History & Heritage Trails (Abridged)

Southern Downs & Granite Belt

History & Heritage Trails

Historic Southern Downs and Granite Belt As one of Queensland’s most historic areas, there is a wealth of heritage to be discovered here in the Southern Downs.

First inhabited by Aborigines for many millennia, botanist Allan Cunningham was the first European to explore the region in 1827. From the arrival of the Leslie brothers in 1840, the area grew to become the first free, white settlement in Queensland.

The region boasts a great diversity of heritage buildings, from the grand public buildings of sandstone to humble shepherds’ slab huts, and everything in between. Many well-known identities originated here – Jackie Howe, born at Canning Downs Station, became famous in 1892 as the world’s greatest shearer, and Charles Chauvel, also born on Canning Downs, was the founder of cinematography in Australia. Another little known fact is that an egg throwing incident here, involving Prime Minister Billy Hughes, led to the founding of the Commonwealth Police.

Contents Allora.......................................................3 Warwick City Walk Trail..............................4 Warwick City Drive Trail................................5 The Settlers Route..........................................6 Killarney.................................................7 Stanthorpe.............................................8 Wallangara.............................................9 Regional Drive Trail Map..........................10

Visitor Information Centres Warwick Town Hall, 72 Palmerin St, Warwick Qld 4370 07 4661 3122 | visitor@sdrc.qld.gov.au southerndownsandgranitebelt.com.au Stanthorpe 28 Leslie Parade, Stanthorpe Qld 380 07 4681 2057 | visitor@sdrc.qld.gov.au southerndownsandgranitebelt.com.au

THIS BOOKLET IS A SUMMARISED VERSION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE BOOK AVAILABLE FROM THE WARWICK AND STANTHORPE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES.

Allora Town

Glengallan Homestead & Heritage Centre

Allora’s European history began with Allan Cunningham’s exploration of the area in 1827, when he reported fine grazing and farming land. However, it was not settled until 1840 when Patrick Leslie and his brothers journeyed north to establish the first homestead on the Downs. The first buildings were erected on what later became Allora in 1844. The town survey was completed on 1 July 1859 and land sales began in 1861. The origin of the name Allora is unknown, but is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word, “Gnallarah”, meaning the place of the swamp. The main street of Allora has been described by travel writers as ‘one of the three best streetscapes in Australia’.

From Toowoomba

Glengallan emerges from the ruins of the 1867 sandstone homestead as a unique heritage tourism experience. Visit and relive the Glengallan story from squattocracy to farmer settlement.

Its past is a story of boom and gloom that characterises a family history and events that helped shape Queensland.

Open 10am-4pm weekends and public holidays. Midweek tours and functions by arrangement. Admission fees apply.

Ph (07) 4667 3866 |

A3 Berat - Forest Springs Road

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The Mary Poppins House

Glengallan Homestead

To Brisbane To Warwick

To Toowoomba

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Built in the 1880s, this house was home to the author of the “Mary Poppins” books, Pamela Lyndon Travers.

She lived here from 1905 to 1907 when her father was manager for the Australian Joint Stock Bank. The building remains privately owned and open to the public via appointment only.

St David’s Anglican Church

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glengallan.org.au

This lovely timber building built in 1888 cost just £800.

While the internal features are original, the weight of the shingle roof caused the external wall to spread and by 1892, a second outside wall of chamfer board was added.

To Talgai

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Warwick City Walk Trail

St Mary’s Catholic Church

As one of Queensland’s earliest settlements, Warwick is home to some of the State’s most interesting European history. Gazetted in 1847, Warwick’s first land sales occurred in 1850. As the town became established, stone from local quarries was used to construct the many fine sandstone public and private buildings for which Warwick is justly famous.

After 1900, a second building boom gave Warwick a legacy of many fine Federation-era timber and brick buildings. Warwick became a city in 1936.

In 1994, it merged with the rural shires of Glengallan, Rosenthal and Allora, and then in 2008 with Stanthorpe to form the new Southern Downs Regional Council. Known as the Rose and Rodeo City, Warwick proudly claims its traditions. The annual Rodeo, held since the mid-1800s, and the springtime appearance of its own Warwick (Arafuto) Rose throughout the City’s gardens, are favourite attractions.

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St Mary of Assumption, Warwick’s first sandstone church, was completed in 1865 and officially opened by the first Bishop of Queensland, Bishop Quinn. A school was added in 1867 and when the new St Mary’s opened in 1926, the old church was turned into classrooms.

Warwick Town Hall Warwick Town Hall, opened in October 1888, is one of Queensland’s oldest local authority buildings and one of the few built in such grand style. The building bears the vestiges of historical events and the parallels between war and sport.

Warwick Horsepower Place John Simpson’s Horsepower legacy on the Condamine River pays homage to the rich & varied facets of the region’s equestrian history.

