98-641: Canning Downs was the first residential establishment built by a white person on the Darling Downs in Queensland , Australia. It is located a short drive from the town of Warwick and originally extended south east to Killarney and the McPherson Range . The area was first named after the British statesman George Canning by Allan Cunningham . The fertile lands around the upper reaches of
196-422: A decimal currency, the dollar of one hundred cents , was introduced. Under the implementation conversion rate, £A1 was set as the equivalent of $ 2. Thus, ten shillings became $ 1 and one shilling became 10¢. As a shilling was equal to twelve pence, a new cent was worth slightly more than a penny. In 1855, gold full and half sovereigns (worth, respectively, £1 and 10/– sterling) were first minted by
294-537: A semi-arid or subtropical highland climate . Summer maximum temperatures range from 28 to 34 °C (82 to 93 °F), while winter maximums range from 13 to 19 °C (55 to 66 °F). The annual rainfall ranges from 600 mm (24 in) in the far west of the region, to 1,000 mm (39 in) in the east. In the south-east of the Darling Downs winter temperatures can drop below −5 °C (23 °F) with heavy frost and occasional snow , while in
392-551: A sheep property at Canning Downs on the Condamine River in 1846. Other well-established residences on the southern downs include Glengallan Homestead, Talgai Homestead, Pringle Cottage and Rosenthal Homestead. One of the first stations to be established was Jimbour House. It was also the point where Leichhardt launched his expedition to the Northern Territory in 1844. By 1844 there 26 properties including
490-549: A Decimal Currency Committee to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of a decimal currency, and, if a decimal currency was favoured, the unit of account and denominations of subsidiary currency most appropriate for Australia, the method of introduction and the cost involved. The committee presented its report in August 1960. It recommended the introduction of the new system on the second Monday in February 1963. In July 1961
588-561: A block of land in Brisbane on which he built a cottage which was to become Newstead House . Meanwhile, the Station was suffering from a prolonged absence of Walter Leslie. An interesting letter written by George to his parents in May 1845 details the plans for improvements to Canning Downs, including a new hut and stables, which he says will be constructed about 400 yards (370 m) lower down
686-443: A building of this type. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The buildings and grounds have aesthetic value, increased by their situation and context. The stable is a well composed structure of great architectural merit. The gardens and grounds surrounding these buildings contribute to their setting. Many established trees and early garden areas are of importance. Darling Downs The Darling Downs
784-452: A large porch was added to the house, in the popular Californian Bungalow style. At this time other cosmetic alterations were undertaken. During the 1970s the corrugated iron roof of the residence, including the kitchen wing was replaced with a decromastic tile roof. Recently ( c. 1994 ) extensive work has been undertaken on the residence. The c. 1918 porch was removed, the verandahs enclosed with aluminium framed glazing,
882-431: A long camp stool, called a stretcher. They were seldom all unoccupied and not infrequently all were in request." She also talks of French windows opening onto the verandah from both the hall and her bedroom. This description of the 1848 residence at Canning Downs suggests that the house into which Emmeline and George moved was, indeed, the timber slab house still today used as the residence. The long building referred to in
980-699: A number of power stations situated on the Downs, including the Millmerran Power Station , Oakey Power Station , Darling Downs Power Station and the Kogan Creek Power Station . Tarong Power Station is building the state's largest grid battery storage project. The Dingo Fence starts at the town of Jimbour across the country to the Great Australian Bight . Mining exploration leases cover more than 90% of
1078-410: A number of sheep stations with more than 150,000 head. Local aboriginals and European squatters co-settled the area from the late 1840s onwards. Darling Downs then became known as the 'jewel in the diadem of squatterdom' with an elite 'pure merino' class living in comfortable houses. In 1854, Charles Douglas Eastaughffe settled in the area. Spicers Gap Road opened up the area in the 1850s. Later
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#17327734026701176-473: A radio series. Australian pound The pound ( sign : £ , £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar . Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s or /– ), each of 12 pence (denoted by the symbol d ). The establishment of a separate Australian currency
1274-510: A site where a tourist operator has collected numerous related structures. The region has also a small zoo, Darling Downs Zoo near Clifton. The region has uncovered important megafauna fossil finds. The rich discoveries have lent weight to the theory that humans were not a factor in the extinction of the ancient megafauna species. Many of the fossils in the region date to the Pleistocene and include species such as Diprotodon optatum ,
