Sinnamon Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sinnamon Farm |
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Avondale in 2014
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| Location | 645 & 693 Seventeen Mile Rocks Road, Sinnamon Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s–1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1869–1890s |
| Official name: Sinnamon Farm, Avondale and Macleod aviation site, Beechwood, Glen Ross and Seventeen Mile Rocks School, 600237, 600234, 600236 | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600233 |
| Significant period | 1869–1890s (fabric) 1860s–1960s, 1910 (historical) |
| Significant components | shed – storage, farmhouse, shed – shelter, objects (movable) – farming, garden – ornamental/flower, trees/plantings, school/school room, plaque, orchard, barn, kitchen/kitchen house, garden – vegetable |
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Sinnamon Farm is a special heritage-listed farm located at 645 & 693 Seventeen Mile Rocks Road, Sinnamon Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built between 1869 and the 1890s. This farm is also known by names like Avondale, Macleod aviation site, Beechwood, Glen Ross, and Seventeen Mile Rocks School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992, meaning it's protected because of its historical importance.
Contents
A Family's Journey: History of Sinnamon Farm
The Sinnamon family arrived in Brisbane in 1863, after a stop in Tasmania. James Sinnamon, a farmer from Northern Ireland, was 50 years old. He came with his wife Margaret, seven sons, and three daughters. They were looking for a better life and religious freedom. In 1865, the family, including another daughter born on their journey, settled at Seventeen Mile Rocks. This area is on the Mermaid Reach of the Brisbane River.
Settling and Building the Farm
The land around the river was surveyed into small farms in 1864. These farms sold quickly because many people were moving to Queensland in the early 1860s. James Sinnamon first bought 20 acres of land in 1865. He then bought more land next to it from other sellers. Much of the land along the river was thick rainforest. The Sinnamon family had to clear the land by cutting down trees and burning the brush.
On one piece of land they bought in 1866, the family built a large hut. It was made of split timber and had an earthen floor. The Sinnamons used money from government land orders and also borrowed money. They paid back their loans within a few years. By 1869, they were able to build a bigger timber house called Beechwood. This house was built further up the hill.
Building Beechwood and Carrying On
To build Beechwood, the family cut and moved timber from their property. During one trip, James Sinnamon was badly hurt by a horse and sadly died. His wife Margaret and their children finished building Beechwood. They continued farming and later built more structures for their farm and family.
John, the oldest son, lived at Beechwood with his mother until she passed away in 1904. He died ten years later. Beechwood has been lived in continuously since 1869. It is one of the oldest homes in the area, along with Wolston House (built in 1863) at Wacol.
Glen Ross and Avondale: More Family Homes
In 1887, a third and larger house, Glen Ross, was built. It was located west of Beechwood. This house was for James Jr., the sixth child of James and Margaret Sinnamon. He had bought the land in 1880. James Jr. got married in December 1887. Glen Ross was named after the family's home in Ireland. It was made bigger over time to fit his six sons and three daughters.
A large hay shed was built at Glen Ross around 1890, but it burned down in 1978. After James Jr. died in 1942, his fourth child, Hercules V. Sinnamon (later Sir Hercules), bought the farm. Hercules was a businessman and farmer. He kept the Sinnamon farms going.
A fourth house, Avondale, was built in the 1890s. It was located east of Beechwood. This house was for Benjamin Sinnamon, the ninth child. He bought the property in 1886 from other family members. Benjamin married Elizabeth Annie Primrose in 1889. They and their six children lived at Avondale. After Benjamin died in 1941, the farm continued to operate.
Farming and Community Life
The Sinnamon farms grew many different crops. They started with sugarcane and cotton. Later, they grew maize, potatoes, and pineapples. They also produced dairy products. In later years, they focused on breeding horses and cattle, especially pure Jersey cows.
The Sinnamon family was very involved in local community life. They helped set up the Seventeen Mile Rocks School and the local church (Sinnamon Memorial Uniting Church). Benjamin Sinnamon even served on the Sherwood Shire Council.
The Seventeen Mile Rocks School
Children in the Seventeen Mile Rocks area had to travel to Corinda for school. So, a temporary school was built in Goggs Road in 1870. Local farmers provided the timber building and its furniture. By 1876, local residents had raised enough money for a new school. This new building was finished in 1877 and opened in 1878 with 32 students. It also had a separate shelter shed and a teacher's house.
In the early 1900s, the school's inside walls were covered with wooden boards. Its shingled roof was replaced with corrugated iron. The school closed in 1966 when Jindalee State School opened. The building was later sold to Hercules Sinnamon. He offered it as a meeting place for the Indooroopilly Rural Youth Club. Many generations of the Sinnamon family went to this school. They were also involved in its development. For example, James Jr. was the school committee's first treasurer. His uncle Benjamin was chairman of the school committee for forty years. The school building was moved to Hercules Sinnamon's property in the late 1980s. Since then, it has been used as an interactive museum for school groups.
Early Flights at Sinnamon Farm
Sinnamon Farm was also famous for early glider flights. In 1910, Thomas Macleod made the first officially watched flight in Queensland of a machine heavier than air. This happened on the slopes of the farm. These events were remembered in 1970 with a plaque. The plaque was placed next to the school building, which had been moved.
