Tarong Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tarong Homestead |
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Tarong Homestead, 1997
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| Location | Cooyar Road, Tarong, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1840s circa - 1890s circa |
| Official name: Tarong Homestead | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600759 |
| Significant period | 1840s (historical) 1840s-1890s (fabric) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | out building/s, kitchen/kitchen house, wall/s, terracing, residential accommodation - main house, graveyard, garden/grounds |
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Tarong Homestead is a very old house and property in Tarong, Australia. It was built between the 1840s and 1890s. This special place is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its important history and unique buildings.
What is Tarong Homestead?
Tarong Homestead is a historic property that covers about 630 acres of land. It sits on a high piece of ground, looking out over flat areas. The main house is actually made up of three timber buildings. They were built at different times but are connected by verandahs (porches) and a central garden courtyard.
How Old are the Buildings?
The oldest part of the house was built in the 1840s. It's a long, narrow section made from vertical timber slabs. The kitchen wing was added in 1859, built at a right angle to the first part. Then, in 1890, a square-shaped building was added in the space between the first two. Each part of the house shows different ways people built with timber back then.
What Does the Oldest Part Look Like?
The 1840s section is made of rough-cut timber slabs that stand upright. It has a steep roof covered with corrugated iron. This roof extends over the front and back verandahs. Inside, the ceilings are made of timber boards, and the walls are also timber. One room, which was originally the dining room, still has old wallpaper with a landscape design!
What About the Kitchen?
The kitchen wing is the smallest part of the house. It also uses vertical timber slabs. It has a hipped roof (a roof that slopes on all sides) with an iron vent on top. There's a large brick chimney for the main kitchen oven and a bread oven. Inside, the kitchen has unpainted cedar board ceilings and timber floors. You can still see old cupboards and a long preparation bench.
The 1890s Addition
The newest part of the house, built in 1890, stands on round timber posts. It has five rooms and is surrounded by a wide verandah. This section has a lower-pitched roof, also covered with corrugated iron. The walls are made of wide, horizontal timber slabs. Many of the windows slide up and down, and the doors have four panels. Some rooms still have their original wallpaper and even old linoleum on the floor!
Other Buildings and Gardens
Around the main house, there are several other old timber buildings. These include what might have been a fowl house (for chickens) and a garage. There are also signs of an old woodshed.
The property also has parts of a large garden. You can see old stone terraces, walls, and timber fences. Many old trees like jacaranda, fig, and orange trees still grow there.
To the northwest of the house, there's a small graveyard. It holds the graves of the Clapperton family, who owned the property for a long time. The oldest grave dates back to 1876.
There's also a large lagoon (a small lake) to the southwest of the house. Old timber posts near the lagoon suggest there might have been a bathhouse or water slide there once!
A Look Back: Tarong's History
Tarong Homestead was started around 1842 by James Borthwick. He was one of the first people to set up a large sheep or cattle farm, called a "pastoral run," in this area.
Who Owned Tarong?
Soon after Borthwick started Tarong, his manager, George Clapperton, took over the property. George Clapperton kept detailed diaries and records, which tell us a lot about life at Tarong from the 1850s onwards. He was an important person in the local community.
Under Clapperton's ownership, Tarong changed from mainly a sheep farm to a place that raised both sheep and cattle. Later, under his son's ownership, it became mostly a cattle farm. This change showed how the region was becoming known for cattle farming.
Building the Homestead
The main house was built in different stages. The first part was likely built in the 1840s for James Borthwick. Then, the kitchen wing was added in 1856. Workers at Tarong built it using timber slabs from older huts.
George Clapperton passed away in 1875. His wife, Anne Clapperton, inherited the property. This is when the small cemetery was started for his grave. The Clapperton family still uses it today.
Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, more improvements were made to the house. Walls were papered and painted, and a fireplace was added. In 1890, the largest addition was built by local carpenters. This new section added five more rooms to the house.
Changes Over Time
In the early 1900s, the verandahs of the 1890s section were made bigger. The original shingle roofs were also replaced with corrugated iron. Smaller buildings like a meat room and a bathhouse were also built or changed over the years.
Over time, the government wanted more people to settle in the area. So, they reduced the size of the Tarong property. This happened in stages from the 1870s into the early 1900s.
Why is Tarong Homestead Important?
Tarong Homestead is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register for several reasons:
A Glimpse into Queensland's Past
Tarong Homestead shows us how Queensland, especially the South Burnett area, developed. It started with large farms in the 1840s and later saw more people settling on smaller plots of land. It also shows how farming changed from sheep to cattle.
Rare and Special Features
Tarong has some very rare parts, like the 1840s slab hut and the 1859 slab kitchen. It also has old wallpaper in six rooms that likely dates back to the late 1800s. The site is still very much like it was, even with all the changes over the years.
Learning from History
Because Tarong is so old and has many original features, plus lots of old records, it can help us learn more about what life was like on early Queensland farms.
A Great Example of an Old Farm
The homestead is a good example of what an early Queensland farm looked like. The way the buildings are arranged and how they relate to the other farm buildings tells us a lot about daily life back then. The main house also shows three different ways people built with timber in the 1800s.
Beautiful and Interesting
Tarong has a special beauty. The way the different parts of the house were built over many years, and how they sit on the land overlooking the flats, makes it very picturesque. The house itself is also well-designed to be comfortable in its environment.
Important to the Community
Tarong has a strong connection to the South Burnett community. It was one of the first farms in the area and provided jobs for many local families, some of whom still live there today.
Connected to Important People
The homestead is linked to the Clapperton family, who have owned it since 1857. They played a big part in developing the South Burnett region and the town of Nanango.
