Parson's Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parson's Inn |
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Parson's Inn, from Raglan Station Road, 2009
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| Location | Raglan Station Road, Raglan, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1885 - 1950s |
| Official name: Parson's Inn | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 31 July 2006 |
| Reference no. | 600388 |
| Significant period | 1880s-1950s (fabric) c. 1885-1900s (historical use) |
| Significant components | tank stand, sawpit, yards - livestock, residential accommodation - main house, shed - milking, mill - wind |
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Parson's Inn is an old, special building in Raglan, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a hotel where travelers could rest. This historic site was built around 1885 and was used for many years. Today, it is protected because of its important history. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2006.
Discovering Parson's Inn History
The old Parson's Inn buildings are made of timber. They are about 5 kilometers south of Raglan. You can find them on an old coach road, which is now different from the main Bruce Highway. Edwin Parson ran this roadside hotel from 1885 until the early 1900s. His family has owned the property ever since.
Early Settlement in Raglan
The area around the inn was first explored for farming in 1855. Many large sheep farms, called runs, were set up. Raglan was one of these early farms. By 1865, cattle became more common than sheep in the area.
A goldfield was found near Raglan in 1867. Gold miners from this area often visited Parson's Inn. They sometimes paid for their food and supplies with gold! Later, bigger farms were divided into smaller ones. This helped more people settle in the area.
Edwin Parson's Journey
Edwin Parson first appeared in records around 1874. He bought land near Raglan Creek in 1873 and 1874. This spot was known as Black's Crossing. It was a place where cattle drovers and carriers often camped. They would cross the creek with their animals and goods.
These crossing points were perfect for inns. Travelers could get food, a place to sleep, and shelter for their horses. They might also find a blacksmith or send messages. Inns were also social places where people could meet others. They helped new areas grow and develop.
The Inn's Busy Years
Edwin Parson got a license for his hotel, the Raglan Hotel, in 1885. On an old photo, the sign for the hotel shows his name as "Parson," without the "s." He ran the hotel until 1902. After that, other people briefly held the license. The inn likely stopped being a hotel when fewer travelers used the road.
A post office opened in Raglan in 1879. Mail was carried by horse until 1887, when a weekly coach started using the road. This coach would have brought more visitors to the inn.
How the Inn Was Built
It's not clear if the building was built as an inn or if an older building was changed. It had both rough timber slabs and sawn wooden boards for walls. You can still see a saw pit behind the building. This is where timber was cut by hand.
The inn shows how people built things in remote areas long ago. They used local materials like bush poles for the frame. They also used pit-sawn timber for walls and floors. Some floorboards were even held in place with wooden pegs!
A Governor's Wife Visits
Between 1896 and 1901, the wife of Queensland's Governor, Lady Lamington, wrote about her visit. In 1897, she was traveling to meet her husband. Bad weather made her change her plans. She decided to travel the last part of her journey by land.
She stayed one night at the Raglan Hotel. She described it as "a wooden hut with some small trees nearby." A woman and her children ran the hotel. Lady Lamington remembered that the main room had a counter for a bar. Behind it were a few small bedrooms.
The walls and floors were made of planks. These planks had shrunk, so she could easily see into the next room! She even saw chickens scratching under the floor. The walls had newspaper pictures stuck on them for privacy. Lady Lamington found the experience very touching. A photo of the inn was taken during her visit. Later, more rooms were added to the building.
Changes Over Time
In 1904, some of Parson's land was taken for a new railway. The railway opened in 1910. This new train line likely meant fewer people traveled on the old coach road. The inn was no longer licensed as a hotel after 1905. However, it might have still offered rooms to travelers until about 1909.
Edwin Parson became a farmer before he passed away in 1911. His son, Walter Parsons, inherited the property. For many years, until the late 1950s, the land around Parson's Inn was used as a dairy farm. A family working on the farm lived in the inn. The property has stayed in the Parson's family for generations.
Today, the building has not been lived in for over 35 years. It was recently used to store hay. A storm damaged the back of the building years ago.
Exploring Parson's Inn Today
Parson's Inn is located south of Raglan Creek. It sits along the old coach road, which is no longer the main route. The inn is a single-story timber building. It stands on low stumps, lifting it slightly off the ground.
Building Features
The building's frame is made of bush poles. These are rough, natural timber poles. Originally, parts of the walls were made of timber slabs. Most of these have been replaced with weatherboards, which are overlapping timber planks. The roof is made of corrugated iron.
The front of the building has an open verandah in the middle. Rooms are on either side of this verandah. These rooms have been extended over time. Behind the front section is a large room with lined walls and ceiling. At the back are smaller rooms and another verandah.
Unique Construction Details
The windows and doors are set between upright bush timbers. The floors are made of pit-sawn boards. These boards were cut by hand in a sawpit. Some parts of the floor are held down with large, rectangular wooden pegs. You can still see the sawpit behind the building, though it has been filled in for safety.
The main room inside has wide, plain boards on the walls. It also has a special painted design called a dado on the end walls. The upper part of the wall is light blue, and the lower part is pinkish-grey. A pink line and a stenciled pattern divide them.
Other Buildings on the Property
Near the inn, there is a two-story timber-framed building. This was likely the former residence. It is now mostly just a frame and is leaning.
Beyond this house, there is a small building with weatherboard cladding and a pole frame. It stands within the remains of an old fence. A roofed open area is next to it. There is also a windmill and a water tank on stumps nearby.
It is believed that there are graves some distance behind the inn, but they have not been found. The area around the inn is important for archaeology. It might hold clues about how these early roadside inns operated.
Why Parson's Inn is Special
Parson's Inn is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it is a very important historical site in Queensland. It was added to the list in 2006 for several reasons.
Showing Queensland's History
The former Raglan Hotel, or Parson's Inn, helps us understand how Queensland grew. It was a vital stop for moving livestock, supplies, and mail. Inns like this were very important for settling remote areas.
A Rare Find
This inn is rare in Queensland. Many such inns were built, but very few that used local materials like Parson's Inn have survived. It's also believed that the way its floorboards are pegged to the supports is unique in Queensland.
Learning from the Past
The inn, its other buildings, and the land around them can teach us a lot. They have the potential to show us how early hotels in Queensland worked. This makes it a valuable archaeological site.
A Great Example
Parson's Inn is an excellent example of its type of building. It shows many early building techniques. This helps us see how people constructed buildings long ago.
Connected to a Family's Story
The inn has a special connection to the Parsons family. They were among the first settlers in the area. Several generations of the family have been linked to this important place.
