Thursday, 25 May 2017

A visit to Glengallan Homestead

Today I had the pleasure of visiting the historic Glengallan Homestead which is situated on the New England Highway between Allora and Warwick on the Darling Downs of Queensland. When I was younger I used to pass by the old run down homestead on my way home to visit my parents and wondered what it would have looked like in its heyday. I was just thrilled to hear a few years ago that restoration had begun and that the homestead was now open for morning teas in the cafe and that visitors were able to wander through the building.





This is what it used to look like for many, many years......



....and here is the sad story...what a waste!




After we had had a lovely morning tea and good chat we paid our $10 to view the building and firstly we came across the Station Office and Store which obviously hasn't been restored :-)







Then we walked into the dining room which was quite cold but I noticed that most of the rooms had a fireplace which would certainly have been needed as the winters are quite cold in this area. I happened to look up and saw this exquisite piece of work which probably held a chandelier years ago but as the sign in the third photo says many fittings were pilfered over the years. 



The fashion of the day. 
 


 
I think this is a vase. 




The nursery....




The Glengallan 'Flushing Toilet'. You should have seen the bath next to it. It was slate and was so deep you could break your neck getting into it. 






The main bedroom...a very large and very cold room with a beautiful bedspread. 




There is still a lot of work to be done inside as funds become available I daresay. Considering how neglected the building was and the pilfering and damage done over the years it is amazing that it is looking as good as it does. 




 The view from the front balcony looking out onto the herb garden. To the right is the highway to Brisbane.



We took a walk around the gardens to smell the roses. It was a pleasant autumn day with plenty of sunshine so it was a perfect day for our visit. I would recommend stopping in at the homestead if you are ever in the region. It is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday and there is a market held there on the first Sunday in March, June, September and December. It is also open for weddings, group tours etc. The contact details are on the website. You can see some more photos on this website as well. 

All in all it was a lovely day spent with good friends. 



9 comments:

  1. I love visiting historic places. I read more about Glengallan Homestead on the web, and it sounds like a very interesting place. Thanks for the post Chel.

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  2. It is always interesting to see how the early settlers and pioneers lived and survived! Love this kind of thing - thanks for sharing the trip!

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  3. Nanna Chel,
    Looks like a lovely visit. I like looking at old homes and it's great what they did. You can still see a bit of graffiti in that nursery photo. Tony should be ashamed of themselves. When I get bolder at driving I'll take a visit to have a look. After the living without challenge :)
    - Shiralee.

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  4. This looks like a really interesting and beautiful place to visit.We might be visiting Toowoomba next month so I will add it to the list. I love seeing old and historic buildings restored. Thanks Chel, Pauline

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  5. Even though you were using your old camera Chel, the photos turned out really well. I love the last shot of the front of the house showing those beautiful white rose bushes - I can still smell them. What a lovely morning.

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  6. I can remember driving past Glengallan about a decade ago. It is great to know that it is being restored.

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  7. One of those places I want to visit, one day. Glad you enjoyed your outing.

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  8. i love old buildings, it's a shame so many fall into ruin, you see so many just sitting on farms being neglected
    that one looks like a real charmer & would've belonged to the rich, beautiful stonework.
    thanx for sharing

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  9. For years,the Smith family owned the land around and Glengallan Homestead. The eldest Smith daughter married my brother in law. She has a lot of joyful memories of playing in the homestead, a sort of upmarket cubby house. She has kept one of the old basin and jug sets from one of the bedrooms. The family gifted the homestead to the Glengallan Homestead Trust, which was formed in 1993. The re-construction of the building and its re-furbishing has been quite interesting, and no doubt expensive. It has kept Toowoomba antique dealers on the look out for appropriate pieces...

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