• About Me
  • About My Blogs
  • Diary
  • Moreton Bay Timeline
  • My Publications
    • Queensland’s German Connections
    • Port of Brisbane
    • Moreton Bay Reflections
    • Moreton Bay People – The Complete Collection
    • Peel Island History – A Personal Quest
  • My Shop
  • Reader’s Forum
  • Welcome to my Moreton Bay world

Moreton Bay History

Moreton Bay History

Category Archives: Stanthorpe

Up on the Downs

10 Saturday Sep 2016

Posted by historianludlow in History, Memories, Museums, Stanthorpe

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Donnelly's Castle, Glengallan Homestead, Stanthorpe

 

Quart Pot Creek, Stanthorpe

Quart Pot Creek, Stanthorpe

Springtime up on the Downs is always an exhilarating experience. Our visit on Fathers’ Day is just too early to catch the Spring blooms, but in some pockets the first blossoms have appeared on the apple and pear trees. The wattles are the only trees wearing their full yellow coats.

Wattle in bloom

Wattle in bloom

The environs around Stanthorpe beckon the hiker, but at our age, we are content with a short walk, a sample or two of local wines, and a feast of food. We always visit Anna’s Italian Restaurant whose Saturday night smorgasbord is enough to make the trip from Brisbane a worthwhile and memorable experience. But on Sunday night, when Anna’s is closed, eating out is a different experience for us.

‘You can walk down the street and not be afraid of being attacked or mugged,’ says our host, and we can understand why when we look for an eatery in the main street on Sunday night: it is deserted and in darkness. No discos, nightclubs, or wild pub brawls. (So what do Stanthorpe’s young folk do for entertainment?)  However we peer in the window of O’Mara’s Hotel – one of those good old fashioned country pubs that are rapidly disappearing – and are delighted to see the dining room packed with people – family groups mainly, probably celebrating Father’s Day. We go inside and eat a hearty pub meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Omar's Hotel, Stanthorpe

Omar’s Hotel, Stanthorpe

Amongst the typically Australian names littering the map of Stanthorpe – Goldfields Road, Hooters Hut, Possums Road, and Rabbit Fence Road, are a scattering of French names: Amiens, Pozieres, Bapaume, Passchendaele, Messines – all battlefields of WWI in which Australian soldiers fought. Those who survived the carnage were rewarded by the Australian Government with a block of land, which as ‘soldier settlers’ they could farm. Many took up the challenge and tried their hand, but not being ‘of the land’ they failed. However the names of these, their second battlefields remain as their legacy.

Donnelly's Castle

Donnelly’s Castle

This pile of huge granite boulders, dubbed Donnelly’s Castle after the original settler in the area, is also reputed to be the hideout of former bushrangers and of the legendary Yowie both of whom have sunk into the folklore of the district.

Killarney

I can’t recall many towns in Australia that have adopted well known Irish city names such as Dublin, Limerick, Belfast, or Cork, but for some reason, Killarney was chosen for a remote spot outside Warwick. I have often thought I should visit the place to make a comparison. On our way home we divert to satisfy our long held curiosity. But, apart from its mountain backdrop it is difficult to imagine a place less like its Irish namesake or what inspired the name. On the way out there, though, there is a patchwork of fields under cultivation, which could easily have inspired the song ‘Forty Shades of Green’.

Glengallan Homestead

Glengellan Homestead - the view from the lower balcony

Glengellan Homestead – the view from the lower balcony

At its opening by John Deuchar in 1868, and dubbed ‘the finest house in the colony’ it was renown as the social hub of the Downs. Sadly Deuchar went broke before the building could be completed. From the front, its entrance faces out over manicured lawns and gardens with views all the way to Cunningham’s Gap. From the side, though, it appears almost as though it is a film set. Situated at Allora on the Warwick – Toowoomba road  just off the Toowoomba turn off before you reach Warwick, the house and its heritage centre are well worth a visit by anyone interested in the history of the region.