1372-401: A small corrugated iron clad building with a gabled corrugated iron roof; two timber boarded buildings and a concrete block enclosure. Beyond these buildings, to the east of the residence is the brick stable block. This is a quadrangular building; four long wings joined to form a square surrounding an internal grassed courtyard . The building has an overhanging pitched corrugated iron roof which
1470-677: A year's rest in Scotland in the early 1850s and returning to Australia only to see the Station sold to George's cousin, Gilbert Davidson for £ 50,000 on 7 January 1854. Davidson was the only son of Walter Stevenson Davidson, a close friend of John Macarthur of Camden. The Davidson managed and owned various pastoral stations in New South Wales, including Collaroi on which Patrick Leslie worked upon his arrival in Australia. Though little documentary evidence has been located, it seems that
1568-643: Is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia . The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland . The name was generally applied to an area approximating to that of the Condamine River catchment upstream of Condamine township but is now applied to a wider region comprising the Southern Downs , Western Downs , Toowoomba and Goondiwindi local authority areas. The name Darling Downs
1666-510: Is also extracted from streams, off-stream reservoirs and on-farm dams. The lower temperatures of the milder summers in the Stanthorpe and Killarney regions allows farmers to grow lettuce, celery, brassicas and potato. The Darling Downs contains the largest deposit of rich black agricultural soils in Australia. A commonly grown grass species Panicum coloratum , also known as Bambatsi, is well-suited for pastures used for grazing because it
1764-458: Is believed to have been in one of the earliest shipments of corrugated iron to Queensland. All corrugated iron was imported to Australia until 1921 when Lysaghts began its manufacture. The material was used in Melbourne as early as 1852, but manufacturers were still experimenting with galvanising, a method of coating iron with zinc. Early galvanising techniques were primitive and involved dipping
1862-499: Is hipped over the four corners and surmounting the peaks thus formed are iron ventilators. The corner blocks of the building project slightly from the face of adjacent walls. The principal entrance to the stables is on the north side of the building, where a centrally located gateway emphasised on the roof line by projecting pyramidal roof feature. The external elevation of the building are quite simple with timber doorways and high level window openings. Those elevation facing inward toward
1960-590: Is now called The Downs include Dalby , Warwick , Stanthorpe , Wallangarra , Goondiwindi , Oakey , Miles , Pittsworth , Allora , Clifton , Cecil Plains , Drayton , Millmerran , Nobby , and Chinchilla . The New England Highway , Gore Highway and the Warrego Highway traverse the region. The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing has been constructed so that heavy traffic can avoid passing through Toowoomba. Coolmunda Dam , Leslie Dam , Cooby Dam , Perseverance Dam , Cressbrook Dam , Storm King Dam and
2058-525: Is suitable to the heavy-cracking clay soils found in the area. The eastern Downs feature a wide range of soil types. Brothers Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Ziesemer and Theodor Martin Peter Ziesemer were significant pioneers of large scale wheat farming on the Darling Downs. The area is home to Australia's largest concentration of feedlots. In 2010, two abattoirs at Pittsworth and Killarney owned by Dudley Leitch were closed. Several other plants in
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#17327734026702156-425: Is the only natural lake on the tablelands. The town of Jandowae gained fame after offering vacant blocks of land for just $ 1. This was done to encourage residents to settle in the small town which had less than 1,000 people in 2001. The Cobb & Co Museum has displays of horse-drawn vehicles and material on the history of the Darling Downs. The Jondaryan Woolshed is a heritage-listed shearing shed situated at
2254-580: The Baranggum people . The Baranggum language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Western Downs Regional Council , particularly Dalby , Tara , Jandowae and west towards Chinchilla . Originally, the Darling Downs was covered with a wealth of indigenous grasses which created an ideal verdure for stock eight months of the year. The Darling Downs Aboriginals had an annual burning season at
2352-721: The Bunya Mountains National Park . The region to the north is the South Burnett and the Maranoa lies to the west. A section of the western downs lies over coal deposits of the Surat Basin . Towards the coast, the mountains of the Scenic Rim form the headwaters of the westward flowing Condamine. The majority of the Darling Downs has a humid subtropical climate although some areas experience
2450-489: The Condamine River provided an excellent site for the home of early settler, Patrick Leslie . The station was first declared in the name of Walter Leslie on 7 July 1840. Canning Downs Homestead is the heritage-listed homestead at Canning Downs. It was built from 1847 to 1900. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The Canning Downs Station on the Darling Downs
