1 Nindooinbah Heritage Awards 2012 Noel Robinson Architects Pty Ltd tel +61 (0)7 3229 5266 fax +61 (0)7 3221 0796 [email protected] www.nrarc.com think green 2 Introduction Nindooinbah Nindooinbah lies eight kilometres by road from Beaudesert The new owners of Nindooinbah intend to continue in the Logan-Albert region, one of southern Queensland’s pastoral and agricultural activities on the Nindooinbah earliest pastoral districts, about one hour by road from property and to use the homestead as a family home Brisbane. where, on some occasions, three families will be in residence. The development of Nindooinbah is related closely to the development of other early pastoral stations in the region The structure of the Nindooinbah homestead was and to the inter-locking financial and personal interests generally sound, although some repair was necessary. of eminent families, particularly the Duckett White, the More importantly, changes and additions were inevitably Collins and the Persse families. For much of its history, required as new owners seeked to make this place their Nindooinbah should, therefore, be considered as a core own. part of a wider, but intimate, social and economic system. This pattern began to weaken in the late twentieth century Although, in some senses, the previous state of genteel when modern urban values became more clearly evident at dilapidation was nostalgic, it is important to recognise that Nindooinbah, a trend which continued with new ownership this ambience is largely the result of individual owners and in the early twenty-first century. occupiers impressing their tastes and values on the place over the past century. Each era in the history of the Nindooinbah property, its The new owners’ plans, therefore, form the next stage homestead and outbuildings is represented in its fabric and in the history of Nindooinbah. The cultural heritage setting in 2005. Some features distinguish various owners significance of the Nindooinbah homestead as a whole, and occupants from each other and some themes remain and the high significance of some elements within it, constant throughout, yet the various layers of ownership and more importantly the layers of meaning, required a and experience can be deciphered. thoughtful approach to refurbishment and change in the house and in the garden which surrounds it. The agricultural and pastoral context, the arrangement of remaining buildings on Nindooinbah, those buildings The conservation management plan, therefore, contains themselves, the enclosure of the main house and garden within it reports on the main homestead, the garden, as a ‘park’ separate from the ‘farm’, the house – including and the wallpapers, carpets and window furnishings. its layout and decorative schemes – and the garden itself, Detailed conservation policies to guide future work in the demonstrate important characteristics of an elite pastoral Nindooinbah homestead and garden have been developed station as it evolved through the nineteenth and twentieth from these three reports. Conservation policies for the centuries. outbuildings and remaining area within the Heritage Register boundary will be developed for the final version of the conservation plan. 1 Nindooinbah 2005, Nindooinbah 2011 Scope of Project This property was purchased at auction by the new owners Many of the other out buildings were restored such as it was a living museum at the time of the purchase and the wool shed and other garages, however, the gardeners had very little money spent on it in previous years. Its cottage was moved and restored further away from the maintenance was seriously in jeopardy to the point where main house. The Chimney of the old caretaker’s cottage the property was needed to be made livable. was left in place as a reference point to its original location. Furthermore, the new owners had a vision to not only restore the buildings and farm structures but the vision The new owner, because of their passion for the property included to turn the whole property into a working and their ability to think thrugh a new business plan were scientific primary production asset that was to be a leading in the fortunate position of being able to fund a substantial edge facility in the development of the new rural industry redirection in the future of Nindoowinbah; so much so that business. This new vision was to give Nindoowinbah a they were able to purchase and lease additional properties new lease of life and an identity well into the future. to reinforce the properties original pastoral history. The new owner had a passion to not only restore the The new owners also have developed a relationship with building but to add elements of livability to the old building the township and council and regularly participate in which meant sensitive insertions of new bathrooms, community events using Nindoowinbah as an asset base. kitchens and alike so that these would comply with the conservation plan. In addition there were requirements for new out buildings which included a new garage structure and a new bush house. 2 Interior of entry porch Scope of Conservation Plan The part of the Nindooinbah property entered in the The analysis, statement of significance and conservation Queensland Heritage Register is an area of some 74 policies, were developed in workshops over many weeks. hectares within the total property area of 1346.73 hectares. All consultants agree on the findings of this study. They In addition to the main Nindooinbah house and its garden, are: two houses, an early woolshed, several outbuildings and a quantity of agricultural and pastoral land are included Richard Allom: architect and cultural heritage consultant, within the Heritage Register boundary. The Nindooinbah Allom Lovell Architects Conservation Plan deals in most detail with the main house and its garden, as urgent conservation work was required. Robert Riddel: architect and Thom Blake, historian and cultural heritage consultant, Robert Riddel Architects Further detailed description of the remaining houses, the woolshed, the outbuildings and that part of the Helen Gregory: historian and cultural heritage consultant, Nindooinbah property included in the Entry in the Register, Cultural Heritage Strategies. and further conservation policies for those elements, will be included in the final conservation plan. Several cultural Beth Wilson: landscape architect, Wilson Landscape heritage consultants have contributed to the development Architects of this plan. Nicola Stairmand: historic interiors consultant 3 Nindooinbah 2005, Nindooinbah 2011 History The Context Nindooinbah is located near Beaudesert in one of southern The Nindooinbah property and the fortunes of its owners Queensland’s earliest pastoral districts, the Logan-Albert were also affected by government closer settlement region. This region is located in the traditional country of policies, continual changes in Queensland’s rural industry the Wangerriburra people of the Yugambeh language group. profile and more recent government plans, such as the site Nindooinbah draws its name from a Wangerriburra term of the possible Glendower water storage dam. Each era in generally accepted to mean ‘place of ashes’. Nindooinbah the history of the Nindooinbah property, its homestead and is derived from nuin, meaning charcoal, and doan, meaning outbuildings is represented in its fabric and setting in 2005. black. It was probably a place where charcoal suitable for Some features distinguish various owners and occupants corroboree markings was obtained. from each other, but some themes remain constant throughout. The agricultural and pastoral precinct, the The current name, Nindooinbah, has been adapted from arrangement of remaining buildings on Nindooinbah, those the name Nindoomba or Nindooimba, recorded in the buildings themselves, and the main house and garden, earliest government records, which may indicate the demonstrate important characteristics of an elite pastoral usual Wangerriburra pronunciation. Wangerriburra names station as it evolved through the nineteenth and twentieth persist in features in the Nindooinbah landscape, and in the centuries into the twenty-first century. names of nearby stations such as Tabragalba, Mundoolun, Finding promising land Tamrookum and Marroon. The development of Nindooinbah is related closely to the development of other early pastoral The first white people to document the Logan and Albert stations in the region and to the inter-locking interests valleys in the late 1820s, the Commandant of the Moreton of eminent people, particularly the Duckett White, the Bay penal settlement, Patrick Logan and the botanist, Alan Collins and the Persse families. As well as generations Cunningham, realised immediately that the Logan-Albert of inter-marriage, these associated interests included valleys, nestled between mountain ranges, held great pastoral enterprises in the Burnett and Dawson River promise for pastoralism. regions of Queensland, and the development of the pastoral companies, John Collins & Sons, Collins White & Company By 1840, the great squatting rush for sheep land had and the North Australian Pastoral Company which took up penetrated beyond the plains west of Sydney northwards stations in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. through the Hunter River and New England regions to the Nindooinbah should, therefore, be considered as a core Darling Downs, the Brisbane River valley and, by 1842, to part of a wider, but intimate, social and economic system. the Logan-Albert