On Saturday 3rd October, 2009, my wife Phyllis and I had attended the sixth annual Deuchar Dinner – a ‘black tie’ event to raise funds for the restoration of Glengallan House. To see the place full of people all dressed in their finery was a rare chance to catch a glimpse of the homestead in its glory days.

Glengellan Homestead - restored sitting room

Glengellan Homestead – restored sitting room

Recent Posts

  • Kate Millar’s Cleveland – Part 1
  • The Road to Cudgera
  • A Little Night Navigation with my Father and Uncle Jack – by Marilyn Carr
  • Recollections on Redland Bay’s Water Airport by Ernie Tickner
  • From a Farm Beside the Sea with Pam Tickner – Part 3

Recent Comments

historianludlow on From a Farm Beside the Sea wit…
Ross Cameron on From a Farm Beside the Sea wit…
historianludlow on The Road to Cudgera
Peter Bloecker on The Road to Cudgera
56music on The Road to Cudgera

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015

Categories

  • 1960s scene
  • Aborigines
  • ACGS
  • Aircraft
  • Amity
  • Art
  • Avebury
  • Bancroft
  • Bath
  • Bee Gees
  • bees
  • Bernard Elsey
  • Bird Island
  • Bishop Island
  • boats
  • Bradford on Avon
  • Bribie Island
  • Brisbane
  • Bulimba
  • bushfires
  • Caboolture
  • cataracts
  • Christmas
  • Churchie
  • Cilento
  • Cleveland
  • coal
  • Coins
  • coral dredging
  • Covid 19
  • Cowan Cowan
  • Cribb Island
  • CSIRO
  • Cudgera
  • CyArk
  • Deception Bay
  • dreams, hallucinogens
  • dredges
  • Dromagh
  • Drones
  • duelling
  • Dunwich
  • Electronics
  • Faith
  • Fantome Island
  • film
  • fishing
  • Flying Boats
  • football
  • Frank Boyce
  • George Symons Suits
  • Germany
  • Glengariff
  • Google Earth
  • Gustav Dux
  • Gutter Bar
  • Hastings Point
  • Heide Museum of Modern Art
  • Historic buildings
  • History
  • Hobart
  • Hogmanay
  • Hong Kong
  • Ian Fairweather
  • Immigration
  • indigenous
  • inebriates
  • Ireland
  • Jack The Ripper
  • Japan
  • jetties
  • jigsaw
  • John Oxley
  • Karl Marx
  • Kastellorizo
  • Kleinschmidt
  • Kooringal
  • Leichhardt
  • Leprosy
  • Literature
  • London
  • Lyne Marshall
  • Mallalieu
  • mandala
  • Maryborough
  • Matthew Flinders
  • Memories
  • Metropol Hotel
  • mining
  • Missionary
  • Mona Mona Aboriginal Mission
  • Moreton Bay
  • Moreton Island
  • Moscow
  • Mr Magoo
  • Mud Island
  • Museums
  • music
  • National Geographic Magazine
  • New Year
  • Nundah
  • oysters
  • Pam and Ernie Tickner
  • Paris
  • Pasternak
  • Pebble Beach
  • Peel Island
  • Petrie
  • Phillip Island
  • Photography
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Port of Brisbane
  • pyjama parties
  • quarantine
  • Raby Bay
  • Redcliffe
  • Redevelopment
  • Redland Bay
  • Redlands
  • Richmal Crompton
  • Robert Burns
  • Rotary
  • Royal Flying Doctor Service
  • RQYS
  • Russell Island
  • Russia
  • science
  • Scotland
  • sharing
  • sharks
  • ships
  • shore birds
  • Siberia
  • soccer
  • Spanish Galleon
  • St Helena Island Prison
  • Stanthorpe
  • Stourhead
  • Stradbroke Island
  • Submarines
  • sugar cane
  • Surfers Paradise
  • Tallegalla
  • Tangalooma
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  • The Seekers
  • Toulkerri
  • Towles
  • travel
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
  • Vintage Vikings
  • Walter Porriott
  • Wellington Point
  • whales
  • Whepstead Manor
  • Woodford
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • yarns
  • zoos

