Elderslie Homestead facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elderslie Homestead
Elderslie Homestead, 1993
Location	Elderslie Station, Winton-Boulia Road, Middleton, Shire of Winton, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1881 - c. 1912
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Elderslie Homestead
Type	state heritage (landscape, built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600966
Significant period	1880s-1900s (historical) ongoing (social)
Significant components	residential accommodation - staff quarters, shed - livestock, tank stand, meat house, shop - blacksmith's, views from, out building/s, residential accommodation - main house, graveyard
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Elderslie Homestead is a special old farm complex in Middleton, Australia. It's located on the Elderslie Station near Winton. This homestead is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's an important historical place. The main buildings were constructed between 1881 and about 1912.

The Story of Elderslie Homestead

Elderslie Homestead is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Winton. It has many buildings where people lived and worked. These buildings are set against the beautiful Mount Booka Booka. This mountain stands out in the otherwise flat landscape. Some of the oldest buildings, made from local stone, were built in the early 1880s. They were the very first parts of Elderslie Station.

Early Explorers and Settlers

The area around Elderslie Station was first explored in 1866. Explorers like William Landsborough and George Phillips mapped the land. Some early farmers, called pastoralists, settled here as early as 1863. But a big drought in the late 1860s made many leave. New settlers arrived in the early 1870s when the drought ended. People became more interested in farming sheep and cattle because wool prices were rising. In 1873, this area was officially named a "pastoral district." This meant it was set aside for grazing animals.

How Elderslie Station Began

In 1873, Samuel Forsyth took control of thirteen large areas of land. These areas were along the Diamantina and Western Rivers. In 1875, Donald Smith Wallace was given seven more nearby leases. A "lease" is like renting a large piece of land for farming. It's believed Wallace named the station "Elderslie." This name might have been a nod to William Wallace, a famous Scottish hero from Elderslie.

The very first buildings at Elderslie were put up before 1875. They likely included a homestead made of "pisé" (packed earth) and animal yards. Later, a small shop was built nearby. In 1876, this area flooded. The shop was moved to higher ground about a mile away. This new spot later became the town of Winton.

Samuel Wilson's Ownership

By 1879, all 21 land leases were transferred to Samuel Wilson. He was a very successful farmer from Victoria. Wilson had come to Australia during the gold rush in the 1850s. He became incredibly successful in the farming business. He owned many large farms across different states. He also became involved in politics in Victoria.

Wilson saw Elderslie as a business property, not a family home. This is why the buildings at Elderslie are practical and strong. They were built for work, not for showing off wealth.

Building the New Homestead

In 1881, a lot of money was spent to build a new homestead complex. This new site was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the first homestead. The old site might have flooded, or it was too close to the growing town of Winton. The new spot was also more central to the large Elderslie land.

The new homestead was finished by 1882. It was built near Mount Booka-Booka, which provided the sandstone for the buildings. The way the buildings were made is similar to another nearby station. It's thought a German stonemason, helped by Chinese workers, built both.

In 1891, an inspector described the Elderslie complex. It had the main house, laundry, servants' rooms, a kitchen, and a butcher's shop. There were also huts for workers, a store, and workshops for carpenters and saddlers. Even a gardener's cottage and a garden were there. Today, only five of these buildings remain. But they still show how the homestead was laid out and used.

Interestingly, Samuel Wilson only raised cattle on the property. This was even though he had experience with sheep and wool prices were high. Sheep were only brought in by the next owners. At its busiest, the station had up to ninety workers. It needed a lot of buildings and support. Old photos show large gardens. There was even a "School of Arts" registered at the station in 1896. This shows that the community's social needs were considered.

Changes Over Time

In 1892, Elderslie was divided into two parts. One part was leased to Wilson, and the other was meant for smaller farms. After Wilson died in 1895, both parts went to the Ramsay family. By 1912, the Ramsays had started raising sheep. They also had horse studs and dug three artesian bores. These bores brought water up from deep underground. The additions to the main house, giving it its current shape, likely happened during this time. Even though the Ramsays faced tough times with droughts, they sold the property without debt in 1912.

