Taromeo Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taromeo Station |
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Taromeo Homestead, 2002
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| Location | off the D'Aguilar Highway, Benarkin, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1854 - 1860s |
| Official name: Taromeo Homestead complex and cemetery | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 601123 |
| Significant period | 1840s-1870s (historical) 1850s-1860s (fabric) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | headstone, graveyard, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, wall/s, shop - blacksmith's, butcher's shop / killing shed / slaughter house (pastoral), yards - livestock, stables, out building/s, grave marker |
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Taromeo Station is a historic cattle station located off the D'Aguilar Highway in Benarkin, Queensland, Australia. It was built between 1854 and the 1860s. The property also includes the Taromeo cemetery.
The Taromeo Homestead and its cemetery are very important. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means they are protected because of their history and special features.
Contents
A Look Back: Taromeo's History
Taromeo Station was one of the very first large farms in this area. It was started soon after land in Queensland was opened up for new settlers in 1842. The region was first divided into three huge areas for farming: Taromeo, Tarong, and Nanango. Many believe Taromeo was the first of these to be settled.
By 1841, people looking for land to start farms, called squatters, began moving into southeast Queensland. They first settled in the Darling Downs area. After land in Brisbane was sold in 1842, explorers set out to map the Wide Bay area. New farms were quickly set up based on their reports.
Early Settlers and Life at Taromeo
We don't know the exact date Taromeo was first settled. However, in late 1842, John Borthwick and William Elliott Oliver visited the area. They were looking for land to start their own farms. Oliver later started Nanango Station, and Borthwick continued north to begin Tarong Station.
Simon Scott arrived from Scotland in 1839. He came to the Moreton Bay region in 1841 with a group delivering sheep. After finding Taromeo, he returned to marry Christine Swanson. In March 1847, Scott came back to Taromeo with his family. On July 5, 1847, he officially applied for a license to use 200 square miles of land.
Around 1850, Simon Scott built a cedar house, likely replacing an older, simpler home. He also added other buildings. Sadly, Mrs. Scott died on Christmas Day, 1851, and was buried at Taromeo. The area was officially made a cemetery in 1878.
The blacksmith's shop was likely built in 1854. In 1856, a stone store and butcher's shop were built for Scott by Robert Williams. These buildings originally had shingled roofs and were separate.
Growing the Station
By 1857, Taromeo Station was doing very well. It had many buildings and a large area for growing crops. Simon Scott, who had remarried in 1854, died in 1858 after falling from his horse near the house. His brother then managed the property until Simon's son, Walter, was old enough.
The Scott family seemed to get along well with the local Aboriginal people. Walter Scott Junior, who later became a politician, was said to speak their language very well.
In the 1870s, the Cobb and Co stagecoach company started a route between Brisbane and Nanango. Taromeo became a stop where horses could rest, and passengers could stay overnight. The station also changed from raising sheep to raising cattle.
Changes and Modern Times
Over the years, the size of Taromeo Station was reduced. The government wanted to encourage more people to settle in the South Burnett region. This process happened over many years, from the 1870s to the early 1900s.
In 1889, Walter Scott willingly gave up a large part of the land. This land was used to create the towns of Blackbutt and Benarkin. Most of it was divided into smaller farms.
The Queensland National Bank took over the property in the 1890s. Mrs. Scott managed it after her husband died. She retired in 1897, and a relative managed the property until World War I.
The original homestead building was taken down in the 1930s. However, efforts have been made to fix up the older buildings to their original look. Taromeo Station has been owned by the same family for over 40 years. A manager lives on site and can help visitors who want to see the buildings and old records. Remember, Taromeo is a working cattle farm and private property, so you must make an appointment before visiting. The cemetery is open to the public and is managed by the local government and the property owners.
In the 2010-2011 Queensland floods, the cemetery was damaged. A project costing $180,000 helped restore it. This work was funded by the Queensland Government and Australian Government and finished by February 2013.
Exploring Taromeo: What You Can See
The historic buildings at Taromeo are located in open, rolling countryside. You'll see large granite rocks and boulders scattered among the buildings.
Main Buildings
- Stone Store: This rectangular building is made of granite blocks. It has a gabled roof. Windows with timber bars are on either side of the main door. The walls are thick, and the inside has narrow shelves. It has a wooden floor and an upper loft area. A door high up in the gable end was likely used to load items into the loft from a cart.
- Stone Butcher's Shop: Next to the store is a stone butcher's shop. It has a lower roof with a small raised section in the middle for air flow.
- Stables: The stables have slab walls and a gabled roof. They have a weatherboard hayloft added inside. Large doors with old-style hinges are along one side. There are cattle yards north of the stables.
Other Structures
- Blacksmith's Shop: This is a timber building with a gabled corrugated iron roof. It used to be the blacksmith's shop, but no equipment remains inside.
- Milking Shed: About 50 meters east of the main buildings is a milking shed. It has a pole frame, open sides, and a gabled roof. Inside, you can see the stalls where cows were milked. The nearby yards are fenced with timber rails.
- Residential Buildings: On the western side of the entrance, there are two timber houses, possibly from the 1930s, and a butcher's shop. These are separated from the older buildings by a fence.
- Kitchen Garden: A kitchen garden, fenced with timber slabs, is to the northwest. It has a small timber structure in one corner.
The Cemetery
West of the homestead, across the creek, is the family cemetery. A stone wall made of rough stones surrounds it, and you enter through an iron gate. Inside, in two rows, are the graves of the Scott family members. The memorials date from 1851 to 1962, including Simon Scott, who died in 1858. Many of those buried were born at Taromeo in the 1840s and 1850s. Some graves are outlined with granite stones. There are also unmarked graves of Taromeo staff behind the main cemetery wall.
Why Taromeo is Important
Taromeo Homestead complex and cemetery was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, because it meets several important requirements:
- Shows Queensland's History: Taromeo Station was one of the first farms in the Wide Bay/Burnett area, started around 1842. It shows how Queensland developed, from early large farms in the 1840s to smaller settlements from the 1870s. It also shows how cattle farming grew in the South Burnett Region.
- Rare and Special Features: Taromeo has some very rare parts, including a private cemetery with a stone wall. It is thought to be one of only two stone-walled family cemeteries in Australia!
- Helps Us Learn: Because Taromeo is so old and still has many original features, it offers a great chance for more historical and archaeological research. This research could help us understand what early farm life in Queensland was like.
- Example of a Historic Station: The buildings at Taromeo show what a typical early Queensland cattle station looked like. How the buildings are arranged and how they relate to each other gives us important clues about life on the station long ago.
- Beautiful and Historic: Taromeo is very beautiful. The mix of old buildings from different styles and times, set among granite rocks and large trees, creates a lovely and historic scene.
- Important to the Community: Taromeo is very special to the South Burnett community. It was one of the first settled stations and provided jobs for many local families, some of whom still live in the area. It is especially linked to the Scott family, who were important pioneers in the region.