2548-618: The Glenlyon Dam are some of the major water storage facilities in the area. West of Toowoomba is the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport . The Darling Down is situated in the drainage basins of the Condamine River and Maranoa River and tributaries. The Condamine River flood plain is noted for its good soils formed by basaltic alluvium . On the northern boundaries of the Downs are the Bunya Mountains and
2646-481: The Great Artesian Basin , light planes crop -dusting, rusty old woolsheds and other scattered remnants from a bygone era of early exploration and settlement. The region is recognised as a cultural icon on the list of Queensland's Q150 icons. The largest city and commercial centre of the Darling Downs is Toowoomba about 132 kilometres (82 mi) west of Brisbane . Other towns situated on what
2744-683: The Great Depression , Australia left the gold standard, resulting in a devaluation relative to sterling. A variety of pegs to sterling applied until December 1931, when the government devalued the local unit by 20%, making one Australian pound equal to 16 shillings sterling and one pound sterling equal to 25 Australian shillings. Coins of the Australian pound also circulated freely in New Zealand, although they were never legal tender. By 1931, Australian coins made up approximately 30% of
2842-463: The Hunter Region and travelling north. In June 1827, Cunningham climbed to the top of Mount Dumaresque (near what is now Clintonvale close to Maryvale ) and after wrote in his diary that this lush area was ideal for settlement. Exploring around Mount Dumaresque, Cunningham found a pass, now known as Cunninghams Gap . Cunningham returned to Moreton Bay in 1828 and with Charles Fraser charted
2940-519: The Q150 celebrations, the Darling Downs was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location". Steele Rudd (Arthur Davis) wrote a series of comic novels on rural life, starting with On Our Selection (1899), about Dad, Mother and Dave Rudd of Snake Gully. The Rudds had four (or six) acres adjoining a sheep run in the Darling Downs. The stories were made into films and
3038-473: The first £A 1 banknote printed by the Commonwealth of Australia, among a collection of specimen banknotes . This uncirculated Australian pound note, with the serial number (red-ink) P000001, was the first piece of currency to carry the coat of arms of Australia . The Australian currency was fixed in value to sterling. As such Australia was on the gold standard so long as Britain was. In 1914,
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3136-491: The British government removed sterling from the gold standard. When it was returned to the gold standard in 1925, the sudden increase in its value (imposed by the nominal gold price) unleashed crushing deflationary pressures. Both the initial 1914 inflation and the subsequent 1926 deflation had far-reaching economic effects throughout the British Empire , Australia and the world. In 1929, as an emergency measure during
3234-614: The Canning Downs Homestead was transferred to John Hawkins Smith and Sara Barnes, parents of the present owner Charles Edward Barnes. The Barnes family were a prominent horse-breeding and horse racing family who owned the Lyndhurst pastoral station in far north Queensland. Canning Downs became an important stud, with many successful racing horses reared there. Soon after the Barnes family moved to Canning Downs in 1918
3332-523: The Commonwealth Government confirmed its support of a decimal currency system, but considered it undesirable to make final decisions on the detailed arrangement that would be necessary to effect the change. On 7 April 1963 the Commonwealth Government announced that a system of decimal currency was to be introduced into Australia at the earliest practicable date, and gave February 1966, as the tentative change-over date. On 14 February 1966,
3430-456: The Darling Downs were fertile wilderness . For example, around Ma Ma Creek, rich swampy wetlands provided a haven for many animal species not currently found on the downs. The Darling Downs hopping mouse and paradise parrot have both become extinct since cattle farming began. The New Acland Mine expansion, north of Oakey, has been delayed by the largest environmental public interest court cases in Australian history. In 2009 as part of
3528-464: The Darling Downs. The western Downs has seen a massive installation of coal seam gas wells. After agriculture and mining and manufacturing are the next most important sectors. Manufacturing focuses on food and beverages but also the production of machinery, equipment and metal products. The region produces around one quarter of the state's agricultural output. Water for irrigation is mostly sourced from groundwater from alluvial aquifers . Water
3626-519: The Kamabroi dialect. The Downs tribes spoke one common dialect, called Waccah and so to all other surrounding tribes were known as the Wacca-burra. The Goonnee-burra were once situated where Warwick stands today. Goonnee meant "the ones who hunt with fire". Allan Cunningham set out to explore the area to the west of Moreton Bay in 1827, crossing to the west of the Great Dividing Range from
3724-580: The Sydney Mint. These coins were the only non-Imperial denominations issued by any of the Australian mints until after Federation (the Sydney Mint struck Imperial gold sovereigns and half sovereigns starting in 1871, and the Melbourne Mint starting in 1872). In 1910, .925 fineness sterling silver coins were minted in denominations of 3d, 6d, 1/– and 2/– (known as a Trey, Zac, Deena, and Florin respectively). Unusually no half crown (worth 2/6)