After World War I, more land was taken for smaller farms. In 1924, Elderslie was sold to the Australian Estates and Mortgage Company. They owned it until 1950. Then, the entire property was divided into several smaller grazing leases. In the 1950s, the verandahs were rebuilt. A new section was added for a bathroom and laundry. The kitchen was also moved, and flyscreens were added to the verandahs. In 1954, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Watts bought the homestead block. The original Elderslie buildings were in bad shape. The Watts family worked hard to save and repair them. Elderslie is still owned by this family today.

The homestead complex is still used today, even though the land it serves is much smaller. It continues its original role, just as it has for over one hundred years.

What Elderslie Homestead Looks Like

Elderslie Homestead is located near where the Western River and Wokingham Creek meet. It's three kilometers (1.8 miles) northwest of Mount Booka Booka. Only this mountain and the small hill where the homestead sits break the flat landscape. The homestead gardens look very different from the sparse plants in the area.

The complex has buildings for living and working. Three buildings made from Booka Booka sandstone are still standing. These are the main house, the quarters (for staff), and the blacksmith's building. There's also a meat house made of timber and metal. You can also see where other buildings used to be.

The Main House

The main house is built from squared stone blocks. The door openings have finely carved edges. This building method is more detailed than for the other buildings. The original part from 1881 was a rectangular building with verandahs on all sides. An early wing was added to one side, making the house L-shaped. The verandah was extended to go around this new part. The newer stone work is simpler. It's covered with a smooth finish to look like cut stone. The roof is a hipped roof covered with corrugated iron. The rooms have concrete floors and smooth walls. Most rooms open onto the verandahs but don't connect to each other. The main rooms have ceilings and walls covered with pressed metal panels. Three rooms have fireplaces. The entire verandah is enclosed with flyscreens.

Other Important Buildings

The blacksmith's shop is a long, rectangular building. It's made of rows of rough stone blocks laid directly on the ground. It has an iron roof and a verandah all around. Most of the verandah posts have been replaced with steel. The building has three similar-sized rooms at one end. These were a butcher's shop, a store, and an office. At the other end were the stables. In the middle was a semi-open area for the blacksmith's shop and a room for horse harnesses.

The quarters provided living space for senior staff. It has two equally sized rooms separated by a wall with a double fireplace. It's built similarly to the blacksmith's shop, with stone walls and a hipped roof. Verandahs surround this building too. The roof frame and verandah posts are made of local bush timber. The inside of both rooms are smooth and show traces of lime wash (a white paint). Both rooms have stone paved floors.

The meat house is a light building north of the quarters. It has flat steel sheets over a timber frame. It's flyscreened above the high sills. The roof and verandah are timber-framed and covered with corrugated iron. This replaced the original thatched roof (made of straw or reeds).

Other buildings on the site include a cowshed, tankstands (possibly from the early 1900s), a garage, and a steel shed for machinery. There is also a small cemetery near the homestead. Records show it was first used in 1882.

Why Elderslie Homestead is Important

Elderslie Homestead was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site for several reasons.

Showing Queensland's History

Elderslie Homestead helps us understand how European settlement spread across Queensland. It shows how explorers found land, how large farms (pastoral stations) were set up, and how towns grew around them. The town of Winton, for example, is near the site of the first homestead. This might have influenced where the main homestead complex was built.

A Rare Example

It's very rare to find such complete and strong stone buildings from this time period in such a remote part of Queensland. Elderslie Homestead is a special example of this.

Learning About the Past

The buildings that are still standing, and the places where other buildings used to be, can teach us a lot. This includes living quarters, working buildings, gardens, graves, fences, and old trees. They help us understand how these large pastoral stations worked. They show us what they were like over the 120 years the homestead has been used.

A Great Example of a Homestead

Elderslie Homestead is a great example of what a large pastoral station should look like. The buildings, gardens, and other features show how these places functioned. They help us understand the main features of such important historical sites.

Beautiful in the Landscape

Elderslie Homestead adds a lot to the beauty of the landscape. Its low, simple buildings and the use of sandstone from Mount Booka Booka create a natural link. It connects the mountain to the flat, open land around it.

Important to the Community

As one of the first stations in the far northwest, Elderslie has a special connection to the people of Winton. The main street in Winton is even named in its honor. It also has a strong link to the early pioneers who built the farming industry in this region.