Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan THOM BLAKE HISTORIAN & PETER MARQUIS–KYLE ARCHITECT A report for the Winton Shire Council June 2003 CONTENTS 1 Introduction .................................................1 Study team ...........................................1 2 A brief history of Cork homestead ..............................3 McIllwraith and Smyth partnership ........................3 The Darling Downs and Western land Company..............4 The construction of Cork homestead........................7 Cork station in the 20th century ...........................8 Changes in ownership ...................................8 Changes to the homestead...............................9 Abandonment and deterioration .........................10 3 The homestead today ........................................12 The house............................................12 A problem with the back wall............................14 Refurbishment ........................................14 Abandonment and ruin .................................15 The outbuildings and structures...........................16 4 What is important about Old Cork homestead ....................17 What makes a place important?..........................17 The significance of Old Cork homestead ...................18 5 Conserving Old Cork homestead ...............................20 General principles of conservation .......................20 Options for conserving Old Cork homestead ...............21 Recording the evidence before it disappears ...............22 Illustrations Old Cork homestead, site plan..........................................2 Thomas McIlwraith,...................................................3 Old Cork homestead, detail of stonework.................................8 Elderslie homestead, detail of stonework. ................................8 Oondooroo, outbuilding, detail of stonework. .............................8 Old Cork homestead.................................................9 Old Cork homestead, 1930s. ..........................................9 Boating on Cork waterhole, 1930s. .....................................9 Old Cork homestead, 1980s ..........................................11 Floor plan, Old Cork homestead. ......................................13 Cross section, Old Cork homestead. ....................................13 Old Cork homestead interiors.........................................14 Failure of back wall. ................................................14 Outbuildings, Old Cork homestead.....................................15 Roof damage, Old Cork homestead. ...................................15 Outbuildings and structures, Old Cork homestead .........................16 1 Introduction LD CORK HOMESTEAD is located 150 kilometres south–west of Winton on the banks of the Diamantina River. The house was built in the Oearly 1880s of local sandstone and timbers from south–east Queensland including red cedar and beech. The most notable owner of Cork was Thomas McIlwraith, a premier of Queensland and a one of the more controversial politicians in 19th century Queensland. This report was commissioned by the Winton Shire Council. The purpose of the report is to provide guidance about how Old Cork homestead can be conserved. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Australia ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of places of Cultural Significance (the Burra Charter) the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 and the publication The Conservation Plan: a guide to the preparation of conservation plans for places of European Cultural Significance.1 STUDY TEAM This report was written by Thom Blake and Peter Marquis–Kyle. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Marianne Moss with the fieldwork. The drawings were prepared by Margaret Lawrence–Drew. 1 James Semple Kerr, The Conservation Plan: a guide to the preparation of conservation plans for places of European cultural heritage significance (Sydney: National Trust of NSW, 5th edition, 2001) Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan 1 Old Cork homestead, site plan. Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan 2 2 A brief history of Cork homestead HROUGHOUT MOST OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY pastoralists swept across much of the Australian continent seeking suitable land for sheep Tand cattle. In Queensland, the pastoral invasion began in 1840 when the Leslie brothers, Walter and Patrick, brought a flock of sheep from the New England Tablelands to the Darling Downs. The Leslie brothers were quickly followed by other aspiring pastoralists. Over the next forty years the boundaries of pastoral settlement gradually extended west and north. In north–west Queensland, the expeditions of McKinley in 1861 and Landsborough and Phillips in 1866 alerted would be pastoralists to the potential of the country in the headwaters of the Diamantina River. McKinley travelled north along the Diamantina River and crossed from the east to west side at approximately the northern end of the Cork waterhole. The Upper Gregory Pastoral District was proclaimed in 1873 and immediately pastoralists began applying for blocks along the Diamantina. One such application was made by John Barry for three blocks in 1873. He clearly did not have any serious intention of developing the blocks as two years later the leases were transferred to Thomas McIllwraith and Joseph Smyth. MCILLWRAITH AND SMYTH PARTNERSHIP Thomas McIllwraith was a one of the most controversial political figures in Queensland during the 19th century. As well as serving as Premier on three occasions and holding a number of other portfolios, McIlwraith was involved in a wide range of business interests from pastoral properties to mining to shipping to banking. McIlwraith was born at Ayr, Scotland in 1835 and migrated to Melbourne in 1854. After brief stints at mining, surveying and working in the Railways, he demonstrated early signs of his entrepreneurial flair when he became a partner in a firm of railway contractors. McIlwraith was not content to built railways and saw greater potential in the pastoral industry. He turned his attention to Queensland and in 1864 purchased Merivale, near Roma. This property was a joint venture with Joseph Smyth, a friend from Victoria. McIlwraith later purchased other runs throughout the colony, including Gin Gin Station near Bundaberg and Inkerman near Ayr. At the same time McIlwraith was Thomas McIlwraith, part expanding his pastoral empire he was also developing his political career. owner of Cork Station and three McIllwraith was elected as MLA for Warrego in 1870 and then as the member time Premier of Queensland. for Maranoa in 1871. McIlwraith’s first ministerial appointment was as Secretary for Public Works and Mines in 1874. Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan 3 Throughout the 1870s, McIlwraith continued to mix politics and business. He continued to acquire interests in properties and other business ventures. In 1875 he acquired in partnership with Joseph Smyth the leases to a series of blocks in the North Gregory district which they named Cork. The property was most likely named after the county in Ireland where Smyth was born. The Cork run comprises a series of blocks, some with frontages to the Diamantina River. The blocks which comprised Cork Station were also named after counties and locations in Ireland, reflecting the Irish influence of Smyth – Killarney, Cork, Kerry, Kell and Melrose. During the early years of the McIlwraith/Smyth partnership a timber slab house was erected on the run. Cork remained in the ownership of McIlwraith and Smyth for only six years when it was transferred to the Darling Downs and Western Land Company. THE DARLING DOWNS AND WESTERN LAND COMPANY Thomas McIllwraith was constantly investigating new business ventures and partners. He was always seeking to diversify and enlarge the scope of his business interests. He sought to involve others by amalgamating similar businesses or properties. In 1878 he formed the North Australian Pastoral Company by amalgamating some of his central and northern runs with Williams Collins, William Forrest, Patrick Perkins and others. Three years later in 1881, he formed another company, this time with prominent Darling Downs pastoralist Joshua Bell, and his old partner Joseph Smyth. The Darling Downs and Western Land Company was formed to acquire certain properties: Jimbour, Buaraba and Westlands (Joshua Bell), Cork, Ayrshire Downs and Llantheidol (McIlwraith and Co), and Merivale (Joseph Smyth). The board members were McIlwraith, Bell, Smyth and WV Ralston, former General Manager of the Queensland National Bank. The company was capitalised at £1,000,000 with 10,000 shares at £10. McIlwraith held 800 shares.2 Jimbour was undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of the company. Located on the Darling Downs near Dalby, it was regarded as one of the leading properties on the Darling Downs. Jimbour House, erected in the mid 1870s, was the most substantial homestead in the colony. The homestead became known ‘as the Mecca of civilization on the Darling Downs’.3 McIlwraith’s motive in the merger was undoubtedly to capitalise on some of the good will attached to Jimbour and that the Company would be regarded 2 DB Waterson, ‘Thomas McIlwraith, Colonial Entrepreneur’, in DJ Murphy &RB Joyce, Queensland Political Portraits (St Lucia, University of Queensland Press, 1978), 124 3 Quoted by Raphael Cilento, ‘Jimbour’ in Historic Homestead of Australia (Australian Council of National Trusts, 1985), Vol 1, 283. Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan 4 A visit to Cork station The