3822-458: The above description would then be the kitchen wing of the present structure. A sketch by Conrad Martens done in March 1852 provides further evidence of this. This shows the residence as a house with hipped roof, verandahs and shuttered French windows with a kitchen wing at the rear. Notes at the top of the sketch suggest that the building was white with "green venetians" , presumably a reference to
3920-470: The area were also closed leaving the remaining meat processor at Yangan in high demand. By late 2012, the industry was recovering with smaller processing facilities at Crows Nest and Inglewood opening. In 2014, the Oakey Abattoir which is the fourth largest meat processing plant in Australia, launched an environmental initiative to extract green energy biogas from its waste water streams. It
4018-427: The base of the infilled wall being formed by squared rubble sandstone walls, the sandstone for which was got from a stone cottage on the site. Above these walls are aluminium framed glazing. The wings are constructed from horizontal chamfered timber boarding, and several full length vertical sash windows and French doors open onto the verandah from the various internal rooms. The kitchen wing runs north-south parallel to
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4116-429: The buildings and grounds at Canning Downs which are intact despite a long and varied history. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The residence and the stables, with associated grounds including the gardens, paddocks and driveway, provide a good example of a mid-nineteenth century pastoral run. The stables are an excellent and intact example of
4214-535: The circulation of state notes and withdrew their status as legal tender. In the same year the Bank Notes Tax Act 1910 was passed imposing a prohibitive tax of 10% per annum on "all bank notes issued or re-issued by any bank in the Commonwealth after the commencement of this Act, and not redeemed", which effectively ended the use of private currency in Australia. As a transitional measure lasting three years, blank note forms of 16 banks were supplied to
4312-400: The courtyard are more complex, with an assortment of timber paling and latticework gates and timber boarded doors. Internally the building houses a series of stables. Extending from the south elevation is a low one storeyed timber wing, of vertical slab construction, providing further equine accommodation which is more exposed to the weather. There are various timber weatherboard additions to
4410-404: The covered walkway linking this building with the kitchen wing. Internally the central core has been subject to many alterations recently, with only the now stripped stone fireplaces retaining evidence of the former house. From the eastern enclosed verandah a principal entrance door of timber opens onto an entrance area from which access is provided to the dining room to the south and another room to
4508-558: The decade up to 2016. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills covered by pastures of many different species, vegetables , legumes such as soy beans and chick peas, and other crops including cotton , wheat , barley and sorghum . Between the farmlands there are long stretches of crisscrossing roads, bushy ridges, winding creeks and herds of cattle. There are farms with beef and dairy cattle , pigs , sheep and lamb stock. Other typical sights include irrigation systems, windmills serving as water well pumps to get water from
4606-818: The dimensions, size, denominations, weight and fineness to be determined by proclamation of the Governor-General . The first coins were issued in 1910, produced by the Royal Mint in London. The Fisher Government 's Australian Notes Act 1910 gave the Governor-General the power to authorise the Treasurer to issue "Australian notes" as legal tender, "payable in gold coin on demand at the Commonwealth Treasury ". It also prohibited
4704-409: The direction of the wind that the dwelling-houses were not also destroyed" . The extant stables are thought to have been constructed after this fire, from bricks hand made from Killarney clay at a cost of £ 3000. The stable, when built and extant today, is a square planned building with an open central courtyard. The roofs of the four sides of the building are clad with corrugated iron, and this iron
4802-469: The earliest homesteads established on the Darling Downs provides remarkable evidence of the pastoral and agricultural growth of South East Queensland. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. Although the age of the various buildings comprising the residence is unknown, it is likely that at least some of the structures date from the Leslie occupation of
4900-448: The eastern side of the wing, and this is flanked by a rendered masonry wall section. To the south of the residence complex is a large fenced area containing established trees and planting and remnants of an early trellis and garden walkway. Adjacent to this are many buildings, most of which have been moved to this site from further lying reaches of the station. These buildings include a corrugated iron clad tank stand with storage sheds ;
