Old Rainworth Stone Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Rainworth Stone Store |
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Old Rainworth Stone Store, 2005
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| Location | Wealwandangie Road, Cairdbeign, Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1862 |
| Official name: Old Rainworth Stone Store, Old Rainworth Fort, Rainworth Head Station Store | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600026 |
| Significant period | 1860s (historical) 1860s (fabric) |
| Significant components | store/s / storeroom / storehouse, cellar |
| Builders | George Goldring |
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The Old Rainworth Stone Store is a special old building in Cairdbeign, Queensland, Australia. It's about 10 kilometers south of Springsure. This historic stone building was built in 1862 by George Goldring. It was originally a storehouse for a large farm called Rainworth Station. Today, it's a museum. It is also known as the Old Rainworth Fort or Rainworth Head Station Store. This important site was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
Contents
History of the Stone Store
The Rainworth Stone Store is a single-story stone building. It was built in 1862 for Jesse Gregson. He owned the huge Rainworth Station, which was about 100,000 acres. The store was built near Rainworth Creek. Today, it's part of the Old Rainworth Fort Tourist Complex. This complex is on Wealwandangie Road, about 8 kilometers from Springsure.
Early Explorers and Settlers
In 1844, an explorer named Ludwig Leichhardt explored the area. He named the Expedition Range and Comet Creek. Later, in 1846, Major Thomas Mitchell also traveled through this region.
The Leichhardt Pastoral District officially opened for settlement in 1854. However, it wasn't until William Landsborough explored the Springsure area in 1858 that people started setting up farms.
Rainworth Station Begins
In late 1860, Queensland's Surveyor-General Augustus Charles Gregory explored the area. He named a flat-topped hill south of Springsure "Rainworth Hill." Gregory then leased several large areas of land.
By September 1862, Jesse Gregson, along with Alexander and William Busby, took over these leases. They combined them and called their new property Rainworth Station.
Jesse Gregson had traveled to Australia from England in the 1850s. He learned about managing livestock on a farm near Sydney. In 1860, he partnered with Alexander Busby. They moved 5,000 sheep to a new station in Queensland. Gregson named it Rainworth.
By June 1861, Jesse Gregson was living at Rainworth. He was the manager and a partner. He described the area as a "lovely tract of open country." He noted the creek, sparse trees, and the striking Rainworth Hill.
Building the Stone Store
The main buildings of Rainworth Station were first made of timber. However, a serious event happened nearby in October 1861. The local Kari people attacked a farm called Cullin-la-ringo. This attack resulted in many deaths.
After this event, construction began on the stone store in 1862. The store was built from stone for two main reasons. First, stone buildings are much safer from fire. Second, it could act as a strong shelter if there were any future attacks.
The builder was George Goldring, an Englishman. He arrived at Rainworth in 1862 and was first a bookkeeper. He stayed until 1868.
To build the store, Goldring had to work hard. He burned lime and made bricks. He also collected basalt boulders from the area. He used a special mortar mix to hold the stones together. This mix included sand, lime, and crushed basalt. It's believed the roof was made of galvanized iron. This was very new for the area at the time. The Rainworth Store is the only stone building Goldring is known to have built in Queensland.
Developing the Station
By 1867, Jesse Gregson had set up all the necessary buildings at Rainworth. He started a new partnership with the Busbys. He also began fencing 20,000 acres of land with wire. This was one of the first times wire fencing was used in the district.
Jesse Gregson helped the Springsure district grow in many ways. He was the postmaster until 1864. He also helped build the road from Rockhampton to Springsure. In 1865, he helped start a local farming society. This group aimed to improve the quality of farm animals. Gregson was the first secretary of this society.
In 1874, Gregson left Rainworth. He became the Superintendent of the Australian Agricultural Company. This was a very large farming and mining company.
Later Owners and Restoration
After the Gregson family left, the property was managed by James Nesbit. The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney took over the lease in 1877.
