History & Heritage
If you are fascinated by South East Queensland's rich pioneering and pastoral heritage, the Southern Downs' offers a treasure trove of history and heritage.
Highlights of a drive through the Southern Downs include the Glengallan Homestead. Now restored, the impressive two-storey sandstone building, on the New England Highway midway between Allora and Warwick, examples the early pastoral history of the Darling Downs. A major draw card of the Queensland Heritage Trail, Glengallan gives a rare glimpse of the pastoral life in the 19th Century.
From Glengallan, head towards Warwick (18.5km) to experience the Warwick City Trail. Pringle Cottage is a two-story sandstone building built between 1871 and 1874. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Pringle Cottage housed a private school run by a Mrs. Pringle and her daughter. Today the cottage is open to visitors interested in its historical value. Abbey of the Roses, a former convent, is also worthy of a stop. Warwick also contains a collection of the State's most preserved and magnificent sandstone buildings, all of which can be found on the Warwick City Walk Trail.
Clifton was the home to many well-known identities, including Steele Rudd who wrote three of his Dad 'n' Dave stories while in Nobby. Nobby's famous daughter, Sister Kenny, who pioneered simple yet ground breaking polio treatments is recognized in the Sister Kenny Memorial building located in the main street of Nobby. The Clifton Historical Museum, housed in the former Butter Factory, also contains an excellent collection of preserved agricultural and housing implements used by pioneer settlers.
The Stanthorpe Heritage Museum accommodates buildings and items offering a nostalgic glance back at Stanthorpe's pioneering hey day. Follow the Stanthorpe to Texas Trail and you'll come across the Rabbit Freezer Works. Built in 1930 to take advantage of the demand from England for rabbits and rabbit skin, the rabbit industry was the economic mainstay of Texas during the depression. Hints of the past are the tobacco-drying sheds scattered about the landscape and the old Silverspur mine, which ceased operation in 1913.
Today Inglewood is fast becoming known for its burgeoning olive industry and primary produce, transforming what was once a tobacco and timber town and adding a touch of diversity to the traditional country-town atmosphere.
For more information on the region's History and Heritage, the Southern Downs & Granite Belt Heritage and Historic Building Trails booklet is a comprehensive and user friendly guide to historic sites and landmarks in the region. It also contains the Southern Downs Sculpture Trail. The guide is available for just $6.00 from the Warwick and Stanthorpe Information Centres.