4998-477: The expansion of Queensland Rail 's train networks and Cobb and Co 's stagecoach transport greatly assisted access to the region. Gold was found in the district around this time, however it was agricultural activity that provided for the boom times ahead. The 1891 Australian shearers' strike started at Jondaryan . The Darling Downs experienced a water crisis as the Condamine River dried up during
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#17327734026705096-513: The fixed louvre shutters. In 1847 the New South Wales government asked Patrick Leslie selected a part of the property to divide into smaller allotments for a township, which was to be called 'Cannington,' although the name 'Warwick' was eventually chosen. Land sales were held in 1850, and the first allotment was bought by Leslie. Life on the Downs during the time of the Leslie occupation was quite difficult and financial problems burdened
5194-415: The former porch are four aluminium framed glazed sliding doors slightly projecting from the face of the flanking external walls. Adjacent to these doors evidence is retained of the c. 1920 Bungalow additions to the house, with grouped chamfered columns on tapering stuccoed masonry bases. The rear of the central core is lined with a verandah supported on timber posts and joined at roof level to
5292-411: The front and side elevations. The wings were timber framed and clad with chamfered horizontal boarding, with decorative timber features including cross-braced balustrading and fretwork column brackets. The Canning Downs estate was then subdivided, and that portions containing the residence and stables was sold to Henry Richard Needham on 2 March 1906 who owned it only until 9 January 1918 the ownership of
5390-523: The government in 1911 to be overprinted as redeemable in gold and issued as the first Commonwealth notes. Some of these banknotes were overprinted by the Treasury, and circulated as Australian banknotes until new designs were ready for Australia's first federal government-issued banknotes, which commenced in 1913. In May 2015, the National Library of Australia announced that it had discovered
5488-459: The haste with which Patrick Leslie proceeded in securing his fortune was the cause of the considerable financial troubles which beset him thereafter. Upon his arrival in Australia, Patrick spent several years employed on stations first by the Macarthurs of Camden and then by his uncle WS Davidson at Collaroi . When Patrick's younger brothers, Walter and George, arrived in Australia in 1839,
5586-464: The head station was originally located south of the 1841 buildings. New buildings were constructed in late 1841, when the brothers feared encroachment of their run by the newcomers on the Downs who were causing considerable aggravation to the Leslie brothers. By 1842 the Leslie brothers were in dire financial trouble, borrowing money from their father, and another brother living in China to simply maintain
5684-421: The house and is joined to it by a walkway with a pitched decromastic tiled awning . A low verandah awning on the west elevation of the kitchen is supported on squared timber posts. The building is constructed from vertical timber slabs*. Under the verandah awning access is provided to the three major rooms which constitute the wing, through single doorways housing timber doors. A tapering brick chimney shaft abuts
5782-581: The house in 1898–1899. The architects, a partnership of William Wallace and Richard Gibson, designed many buildings in and around Warwick including St George's Masonic Hall and the Barnes & Co department store in Palmerin Street. The extensions at Canning Downs comprised the addition of timber wings abutting either side of the principal residence. Both of which were rectangular planned with hipped corrugated iron roofs and discrete verandah awnings on
5880-423: The interior has been entirely re-worked and the decromastic tile roof replaced on the central section of the residence with a new corrugated iron roof. The Canning Downs Homestead is a complex of buildings including a timber residence with kitchen wing, brick stables and outbuildings. The Homestead is picturesquely situated facing eastward, looking over wide plains to the Great Dividing Range . The central core of
5978-496: The largest-ever marsupial . In 2021, examination of a partial skull revealed a site on the Darling Downs was the location for a new species of Tomistominae crocodile, representing the largest extinct crocodile species ever discovered in Australia. The Darling Downs Golf Association has 21 affiliated golf clubs on the Darling Downs. The Carnival of Flowers attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to Toowoomba each September since 1950. Before European settlement many areas on
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#17327734026706076-487: The north-west summer temperatures can surpass 45 °C (113 °F). Severe thunderstorms and damaging floods are a threat at times, as are bushfires in dry years. Part of the Darling Downs, which includes the towns of Allora, Clifton, Warwick, Killarney and the rocky district in the south known as the Granite Belt , is known as the Southern Downs . The phrase is also used to define political boundaries and in