Preserving the Farm's History
From the 1960s, some Sinnamon land was sold for the new suburb of Jindalee. However, all the family property between Seventeen Mile Rocks Road and the Brisbane River was kept. This was mainly due to the efforts of Hercules Sinnamon. He wanted to protect his family's history in the area. Hercules Sinnamon fought against a plan for a bridge through the farmland. He moved the old state school onto his property to save it. He also wrote a history of the Sinnamon family. In the mid-1960s, he gave land for the Seventeen Mile Rocks Church to be moved to a safer spot. Hercules Sinnamon passed away in 1994 at 94 years old.
Even though Hercules Sinnamon wanted to keep the area as farmland, after his death, the land was sold. It was used to build new houses. In 2011, a plan was made to turn the heritage-listed buildings, Glen Ross, Beechwood, and the former Seventeen Mile Rocks School, into homes. Work on this plan was happening in 2014.
Exploring Sinnamon Farm: What You Can See
Sinnamon Farm includes all the buildings, structures, and land connected to the Sinnamon family. This is all within the special heritage area. Here's what you can find there:
- Beechwood (built 1869): This is a house with a gable roof and verandahs.
- Glen Ross (built 1887): This house has a short ridge roof, verandahs, an attached kitchen, and other small buildings. It also has fences and a formal garden.
- Avondale (built around 1890s): This house has a short ridge roof, verandahs, and other small buildings.
- Former Seventeen Mile Rocks School (built 1877): This is a building with a gable roof and verandahs that was moved to this site. It also has a shelter shed.
- Macleod aviation site (1910): This is the spot where the first important glider flights happened. A plaque was placed here in 1970 to remember these events.
Beechwood House
Beechwood is a farmhouse with four bedrooms and a living room. It's a good example of a timber house from the time Queensland became a separate colony. The front and back verandah roofs are connected to the main roof. Its original split hardwood shingles are now covered by corrugated iron. The front verandah has simple square wooden railings. Four sets of French doors open onto this verandah. The house was built using timber cut and shaped on the property. This includes internal cedar wood and strong hardwood logs that support the house.
Glen Ross House
Glen Ross is a typical Queensland house from the late 1800s. It has a short-ridge roof and a back extension. Inside, it has twelve rooms. Some of these rooms were created by enclosing parts of the verandahs that go all around the house. The wide front and side verandahs have pretty cast iron railings and brackets between the timber posts. The back verandah has simple wooden railings. The main house has exposed timber frames. Its inside walls are covered with vertical wooden boards. The house has two chimneys for fireplaces in the living room and kitchen.
The attached kitchen house has its own separate roof and verandahs on each side. This part of the house is covered with weatherboards and has a brick chimney. The house is decorated inside with old furniture and family items. Outside, it has timber fences and plants. There's a formal garden in the front and vegetable beds in the back. An orchard to the east has fruit trees, including a large Moreton Bay fig tree near the front gate. To the west, there are other buildings that store vehicles and tools. This includes an old Sinnamon family plough made of wood and iron. A nearby shed made of vertical timber slabs also still stands. Glen Ross is a well-kept farmhouse that still looks much like it did originally. It has been carefully extended over time to fit the family living there.
Avondale House
Avondale is another Queensland farmhouse from the late 1800s. It is similar in shape to Glen Ross. Built of timber and corrugated iron, Avondale has wide verandahs on all sides. It is decorated with cast iron railings, brackets, and a small cast-iron decoration between the timber posts. The back and parts of the side verandahs have been enclosed. Its exposed timber frame is lined inside with vertical wooden boards. Avondale has fewer main rooms than Glen Ross. The way its walls are built suggests it was constructed a bit later. To the west, there are other buildings, including an old barn made of timber slabs and corrugated iron. There are also stone remains of a circular horse-powered mill near the house.
Former Seventeen Mile Rocks School
The old school building is now set on a concrete block base. It is a single-room building, typical for a school in a rural area. It has a simple design with a gable roof and verandahs at the front and back. The outside is covered with weatherboards, and the roof is made of corrugated galvanised iron. The ceiling is lined with diagonal wooden sheeting, and the inside walls have narrow vertical wooden boards. The original front window sashes have been replaced. Inside, you can still see old student desks and benches. The schoolhouse also has a separate shelter shed with a hip roof covered in corrugated iron.
Why Sinnamon Farm is Important: Heritage Listing
Sinnamon Farm was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
Sinnamon Farm is historically important because it shows how rural areas in Queensland were settled. It shows how land was used along rivers from the 1860s to the 1890s. This includes clearing rainforest for farms and how farming developed. It also shows how community life grew around families, schools, and churches. The farm is a great example of how a group of farm homes, outbuildings, and community buildings developed together within one family over time.
A Rare Look at the Past
The buildings, structures, and plants at Sinnamon Farm form a rare group of rural buildings. They are located in a suburban area of Brisbane today. They are important because they show a way of life from the past. As a farming landscape with buildings from the 1800s, Sinnamon Farm is a unique and special place in Brisbane.
Showing Key Features of Old Farms
The main buildings at Sinnamon Farm include a gable-roofed house from the late 1860s. There are also two homes from the 1880s-90s, slab outbuildings, and a gable-roofed schoolhouse from the 1870s. These are typical timber buildings from what was once rural Queensland. Because they are still in good condition, they show the main features of these types of buildings.
Connected to Important People
Sinnamon Farm is important because of its strong connection to the Sinnamon family. This family was very active in local affairs. They helped develop the area and were involved in many other public activities since the 1860s.