Later, in 1888, Francis Hamilton Beadon Turner bought the property. The ownership of Rainworth Station changed hands several times over the years.
In 1919, Alexander McLaughlin bought the Rainworth Head Station. His family has owned it ever since. From this time, the property became known as Old Rainworth.
In 1940, Alexander McLaughlin divided his land among his children. In 1973, two of his granddaughters bought Old Rainworth. They were worried about the old stone store. They wanted to save and restore it. So, they created a committee to preserve the Old Rainworth Fort.
In 1981, a stonemason named Gino Sandrin was hired. He restored the building using original stones. He shaped them and used cement to hold them in place.
Old Rainworth Today
In the 1980s, Old Rainworth was developed into a historical tourist complex. The Old Cairdbeign homestead, built in the 1870s, was moved here in 1987. A timber worker rebuilt it. The former Cairdbeign School was also moved to Old Rainworth.
Today, Old Rainworth is a popular place for tourists and school children. It helps them learn about the history of the area.
Museum
The museum complex at Old Rainworth is very interesting. It includes:
- The stone store, which is still in its original condition.
- The Cairdbeign homestead, which was moved here.
- The original school building from the 1800s.
The museum has many old items and important local artifacts. The current caretakers, Colleen McLaughlin and Lorna Smith, are dedicated to preserving this history. They believe the site is very important. They say that visitors often comment on how important it is to keep this history alive. They hope a trust will be formed to protect this unique place for the future.
Description of the Stone Store
The Old Rainworth Stone Store is about 10 kilometers from Springsure. You can get there by driving south on the Dawson Highway and then taking Wealwandangie Road.
The store has been partly rebuilt. It is a single-story building with a corrugated iron roof. A U-shaped verandah wraps around the western side and parts of the northern and southern sides.
The building is made from local basalt stones. These stones are held together with a special mortar. The walls are thick, about 35 to 45 centimeters. The building has six rooms, a cellar, and a loft.
The main room is on the western side. You enter it through double timber doors. This room has a timber floor and windows. There's also a timber frame of an old partition wall inside. From the main room, timber stairs lead up to the loft. The loft also has a timber floor. A new handrail has been added for safety.
The verandah has a stone floor. Stairs from the western side lead down to a cellar. The cellar has stone walls and floor, with vents for air.
The eastern part of the building has three rooms. The end rooms have stone walls and floors. The middle room has an earthen floor and an outer wall made of horizontal timber slabs.
Near the store, to the southwest, are the remains of an old arbor made of timber. The site of the original Rainworth Homestead was also nearby, but no remains are visible today.
Why is it Heritage Listed?
The Old Rainworth Stone Store was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's considered very important to Queensland's history and culture. The Cairdbeign Homestead and School, though moved here, are not considered to be of state-level importance.
Showing Queensland's History
The store shows how early European settlements developed in Queensland. Large farms like Rainworth Station came before towns. Because Rainworth Station was so far from any big towns, Jesse Gregson built this stone store in 1862. It was used to keep supplies safe and protected. Supplies were brought only twice a year from Rockhampton. The store shows how important it was to have good storage on remote farms, especially in tough weather.
A Rare Building
The Rainworth Stone Store is a rare example of a mid-19th century stone building. It was built specifically to store supplies for long periods. Not many stores on farms in Queensland were built from stone during this time. This makes it very special.
Learning from the Past
This stone store is a rare old building in Queensland. By studying it and doing more research, we can learn a lot. We can find out about how stone buildings were designed and used back then. We can also learn about what life was like on a remote farm in the 1800s. Any old items found around the former homestead could also tell us about daily life on the farm in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Key Features of a Historic Place
The Rainworth Stone Store is still mostly in its original state. It clearly shows what a strong store on an early, remote farm looked like. It used traditional European building methods. It also used local materials that naturally helped keep things cool or warm inside.
Important to the Community
The Rainworth Stone Store is highly valued by the local community. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in the area. It connects people to the past. As part of a tourist attraction, the store is seen as a very important part of the district's history.