6174-667: The ownership or lease of the Canning Downs run by the Leslies was slow in coming and their tenuous hold over the land was a source of constant worry as demonstrated in the letters written by the brothers to their family in Scotland. Patrick wrote in April 1841 that the Commissioner for Crown Lands had visited the station and given the brothers a letter of authorisation allowing them to retain the run. This letter also mentions that
6272-571: The population of the Darling Downs was estimated to be 241,537 people. In 2022, the Wieambilla police shootings took place, marking the first fundamentalist Christian terrorist attack in Australia. The Queensland Gas Pipeline oil pipeline and the Roma to Brisbane Pipeline, Australia's first natural gas pipeline both cross the region from west to east. There are three coal mines , New Acland Mine , Kogan Creek Mine and Cameby Downs coal mine and
6370-539: The promotion of tourism in the area. The Dumaresq and the MacIntyre are found in this part of the region. (This is different to the IBRA subregion also known as The Southern Downs Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia , which is further west, around the towns of Roma, Mitchell and Injune). Baranggum (also known as Barrunggam, Barunggam Parrungoom, Murrumgama) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by
6468-443: The property, saw Canning Downs sold again on 4 June 1874 to John Donald Macansh. Macansh, a Scot, emigrated to Australia after the death of his father, with his mother and siblings. After managing various stations in New South Wales, Macansh moved to Queensland and undertook the management of Canning Downs. In 1877, 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) of land was resumed from the Canning Downs pastoral run to establish smaller farms. The land
6566-404: The pyramidal sections over the four corners of the building, which also appear in the earliest photographs of the structure. The roof framing is a series of closely spaced trusses with battens, further apart than is needed for shingles but much closer than standard corrugated iron roof framing. It is thought that because the technology of iron clad roofing was novel and little understood, the framing
6664-419: The quadrangular stable block was built during Davidson's ownership of Canning Downs which lasted only until 1865. The Sydney Morning Herald of 26 November 1859 reports on an extensive fire at Canning Downs, which started in the stables. The report continues to say that "a large range of buildings, nearly forty yards long, and comprising hayloft and coach house, were entirely consumed...It was apparently owing to
6762-399: The residence has a simple rectangular plan with steeply pitched corrugated iron hipped roof on the eastern side of which is a projecting hipped section. This section of the building is constructed from vertical timber slabs housed in rebated sections at the base and top of the walls. Within the principal entrance facade of the building, under the projecting hipped section of the roof, denoting
6860-633: The rest of Queensland due to its elevation. Altitudes from 680 m to over 1200 m above sea level make it ideally suited to premium wine production. The region is popular with tourists because of its many natural and heritage attractions, including the Goomburra State Forest, Cunninghams Gap , Spicers Gap and the Queen Mary Falls near Killarney in the Main Range National Park . Lake Broadwater
6958-461: The river. Letters written by Walter and George during 1846 and 1847 indicate that improvements to the value of £ 1200- £ 1500 were planned and these were to include the construction of a "good house". In early December 1848, George married Emmeline Macarthur, who was another of the daughters of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur, father of Patrick's wife. From Emmeline's memoirs it seems that the house in which she lived at Canning Downs upon her arrival after
7056-419: The route through the pass to the Darling Downs. Ludwig Leichhardt in 1844 saw the remains of a camp showing the signs of white men through ridge poles and steel axes. News of the lush pastures quickly spread resulting in a land grab that authorities in the distant New South Wales colony found difficult to stop. Patrick Leslie was the first European person to settle on the Darling Downs in 1840, establishing
7154-534: The run in the 1840s and early 1850s, making this a rare and early example of residential building in Queensland. The brick stables are rare in their form and age, and may have some of the earliest corrugated iron roofing used in Queensland, demonstrating the development of this technology. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland's history. Great potential exists for further archaeological research on both
7252-410: The second son of William and Jane (née Davidson) Leslie of Warthill , Aberdeenshire , Scotland, arrived in Australia in May 1835 with the intention of establishing a pastoral holding. Such was the intention of many young British men who saw opportunities for earning sufficient money and returning to their homeland financially secure with an assured income from the established property. It is thought that
7350-524: The severe drought of 1994/1995. During the early 20th century dairy was a significant industry for Queensland. The 1930s saw the peaking of the dairy industry on the Downs with 6,500 farms and over 200,000 milking cows. The Downs Co-operative Dairy Association expanded, constructed or purchased at least 10 butter and cheese factories across the Darling Downs. The Downs Co-operative Dairy Association Limited Factory in Toowoomba closed in 2006. In 2010,