The 15m high sculpture sits at the southern end of Queens Park on Alice St.

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Warwick Police Station The town’s first police station, erected in 1849, saw police housed in various buildings until the completion of a new station in 1901. Costing £5,700, the new facilities included office and residential accommodation, barracks and officers’ quarters, 5 cells, a lock-up keeper’s house, and stables.

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Warwick City Drive Trail

To Toowoomba t gs S

Warwick boasts a rich diversity of architectural styles, from quaint workers’ cottages built of sandstone, brick or timber, to large, rambling “Queenslander” style homes. The grand public buildings and churches are predominantly built of sandstone, most of which was quarried locally. Enjoy a drive down some of Warwick’s wide, picturesque streets and soak up the history of this pretty city. Warwick is laid out in a grid, making it easy to find your way around.

There are four Tourist Drives in the Warwick area: the Settlers Route, Sprint Route, Cedar Route and The Falls Drive.

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Dating back to the mid-1880s, the Warwick Railway Station was catapulted to national significance when, in 1917, an egg was thrown at Prime Minister Billy Hughes while visiting during the conscription referendum. The incident led to the establishment of the Commonwealth Police. The Southern Downs Steam Railway operates from here, offering regular steam train tours.

Warwick National School The Warwick National School is Queensland’s oldest school building. Established in 1850 by the Board of National Education, it adjoined an earlier timber structure and in 1878 was upgraded to include 2 wide verandahs. The building is now part of Warwick East State School.

Pringle Cottage - Warwick District Historical Society Dated 1874, Pringle Cottage is a 2-storey sandstone building. Named after school teachers Mrs Pringle and her daughter, the upper floor served as a private school from 1898 until 1905. This site also includes Warwick Daily News Museum, Willowvale Church (Circa 1909), and country-style timber homes.

Open Friday 10am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 4:00pm, Saturday 12:00pm – 3:00pm Groups by appointment.

Phone (07) 4661 3234.

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The Settlers Route Discover Warwick’s picturesque villages of Swan Creek, Emu Vale, Tannymorel, and Yangan and the fascinating history of The Hermitage.

The Hermitage, 6kms east of Warwick, is Queensland’s birth place of farming. Founded in 1897 to point the way for inexperienced settlers, Hermitage grain and livestock are still produced in the area to this day. Now, as a research station for plant breeding, its early ideas for crops such as stone fruit, grapes and olives are being reintroduced to the region.

Spurred on by the timber boom of the 1870s, Emu Creek opened a saw mill in 1870, followed in the 1890s by a mill at Emu Vale. Tannymorel also grew out of the timber trade but in the 1890s, coal mining brought a second boom with the opening of Mt Colliery. Yangan, on the banks of Swan Creek, was established before 1884 and acted as a gateway for regional development. Its heritage buildings include a school, church and police station.

Yangan School of Arts The Minister for Railways opened the second Yangan School of Arts in October 1912, during a parliamentary party visit to the district. The building houses the district’s World War I honour roll, unveiled in 1919.

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WARWICK

Swan Creek Swanfels

Yangan

Emu Vale

Tannymorel MAIN RANGE NATIONAL PARK Queen Mary Falls Section

KILLARNEY

Yangan Masonic Hall Built as Yangan’s first School of Arts in about 1898, Yangan Lodge acquired the Hall in the early 20th Century for £65.

Known as “the temple with the long stairs”, its processional approach is a landmark and symbol of the town’s former prosperity.

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For more information on Killarney’s history, contact the Killarney and District Historical Society Heritage Centre on (07) 4664 4289.

The centre is located at RSL Hall, Acacia Street.

Open Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm or by arrangement.

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Originally the most south-easterly portion of Canning Downs, the township of Killarney won its name for its resemblance to the Killarney Lakes area of Ireland. Killarney Farm, on the banks of the Condamine River, was leased from Canning Downs in 1856 and the first settlers selected land beyond the Canning Downs boundary in 1862.

There was an abundance of valuable timber in the area and timber cutters, bullock teamsters, saw-pits and later sawmills were soon working in the area. A town site was pegged out around 1878 and the railway opened in August 1885.

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Killarney

The Second Queensland National Building In 1888, Killarney’s first bank, the Queensland National Bank, opened on the corner of Ivy and Oleander streets. The bank moved to Willow Street in 1913 and traded there until its closure in 1975. The building is now an art gallery.

The Post Office In the late 1880s Killarney successfully gained approval for a post office for the town. Built in 1905, the northern verandah was enclosed the following year to house the telephone exchange, which operated until the system became automated in 1978.

Killarney Hotel Formerly the Post Office Hotel

Built around the early 1920s, the charming Killarney Hotel is the third to stand on this site in Willow Street. The original 2-storey Post Office Hotel was destroyed by fire in the early 1900s. A new hotel bearing the same name was built but also burnt to the ground.

