Glenmore Homestead
| Glenmore Homestead | |
|---|---|
  Location in Australia | |
| General information | |
| Location |
 Australia |
| Town or city | Queensland |
| Coordinates | 23°18′52.76″S 150°29′13.8″E / 23.3146556°S 150.487167°E |
| Opening | 1858 |
| Owner | Birkbeck family |
| Awards and prizes | John Herbert award |
| Website | |
|
www | |
The Glenmore Homestead and associated buildings once belonged to pastoral run on the Fitzroy River seven kilometres northwest of Rockhampton, Queensland.[1] It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and is operated as a tourist attraction. Originally much larger at 127 square miles the current size of the property is 20 acres.[1]
The grazing property was originally settled in 1858 by John McCartney. In 1864, it was bought by Samuel Birkbeck and his Mexican-born wife, Damiana.[1] The Birkbecks had eight sons and one daughter, Elena. Samuel Birkbeck died in 1867 and the property remains in the hands of his descendants. George Louis Birkbeck currently owns and operates the Homestead as a function venue and tourist attraction. The balance of the land that remains as a portion of the original property is owned by Arthur James Birkbeck (eldest son of Tolstoy Carlos Birkbeck) and managed by Mark Jason Birkbeck, his second son.
Sheep were raised on the property but due to a poor climate for that purpose the Birbecks turned to cattle.[1] They imported 1,500 from Texas. Until the 1980s, the Birkbeck family lived in the original homestead.[1] In the early 1980s, the family opened the house to the public. A souvenir shop was built in 1985.[2] Other late-19th century and early 20th century farm buildings are also on site.
Heritage buildings
The buildings at Glenmore Homestead are interesting, as they show several types of early dwelling in the Central Queensland area. They consist of a log cabin which was built in 1859 by McCartney,[2] a slab cottage which built in 1858 as a hotel in nearby Parkhurst and moved to the site by Samuel Birkbeck in 1861[2] as well as a brick cottage which was built by a Mexican employee of the Birkbeck family in 1862. This was originally to be part of a larger hacienda-style homestead, which was never completed. The slab homestead was built on a short-lived gold field called Canoona.[1]
Heritage listing
Glenmore Homestead was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.[2]