7448-458: The sheets into molton zinc, resulting in large deposits of zinc on the iron which protected the material much better than the latter mechanised techniques. Thus many early corrugated iron roofs have remained remarkably intact. This may be the case with the corrugated iron roof of the stable at Canning Downs, which, according to photographs and oral history has not been altered since construction in about 1859. The roof retains four iron ventilators on
7546-535: The shingled roof of the main residence with a corrugated iron roof as one of the photographs apparently dating from this time shows the replacement occurring. Davidson owned Canning Downs until 1865, when on 18 November he sold the entire station to Frederick John Cobb Wildash. The property comprising 3,040 acres (1,230 ha) with 53,700 sheep, 5000 cattle, 70 horses and improvements was sold for £ 100,000. A default on repayments to Alexander McDonald and Charles Smith, merchants of Sydney, who loaned money to Wildash for
7644-693: The squatters. The discovery of gold fields in Australia further increased the price and scarcity of labour on stations. Early searches for gold were carried out on the Darling Downs, not only with the intention of actually finding mineral rich fields, but also in a desperate attempt to lure workers and servants into the area. Searches for gold at Canning Downs resulted in the discovery of the Lucky Plains Goldfields which allowed George Leslie to realise his aspirations of wealth and make plans to return to his family in Scotland.. Emmeline and George did not remain at Canning Downs for very long, leaving for
7742-556: The station. All three brothers were forced to assume roles of active stockmen to reduce wage bills. Wool prices were low, labour was expensive and supplies were difficult to transport to the Downs. Patrick spent substantial amounts of time during the early 1840s in Dunheved, a farm leased by him near Penrith , Sydney. He married Katherine Macarthur, daughter of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur of The Vineyard, Parramatta in September 1840, and
7840-508: The three decided to explore the unsettled Darling Downs in search of land for a station of their own. Tales of the fertile Downs region had reached Patrick Leslie after Allan Cunningham 's discovery of the area in 1827. After reaching the Downs the Leslie Brothers quickly marked out land for their station which they named Canning Downs. Adjacent land was taken up by a friend, Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple, for his station, Goomburra. It
7938-478: The time when the indigenous grasses were ripe and dry. The annual fires gave the local Aboriginals of the Darling Downs the name "Goonneeburra" or "Fire Blacks" – "goonnee" being a name for fire and "burra" a generic word for the whole race. This is what the Downs tribes were known as to the coastal Aborigines who inhabited the Moreton Bay area. Murri is a wider-spread generic word meaning the whole race but in
8036-485: The time. As one pound sterling went from US$ 4.03 to US$ 2.80, the Australian pound went from US$ 3.224 to US$ 2.24. Decimalisation had been proposed for Australian currency since 1902, when a select committee of the House of Representatives , chaired by George Edwards , had recommended that Australia adopt a decimal currency with the florin (two shillings) as its base. In February 1959 the Commonwealth Government appointed
8134-598: The total circulation in New Zealand. The devaluation of Australian and New Zealand exchange rates relative to the pound sterling led to New Zealand's Coinage Act 1933 and the issuing of the first coinage of the New Zealand pound . During World War II, the Empire of Japan produced currency notes denominated in the Australian pound for use in Pacific island countries intended for occupation. Since mainland Australia
8232-504: The two remained living on the Macarthurs' station, before returning to Canning Downs in 1842. At Canning Downs a cottage costing £ 35 and of unspecified material was built for the return of Patrick and his bride. Upon their return it was arranged that Patrick would oversee the cultivation and horse stock, Walter would manage the sheep and George the cattle. Further financial concerns saw Patrick withdraw from Canning Downs and purchase
8330-441: The wedding was a "cottage ...built of wood, painted white and lined with canvas, and pretty room papers, thoroughly and prettily furnished and surrounded by a white verandah" . She continues on to say that a church service was held in a small hall of the house every Sunday at 11.00am for "several of our neighbours...employees and friends which produced quite a congregation" . Emmeline suggests that their accommodation at Canning Downs
8428-424: The west which runs the length of the house and from where access is provided to the side wings. Two full length vertical sash windows provide access from the enclosed verandah to the dining room. This central core is abutted on the north and south ends by added wings also with hipped roofs and with overhanging verandah awnings all clad with slate grey decromastic tiles. The verandahs of the wings have been infilled;
