) and covered walkways. There are three main buildings that make up the home. Other smaller buildings are used for different purposes.

The Main Homestead Building

The largest building is called the Homestead. It is a single-story building raised on timber stumps. Its walls are made of timber slabs. The front of the building has horizontal timber boards. It has a hipped roof made of corrugated iron. A brick chimney sticks up from the center of the roof.

Verandahs go all around the building. Some parts of the back verandah have been closed in. You can get onto the front verandah by a timber staircase. French doors with glass panels open from the inside rooms onto the verandah. The verandah roof is supported by timber posts.

Inside, the Homestead has three main rooms. The walls are covered with fiber cement sheets and timber strips. Some walls also have calico and hessian fabric. The largest room has a fireplace with a simple timber mantel. Another room next to it also has a fireplace.

The back of the Homestead has more rooms. These include a laundry, kitchen, and a billiard room. These newer parts are also made of timber and have fiber cement walls.

The Dining Room

Next to the Homestead is a one-room timber building called the Dining Room. The Lawless family believes this is the oldest building on the property. It has a hipped corrugated iron roof. Verandahs are on two sides.

The walls are made of timber slabs. If you look under the verandah, you can see old timber shingles and framing. The building has a special double-roof system. An outer iron roof sits above an inner timber roof. This design allows for a gentler slope for the outer roof.

Three sets of French doors open from the Dining Room to the verandah. Inside, the walls are plastered. The lower part of the walls has stained timber panels. The ceiling is made of stained timber boards and curves upwards.

The Cottage

To the other side of the Homestead is a smaller timber building called the Cottage. It is connected to the Homestead by a covered walkway. Wide verandahs surround the Cottage on all sides. One part of the verandah has been closed in.

The Cottage walls are made of vertical timber slabs. It also has a similar double-roof system like the Dining Room. The verandah is supported by timber posts.

French doors lead into the three rooms inside the Cottage. Some of these have been replaced with single doors. Inside, the Cottage walls are covered with fiber cement sheets and timber strips.

Other Buildings and Gardens

Around the main buildings, there are several other older buildings. These include a power house, an old bush house, and entrance gates. There are also sheds, stores, and garages. Many old trees and plants grow around the homestead, including a tall hoop pine tree.

Why Booubyjan Homestead is Special

Booubyjan Homestead is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it is a very important historical site. Here are some reasons why:

• Shows Queensland's History: It is one of Queensland's oldest pastoral stations. It helps us understand how land was used and settled in rural Queensland since the 1840s. It especially shows the development of the Burnett region.

• Rare Building Styles: Booubyjan has rare examples of old timber building methods. These include "drop slab" and "vertical slab" construction, and old shingled roofs.

• Learning More About the Past: Studying Booubyjan can teach us more about timber building techniques from the mid-1800s. It can also teach us about early pastoral stations through archaeological research.

• Example of an Early Homestead: The homestead shows what early Queensland homesteads looked like. It was the main center of a very large property. The way the buildings grew over time shows how the Lawless family grew too.

• Beautiful and Important Items: The buildings are set in a lovely old garden on a hill. This makes them very beautiful. Booubyjan Homestead also has many important pieces of furniture. These items help us understand the homestead's long history.

• Connected to the Lawless Family: Booubyjan Homestead has a special connection to the Lawless family. They first settled the land in 1847 and still live there today. The family includes some of the first pioneers of the Burnett region.