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Recent Posts

  • Kate Millar’s Cleveland – Part 1
  • The Road to Cudgera
  • A Little Night Navigation with my Father and Uncle Jack – by Marilyn Carr
  • Recollections on Redland Bay’s Water Airport by Ernie Tickner
  • From a Farm Beside the Sea with Pam Tickner – Part 3

Recent Comments

historianludlow on From a Farm Beside the Sea wit…
Ross Cameron on From a Farm Beside the Sea wit…
historianludlow on The Road to Cudgera
Peter Bloecker on The Road to Cudgera
56music on The Road to Cudgera

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015

Categories

  • 1960s scene
  • Aborigines
  • ACGS
  • Aircraft
  • Amity
  • Art
  • Avebury
  • Bancroft
  • Bath
  • Bee Gees
  • bees
  • Bernard Elsey
  • Bird Island
  • Bishop Island
  • boats
  • Bradford on Avon
  • Bribie Island
  • Brisbane
  • Bulimba
  • bushfires
  • Caboolture
  • cataracts
  • Christmas
  • Churchie
  • Cilento
  • Cleveland
  • coal
  • Coins
  • coral dredging
  • Covid 19
  • Cowan Cowan
  • Cribb Island
  • CSIRO
  • Cudgera
  • CyArk
  • Deception Bay
  • dreams, hallucinogens
  • dredges
  • Dromagh
  • Drones
  • duelling
  • Dunwich
  • Electronics
  • Faith
  • Fantome Island
  • film
  • fishing
  • Flying Boats
  • football
  • Frank Boyce
  • George Symons Suits
  • Germany
  • Glengariff
  • Google Earth
  • Gustav Dux
  • Gutter Bar
  • Hastings Point
  • Heide Museum of Modern Art
  • Historic buildings
  • History
  • Hobart
  • Hogmanay
  • Hong Kong
  • Ian Fairweather
  • Immigration
  • indigenous
  • inebriates
  • Ireland
  • Jack The Ripper
  • Japan
  • jetties
  • jigsaw
  • John Oxley
  • Karl Marx
  • Kastellorizo
  • Kleinschmidt
  • Kooringal
  • Leichhardt
  • Leprosy
  • Literature
  • London
  • Lyne Marshall
  • Mallalieu
  • mandala
  • Maryborough
  • Matthew Flinders
  • Memories
  • Metropol Hotel
  • mining
  • Missionary
  • Mona Mona Aboriginal Mission
  • Moreton Bay
  • Moreton Island
  • Moscow
  • Mr Magoo
  • Mud Island
  • Museums
  • music
  • National Geographic Magazine
  • New Year
  • Nundah
  • oysters
  • Pam and Ernie Tickner
  • Paris
  • Pasternak
  • Pebble Beach
  • Peel Island
  • Petrie
  • Phillip Island
  • Photography
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Port of Brisbane
  • pyjama parties
  • quarantine
  • Raby Bay
  • Redcliffe
  • Redevelopment
  • Redland Bay
  • Redlands
  • Richmal Crompton
  • Robert Burns
  • Rotary
  • Royal Flying Doctor Service
  • RQYS
  • Russell Island
  • Russia
  • science
  • Scotland
  • sharing
  • sharks
  • ships
  • shore birds
  • Siberia
  • soccer
  • Spanish Galleon
  • St Helena Island Prison
  • Stanthorpe
  • Stourhead
  • Stradbroke Island
  • Submarines
  • sugar cane
  • Surfers Paradise
  • Tallegalla
  • Tangalooma
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  • The Seekers
  • Toulkerri
  • Towles
  • travel
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
  • Vintage Vikings
  • Walter Porriott
  • Wellington Point
  • whales
  • Whepstead Manor
  • Woodford
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • yarns
  • zoos

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×