8526-464: The western side of the building. Adjacent to the stables are early outbuildings and grounds associated with the principal building. Many small fenced paddocks and pens survive, as does a large storage shed . Canning Downs Homestead was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Canning Downs, one of
8624-403: Was squatted by the Leslie brothers in 1840 although the official licensee of Canning Downs was Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple (who died in 1844 and left the property to the Leslie brothers). The principal timber slab residence on the homestead is likely to date from 1847–8, and has experienced several major additions over 150 years. The stables appear to date from the late 1850s. Patrick Leslie ,
8722-410: Was cautiously planned and overcompensated for the actual weight of the iron. Several early photographs of the residence and stables at Canning Downs survive from the time of Davidson's ownership. These show a substantial timber slab house with a steeply pitched hipped roof of shingles, and shingled verandah awnings surrounding the building. French doors open onto the verandahs. Davidson may have replaced
8820-546: Was contemplated by section 51(xii) of the Constitution of Australia , which gave Federal Parliament the right to legislate with respect to "currency, coinage, and legal tender". The Deakin government 's Coinage Act 1909 distinguished between "British coin" and "Australian coin", giving both status as legal tender of equal value. The Act gave the Treasurer the power to issue silver, bronze and nickel coins, with
8918-432: Was ever issued. Bronze ½d and 1d coins followed in 1911. Production of half sovereigns ceased in 1916, followed by that of sovereigns in 1931. In 1937 a crown (5/– piece, known as a Dollar) was issued to commemorate the coronation of King George VI . This coin proved unpopular in circulation and was discontinued shortly after being reissued in 1938. In 1946, the fineness of Australian silver sixpences, shillings, and florins
9016-529: Was given in 1827 by Allan Cunningham , the first European explorer to reach the area and recognises the then Governor of New South Wales , Ralph Darling . The region has developed a strong and diverse agricultural industry largely due to the extensive areas of vertosols (cracking clay soils), particularly black vertosols, of moderate to high fertility and available water capacity . Manufacturing and mining, particularly coal mining are also important, and coal seam gas extraction experienced significant growth in
9114-589: Was never occupied or intended to be occupied , the occupation currency was not used there, but it was used in the captured parts of the then-Australian territories of Papua and New Guinea . In 1949, when the United Kingdom devalued sterling against the US dollar , Australian Prime Minister and Treasurer Ben Chifley followed suit so the Australian pound would not become over-valued in sterling zone countries with which Australia did most of its external trade at
9212-554: Was offered for selection on 19 April 1877. In 1886 Macansh was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and he was generally held in high esteem by the community in which he lived. After his death on 1 August 1896 Canning Downs was managed by a family trust comprising his eleven children. During the time of their management extensive alterations were carried out on the residence. Local Warwick architects, Wallace and Gibson undertook extensions of
9310-824: Was reduced to .500, a quarter of a century after the same change had been made in Britain. In New Zealand and the United Kingdom, silver was soon abandoned completely in everyday coinage, but Australian .500 silver coins continued to be minted until after decimalisation. Examples of private issue paper currency in New South Wales, denominated in sterling, exist from 1814 (and may date back to the 1790s). Denominated in sterling (and in some cases Spanish dollars ), these private banker and merchant scrip notes were used in Sydney and Hobart through 1829. Private issue banknotes were issued between 1817 and 1910 in denominations ranging from £1 to £100. In 1910, superscribed banknotes were used as
9408-483: Was soon clear to the Leslies that the run marked by them was too large and they moved their head station to what remained the Canning Downs portion of the run with the remainder becoming the Toolburra run. Though all three brothers were in fact partners in the Canning Downs run, Patrick's name was omitted from all documentation regarding occupation of the place owing to his financial troubles. An arrangement formalising
9506-405: Was the first ever use of a covered lagoon to treat effluent. In the Southern Downs region surrounding Stanthorpe in an area called the Granite Belt there are now over sixty cellar doors, wineries, and vineyards. The industry first began as a table grape growing region that by the mid-1960s was starting to plant wine grape cultivars. This region has a subtropical highland climate atypical to
9604-410: Was unusual, " the cottage only afforded two spare rooms and with the chance of six friends suddenly appearing such accommodation was impossible. At the end of our cottage and parallel to our own, and divided by a covered way, the sides and verandah covered with vines, was a long building devoted to servants, storeroom and offices. We had one very large room and six folding beds made on (the) principal of
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