Ormiston House Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ormiston House Estate |
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Building in 2015
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| Location | Wellington Street, Ormiston, City of Redland, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | c. 1858 - c. 1865 |
| Official name: Ormiston House Estate | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600775 |
| Significant period | 1850s-1860s (fabric) c. 1858-1880s, 1935, 1959 (historical) |
| Significant components | tree groups - avenue of, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, garden/grounds, cairn, plantings - exotic, kitchen/kitchen house, laundry / wash house, residential accommodation - main house, objects (movable) - farming, residential accommodation - gatehouse/lodge |
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Ormiston House Estate is a special historic property in Ormiston, Queensland, Australia. It was built between about 1858 and 1865. This estate is important because it played a big part in starting the sugar industry in Queensland. Today, it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected for everyone to learn about and enjoy.
A Look Back in Time
Ormiston House is a large, single-story brick home. It was built in different stages between 1858 and 1865. The house was made for the Honourable Louis Hope. He was a very important person in early Queensland. He was even a member of the Queensland Legislative Council, which was like a part of the government.
Louis Hope's Arrival and Land
Louis Hope came to New South Wales in 1843. He quickly became active in Queensland's economy and politics. He was key in developing the sugar industry in Queensland. In the 1850s, he bought and leased a lot of land. This included Kilcoy Station and Shafston House. He also bought land in the Cleveland area, which overlooked Raby Bay.
Starting the Ormiston Estate
The Ormiston property was named after a place in Scotland where Hope's family came from. Farming began there around 1858. A small slab hut, which is now part of the kitchen wing at Ormiston House, was likely built around this time. In the early 1860s, Hope tried growing cotton. Then he switched to sugar cane.
By late 1862, the estate was quite large. It had over 325 hectares (about 800 acres) of fenced land. There was a beautiful garden and fields of sugarcane and corn. The property also had saltpans, which made a lot of salt each day. There was a small brick house, the slab hut kitchen, and homes for the farm workers. There was also an overseer's house, a barn, and animal yards. Water came from wells and waterholes on the land.
Queensland's First Sugar Mill
In 1864, Louis Hope built Queensland's first sugar crushing mill. It was located on the banks of Hilliards Creek. The mill machinery came all the way from Scotland. In September of that year, the first commercially milled sugar in Queensland was produced there. This was a huge step for the region.
Building the Main House
As the sugar plantation and mill grew, Hope built a much bigger brick house. This happened in 1864–65. The earlier small brick house was probably included in the new design. The new house was very modern for its time. It had gas lighting, hot water, and flushing toilets.
It's said that Hope brought skilled workers from Scotland to build the house. He even sent cypress pine logs from Ormiston to England. There, they were shaped into the columns for the verandahs. The bricks for the house were made right on the property. The timber was also cut and prepared on site. The roof was originally made of wooden shingles.
Sugar Production and Sale
By 1865, the sugar plantation at Ormiston was the largest in Queensland. From 1867, Hope hired workers from the South Pacific islands to help in his cane fields. The mill produced a lot of sugar each season. Most of this sugar went directly to other large properties.
Hope continued crushing sugar at Ormiston until about 1875. After a legal disagreement with a neighbour, the mill machinery was sold. In the same year, he leased most of the property to his former manager, Gilbert Burnett. Hope kept about 80 hectares (about 200 acres) with the main house.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1881, Louis Hope tried to sell Ormiston House because he planned to leave Queensland. The house was described as having sixteen rooms and wide verandahs. It also had a separate kitchen, servant's quarters, and a laundry. Water was supplied by a large tank in the roof. The house and a small brick lodge were set in beautiful gardens. The house didn't sell then, but Burnett bought the land he had been leasing.
In 1882, the Hope family moved back to England. Ormiston House stayed in the family until 1912. Then, it was sold to a grazier (a farmer who raises livestock) named John Arthur Macartney.
In 1935, a special stone monument called a cairn was placed in front of Ormiston House. This was to remember Louis Hope's important work in starting the sugar industry in Queensland.
In 1959, the Carmelite Nuns bought the house and about 11 hectares (about 27 acres) of land. They later built a brick monastery on the property. Today, with their permission, Ormiston House is a museum. It is run by the Ormiston House Restoration Association, which started in the mid-1960s.
What Ormiston House Looks Like
Ormiston House Estate has several buildings. These include the main house, an old slab kitchen, a former store, a laundry, and a small lodge. There are also large gardens. A big monastery was built to the north of the main house. The property looks out over Raby Bay to the east. The grounds stretch down to the water's edge.
The Main House
The main house is a single-story brick building. It has a T-shape and verandahs all around it. The roof is made of corrugated iron. The house was built in different stages. The older parts have a special brick pattern called Flemish bond. The newer parts use English bond brickwork.
The verandahs have different types of flooring. Some have brick paving, while others have sandstone. The verandahs on the north side have paired, white wooden columns. These columns are called Tuscan columns. The southern verandahs have square wooden posts with curved wooden brackets. Some parts are covered with a lattice screen.
The northern part of the house has French doors with large fanlights above them. These doors also have wooden shutters. The southern part has casement windows and timber doors with glass panels. The main entrance hall is between the two wings. It has a panelled cedar door with clear glass fanlights and side windows.
Inside the House
Inside, the walls in the entry hall are smooth. Other walls are smooth and covered with wallpaper, usually up to a picture rail. The main rooms have very high ceilings, about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Most rooms have decorative pressed metal ceilings. The floors are made of timber.
All the wooden details inside are made of cedar. This includes deep skirtings (baseboards), wide architraves (door and window frames), and window sills. There are also panelled doors, fireplace surrounds, French doors, and casement windows. The old toilet room still has an early flushing system. You can also see gas pipes for the old light fittings. The current kitchen has pressed metal sheets on the walls and old gas light fittings.
Other Buildings
The old slab kitchen is made of split logs. It sits on large timber sleepers. It has a corrugated iron roof. There's a brick-paved verandah on the east side. Inside, it has a boarded ceiling, casement windows, and the original brick chimney and oven.
The former store is now used for toilets. It's made of brick and is located north of the slab kitchen. It shares the same roof and verandah as the kitchen.
A simple wooden laundry building is attached to the west side of the slab kitchen. It has a corrugated iron roof. The laundry has a copper (a large pot for boiling clothes) and a brick chimney.
A white brick lodge (a small house) with a steep, corrugated iron roof is located to the south. It has enclosed verandahs and casement windows.
The Gardens
The grounds have an avenue of Bunya Pines to the southeast. There are also old exotic trees between the house and the road. Large areas of lawn and other old plantings remain. To the east, you can see the 1935 memorial cairn. A two-story brick monastery is to the north of the main house, separated by a high fence.
Why Ormiston House is Special
Ormiston House Estate 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: The estate helps us understand how Queensland developed. It shows how European settlement began in Cleveland and how the sugar industry started in Queensland.
- Rare Features: Ormiston House has some rare and uncommon features from its time. These include early gas lighting, hot water systems, and flushing toilets.
- Learning from the Past: The estate can still teach us a lot about Queensland's history. It contains the sites of early farming and industrial activities. It also has large gardens from the 1800s.
- A Great Example of a Country Estate: The place is a wonderful example of a large country house and rural estate from the 1860s. The house and its grounds look beautiful in the Ormiston area and along the Raby Bay foreshore. People in the community really value its beauty.
- Connected to Important People: Ormiston House Estate has a special connection to the life and work of Louis Hope. He was a pioneer in Queensland and made a huge contribution to the sugar industry.
