McCowat's Farm facts for kids

McCowat's Farm is a special historic place in Queensland, Australia. It's located in a town called Garradunga. This farm is important because it shows how sugar cane farms used to work. It was built in 1920 by William Purdy. The farm is also known as Koodla. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992, which means it's protected because of its history.

The Story of McCowat's Farm

McCowat's Farm includes a main house, a small cottage, workers' barracks, and a shed for tools. It also has a piece of old rainforest. This farm was once a large sugar cane farm, about 120 acres big. Thomas McCowat started running it in 1926 or 1927. Later, he divided the farm into a smaller size for his retirement.

Sugar Cane Farming in the Johnstone Area

In the early 1900s, Garradunga was a small town in the Johnstone district. It was a big area for growing sugar cane. Innisfail, a nearby town, was founded in 1880 to grow sugar. Many sugar mills opened in the area. Some, like Mourilyan and South Johnstone mills, are still working today.

Railways and Growth

In the 1920s, Garradunga was a busy place for moving goods and people by train. This was before the main railway line to Innisfail was finished in 1924. A smaller train line, called a tramway, helped connect sugar cane fields to the mills. It carried many passengers at first. But as more people got cars, fewer used the train for travel. However, the railway stayed important for moving sugar and cane.

When the main railway line from Brisbane to Cairns was completed in 1924, it helped the Johnstone area grow even more. Sugar production was very high in the 1920s. This made the area rich, and many new buildings were built. The number of people living in the Johnstone Shire grew a lot during this time. Sugar farming was key to settlement in North Queensland.

Thomas McCowat's Family

Thomas McCowat came to Australia from Scotland in 1904. He was 20 years old. He worked as a minister before becoming a railway worker. He did this to help his first wife, Mary, who was sick. Mary died in 1923.

In 1924, Thomas married Alice Robina Bonar. They had a daughter named Alice in 1925. Thomas wanted to make sure his second wife had a comfortable home.

Thomas and Alice bought 120 acres of land for their farm in 1926 and 1927. They named their home "Koodla," which is an Aboriginal word meaning "shady place." They continued to grow sugar cane on the farm.

Moving the Farmhouse

The main part of the farmhouse was built in 1920 by William Purdy. There was also an older building, possibly a workers' cottage, that became the kitchen and bathroom area. This older part was joined to the main house in 1920.

The house was first built on the main road between Cairns and Innisfail. But in 1936, the house was taken apart and moved about 1 kilometer away to its current spot. This new spot was in the middle of McCowat's Farm. A carpenter named F Shellback moved it.

Other Buildings on the Farm

When the main house was moved, the McCowats lived in a small cottage at the back of the property. This cottage was built before 1920 and was first used for cane cutters. The front porch of the cottage was closed in when the McCowats lived there.

The cane barracks and the implement shed were built in 1930. The barracks were long buildings where cane cutters lived. They also rented out rooms to cutters working on other farms nearby. The implement shed stored farm machinery.

Thomas McCowat managed the farm until he passed away in 1963. Before he died, the farm was divided. His daughter, Miss Allie McCowat, now owns the part with the house, cottage, barracks, and rainforest.

The Rainforest at McCowat's Farm

The rainforest on McCowat's Farm is very special and rare. It's a type of forest that grows in very wet, low-lying areas with rich soil. This kind of rainforest is "of concern" because only a small part of it is left. Most of it was cleared for farming. It's home to rare plants and is a known habitat for cassowary birds. Miss McCowat protects the rainforest by not having paths through it.

What McCowat's Farm Looks Like

McCowat's Farm covers about 9 hectares of land. It's about 2 kilometers west of Garradunga. Most of the land around it is sugar cane farms. The main railway line passes near the farm. About two-thirds of the property is rainforest. The main buildings are the residence, the cottage, the old cane barracks, and the implement shed.

The Main Residence

The main house is a high-set bungalow with four rooms. It has a verandah that goes all the way around it. At the back, there's a smaller section that used to be a workers' cottage.

Steps lead up to the front verandah. The verandah has railings on three sides. The east side of the verandah is closed in with windows and corrugated iron. There are storage areas on two corners of the verandah. A toilet and shower were added later on the west side.

Inside the main house, the walls are made of timber. There are four rooms: three bedrooms and a living room. The internal doors are made of oak. The external doors leading to the verandah are French doors with glass panels. The house sits on concrete stumps, and the roof is made of corrugated iron.

The Kitchen and Bathroom Annex

A small building with a gabled roof is attached to the back of the main house. It contains the kitchen, a living area, and a bathroom. It's connected to the main house by a short walkway. This part of the house is covered in corrugated iron on the outside.

Inside the Residence

The house still has some of its original furniture. This includes dining tables, cast-iron beds, wardrobes, and a baby's feeding chair. There's also an old claw-foot bathtub.

Behind the house, there's a shed with a water tank above it. Near the shed is a small grave marked with a cross, where family dogs are buried.

The Cottage

About 500 meters from the main house is the cottage. It's a low-set, three-room cottage with a gabled roof. The front verandahs are closed in. The walls are covered with fiber cement and corrugated iron. There's a small lean-to shed attached to one side.

The Implement Shed

The implement shed is located west of the main house. It's built from timber and covered with corrugated iron. Inside, you can find old farm machinery. This includes old tractors, corn grinders, and cane planters.

The Cane Barracks

The cane barracks are a long, low building at the front of the property. They are made of timber posts and covered with corrugated iron. The outside iron is painted red. There are five bedrooms in one part of the building. Each room opens onto a verandah. The other part of the building has a large room for the kitchen and dining area. There's a big table in the dining area that could seat ten people.

The Rainforest

The rainforest covers about two-thirds of the property. It looks like a green curtain to the west of the farm buildings. It contains many different types of trees and plants. This rainforest is very important because it's rare and provides a home for many animals.

Why McCowat's Farm is Important

McCowat's Farm is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it meets several important criteria.

• Showing Queensland's History: The farm helps us understand how the sugar industry grew in North Queensland, especially in the Johnstone district.
• Rare Cultural Heritage: Having the main house, cane barracks, an early workers' cottage, and a rare rainforest all together makes McCowat's Farm a unique part of Queensland's history.
• Typical Sugar Cane Farm: The buildings on the farm, like the house, cottage, shed, and barracks, show what a typical sugar cane farm looked like in the past.
• Beautiful Place: The farm is also important because it looks beautiful. This includes the high-set Queenslander-style house and the surrounding rainforest.