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Stanthorpe is the only town on the Darling Downs to grow out of mining rather than agriculture. By 1844 squatters had taken up 4 major holdings in the area. The Crown Land Act of 1868 led to an influx of selectors, shepherds and other farm labourers, keen to acquire land of their own. Tin was first discovered in 1854 but the “rush” did not occur until 1872. Gold, silver, copper, wolfram, arsenic and other important minerals were also found. The construction of the railway line during the first half of the 1880s brought population growth and new prosperity. However, the town’s now thriving fruit and vegetable industry arose from forced economic diversification.

From Warwick

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Post Office

Court House The earliest court sittings in Stanthorpe were held in a tent, the bed serving for the Bench.

Reportedly colourful sessions, one incident involved the Magistrate having his eye blackened by a prisoner. The new Court House opened in 1942.

Stanthorpe Museum Stanthorpe Museum houses a significant collection of historical memorabilia. From the Shepherd’s Hut, relocated from Ballandean Station, to Willson’s Downfall Jail, the buildings represent a rich and varied heritage. Displays relate to the area’s economic rise and bush ingenuity.

Open Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 1pm to 4pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm. Ph (07) 4681 1711.

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Stanthorpe Post Office (Circa 1901) is a legacy of the Federation era. Designed by the first Commonwealth Architect, J.S. Murdoch, it was erected when the new Federal Government took over postal and telegraph services. Features include locally manufactured bricks and granite foundations and the British Coat of Arms.

Wallangarra Wallangarra, Queensland’s most southerly township, serves as the gateway to the Southern Downs. As one of the region’s significant early settlements, evidence of Queensland’s colonial past can be seen in the railway station and the former Customs House. Both are within 500 metres of the 1859 surveyor’s tree carving that

defines the State border. The high hopes of those who had urged construction of the railway were fulfilled, as it prospered as the only Brisbane to Sydney railway line. However, the importance of the rail line declined dramatically when the standard gauge line from Brisbane to Sydney was completed in 1930.

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Old Customs House Wallangarra was officially gazetted on 24 October 1885. The town resulted from tensions between the colonies of Queensland and New South Wales over customs duties. Greatly resented by border residents, the duties did much to prompt the move to Federation.

Railway Station Inter-colonial rivalries between Queensland and New South Wales led to the construction of the break-of-gauge Wallangarra Railway Station in 1887. Unable to agree on a standard gauge for the railway line, Wallangarra station was the border interchange for passengers and freight. You can visit the Wallangarra Railway Station Museum.

Phone (07) 4684 3376.

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Clifton

To Toowoomba, Dalby Spring Creek

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Bony Mountain Deuchar

Goomburra

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Gladfield Clintonvale

Wheatvale Leslie

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Mt Sturt

Swan Creek

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Yangan

Emu Vale

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Main Range Carr National Park Queen Mary Falls Section

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Sundown National Park

Cunnin Gap Spicers Gap

Mt Dumaresq

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Girraween National Park

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Warwick Tourist Drives

Lake Moogerah

Boonah

Settlers Route 68km – via Swan Creek, Yangan (with option to visit Swanfels), Emu Vale, Tannymorel and Killarney.

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ain Range tional Park

print Route 150km – via Allan, Cunningham, Pratten, S Leyburn, Karara and Thane. edar Route 62km – via Swan Creek, Freestone, C Gladfield, Goomburra (Main Range National Park, Goomburra Section), New England Highway.

Lake Maroon

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Teviot The Falls Head rs Lookout

Rathdowney

Dalman

Woodenbong

To Kyogle, Casino

he Falls Drive 184km – via Queen Mary Falls, T Carrs Lookout, The Head, Teviot Falls, Boonah, and Aratula (returning along the Cunningham Highway).

Stanthorpe Tourist Drives Urbenville

Armistice Way 34km – via Thulimbah, Pozieres and Amiens.

Tooloom

ighland Drive 31km – via Storm King Dam, Eukey H and Ballandean. hearers Way 90km – via Texas Road, Glenlyon Dam S Road and Mingoola Road to the Bruxner Highway. racles Way 64km – via Amosfield Road & Mount O Lindesay Road to Tenterfield.

To Casino

Key Visitor Information Centre

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Railway Lines

Rivers

Main Road

Dams/Lakes

Minor Road

National Parks

Unsealed Road

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Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre

Warwick Visitor Information Centre Town Hall, 72 Palmerin St, Warwick Qld 4370

Southern Downs and Granite Belt

28 Leslie Parade, Stanthorpe Qld 380 07 4681 2057 | visitor@sdrc.qld.gov.au

07 4661 3122 | visitor@sdrc.qld.gov.au

@southerndownsandgranitebelt

Southern Downs and Granite Belt Tourism

southerndownsandgranitebelt.com.au