Burrandowan Station Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burrandowan Station Homestead |
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Burrandowan Station Homestead, 2001
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| Location | Kingaroy Road, Durong, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1848 - c. 1927 |
| Official name: Burrandowan Station Homestead | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological, landscape) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600648 |
| Significant period | 1840s-1860s (historical) 1840s-1860s (fabric) |
| Significant components | tennis court, out building/s, grave surrounds/railings, residential accommodation - main house, shed/s, kitchen/kitchen house, dining room, residential accommodation - quarters |
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Burrandowan Station Homestead is a very old and important group of buildings located in Durong, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a "heritage-listed" site, which means it's protected because of its historical value. The main buildings were put together around 1927, but some parts are much older, dating back to 1848. This homestead tells a big part of Queensland's early history.
Contents
A Look Back at Burrandowan's History
How Burrandowan Station Began
Burrandowan Station was started in 1843 by Henry Stuart Russell. It was one of the very first large sheep and cattle farms, called "pastoral runs," in the Wide Bay area of Queensland. Russell came to Australia from England in 1840. He joined his relatives, the Hodgsons, who also had large properties.
In the early 1840s, people were looking for new land for farming. Russell explored the Wide Bay area in 1842. He found land he liked and named it Burrandowan. The name is said to mean "big wind" in the local Aboriginal language.
Early Challenges and Changes
Russell started the station with sheep from another property. However, it was a tough start. The local Aboriginal people were not happy about the new settlers. This made it hard to find shepherds to work there. Russell's partners soon left, and he eventually sold the property in 1844.
In 1847, Phillip Friell bought Burrandowan. In 1848, the government officially opened the Burnett District for settlement. Friell made many improvements to the property. He built a homestead with a billiard room and a library. You can still find bricks from this old homestead. They have a cool heart shape stamped on them! It's thought a local brickmaker made them.
New Owners and Big Changes
After Friell died in 1854, Burrandowan changed hands many times. In the mid-1850s, it was one of the biggest properties in the Burnett area. It had about 65,000 sheep! Later, in the 1870s, the station switched from sheep to cattle.
Around the 1890s, the government started taking back parts of these large properties. This was to create smaller farms for more people to settle. This process was called "resumption." In 1917, some of Burrandowan's land was used for the Soldier Settlement scheme. This scheme gave land to soldiers returning from war.
The Current Homestead's Story
The homestead you see today is quite unique. It's actually made up of three older buildings that were moved and put together around 1927. These include the old Burrandowan store, part of the original homestead, and a building from a nearby property called Cooinda. The property was bought in 2001 and continues to be an important historical site.
What Burrandowan Station Looks Like Today
The homestead buildings are set in a lovely garden. There isn't a fancy driveway leading up to them. The main buildings include the house, sheds, a guest cottage, and an old tennis court. You can also see hints of other old buildings.
The Main House
The main house is made of three connected parts:
- Kitchen and Office: This part has a hipped roof and walls made of split timber slabs. It has old windows and a paved area outside. Inside, there's an old stove from Scotland.
- Dining Room: Connected to the kitchen by a covered walkway, this is a large rectangular building. It has a gable roof and French windows that open onto verandahs. One part of a verandah is now a bathroom.
- Bedroom Wing: A wide covered area connects the dining room to the bedroom wing. This building has three main rooms and is made of strong weatherboards. The back verandah has been closed in, and there's another bathroom here.
Other Buildings and Features
- Guest Cottage: A short distance from the main house is a small cottage. It has a new roof and a covered porch. It now has a modern kitchen.
- Large Shed: To the east of the house is a big, rectangular shed. It has a steep roof and is also built from timber slabs. It's used as a garage. Inside, you can see how it was once divided into three rooms. The floor in one part is made of small timber blocks.
- Open Shed: North of the kitchen is another open shed. It has a roof supported by timber posts and some slab walls at the back.
- Garden Details: The homestead grounds have signs of other old buildings. You can also see many dressed stone blocks used for paving and low seats. Some broken bricks from the very first homestead are still there. There's also an old tennis court made of "ant bed," which is a type of natural material.
The Grave Site
About one kilometre south of the homestead, you can find the grave of Jane Warren, who died in 1903. It has a headstone and decorative metal railings. There might be other graves nearby, but they are hidden by plants.
Why Burrandowan Station is Important
Burrandowan Station Homestead was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's recognized for several important reasons:
- Showing Queensland's History: Burrandowan was one of the first big farms in the Wide Bay area. It shows how early European settlers explored and developed Queensland. It also shows how farming grew in the region.
- Learning About the Past: The buildings and the land around Burrandowan can teach us a lot about Queensland's history. We can learn about old building methods and find clues about other structures that were once there.
- Great Examples of Old Buildings: The homestead buildings are good examples of early farm structures. They show how useful buildings were reused and put together over time.
- Beautiful and Well-Made: The buildings at Burrandowan are well-made and have a pleasing look. They show the traditional style of early Australian farm buildings.
- Connected to Important People: Burrandowan has strong links to important people in Queensland's history. These include Henry Stuart Russell, who started the station, and Phillip Friell, who built many of the early structures. It also has a special connection to the Borton family, who worked on the property for three generations.
