Name: Glengallan Homestead
City: Warwick, QLD Australia
Describe your experience:
Located near Warwick in South East Queensland Country,
Glengallan Homestead is one of the few remaining examples of a
substantial 19th century country house in Queensland.
Located on the banks of Glengallan Creek amidst open
pastoral land, Glengallan has emerged from the ruins of the 1867 homestead
as part of the Queensland Heritage Trails Network.
Visitors can
walk back through time and re-live the Glengallan story - from
squattocracy to farmer settlement - of a once great pastoral
station.
Because there are no photographic or documented records of
how many of the homestead's rooms looked in their original state, the
homestead has only been partly restored. The rooms which have been
recorded have been restored while other rooms remain virtually as
they are, as an example of the ravages of time and neglect that is an
integral part of the history of Glengallan.
The homestead
represents an important chapter in Queensland's pastoral history. It was
built for John Deuchar, a former Aberdeenian farm labourer who became one
of the colony's 'pure merinos', a member of the propertied class with a
successful pastoral run. Credited with developing one of the purest merino
flocks in Queensland, he played a pivotal role in the renovation and
improvement of flocks throughout the state.
Maintained as a grand
country house throughout the 19th century, Glengallan fell into decay
after its last residents departed in the late 1940s. Today, after its $2
million dollar restoration, the history of Glengallan has been
brought back to life.
The two-storey sandstone building was
described as the 'finest and best finished in the Colony', when its first
wing was completed in 1867. Today, visitors to Glengallan will experience
first-hand the sweeping views to Mt Marshall and Mt Dumaresq, pastoral
scenes and elegant architecture which makes this homestead so
memorable.
Heritage Significance
Far from yet another restored home, Glengallan Homestead is an
important example of the 'boom and bust' cycle of rural life.
Once
the showpiece of the Darling Downs in 1867 and 1868, the owner, John
Deuchar, ran into financial difficulties and was forced off the property
after completing just one wing, consisting of four formal rooms and stair
hall.
The surrounding land was sub-divided for settlement in the
early 1900s and the homestead sat uninhabited for 70 years, eventually
falling into disrepair.
Attractions and Facilities
- Restoration and re-creation of the 1893 drawing room
- Restoration of the red cedar staircase and verandahs
- Bathroom with cedar-encased shower tower and slate bath
- Visitors' Centre
Location
New England Highway, 15km
north of Warwick, which lies 160km southwest of Brisbane on the Cunningham
Highway and 86km south of Toowoomba on the New England Highway.
Other things to see & do in and around Warwick
- Pringle Cottage and Museum
- Impressive old architecture, including St Mary's Catholic Church,
Sophia College and Masonic Temple
- Warwick Regional Art Gallery
- Main Range National Park - 40km east of Warwick
- Leslie Dam - 15km west of Warwick
- Queen Mary Falls - 50km northeast of Warwick
- Nearby vineyards and wineries in the Stanthorpe
region
Other Queensland Heritage Network Trails attractions nearby
- Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba
- Global Arts Link, Ipswich
- The Workshops Rail Museum, Ipswich
- Jondaryan Woolshed
- Dogwood Crossing @ Miles
For more information:
Warwick Information Centre
Tel +61 7 4661 3401
Southern
Downs Tourist Association
Tel +61 7 4661 3122
- By Sue Fuller
If you know of a great destination we're missing,
review it for us!!
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