Coordinates:27.8437S153.

2717E

LaurelHillFarmhouse
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

LaurelHillFarmhouseisaheritagelistedfarmhouseat105Ruffles
Road,WillowVale,Queensland,Australia.Itwasbuiltfrom1884to
c.1920byAlexanderFortune.ItwasaddedtotheQueenslandHeritage
Registeron1December1997.[1]

LaurelHillFarmhouse

Contents
1
2
3
4

History
Description
Heritagelisting
References
4.1 Attribution

History
LaurelHillFarmhouse,asinglestoreyedtimberfarmhousewithattic,
waserectedin188384forPimpamaarrowrootgrowerand
manufacturer,WilliamDoherty.ThebuilderwasAlexanderFortuneof
Coomera.Atthetime,LaurelHillFarmhousewasconsideredthefinest
residenceinPimpamadistrict,andin1897wasphotographedbythe
QueenslandLandsDepartmentasanexampleofasuccessful
Queenslandselector'shome.[1]
MuchofthePimpamadistricthadbeentakenupinthe1850sbyWilliam
DuckettWhiteofBeauDesertStation,wholeased20,000acresbetween
theLoganandCoomeraRivers,includingupperHothamCreek(a
tributaryofPimpamaRiver),asPimpamarun.Asmallsettlementwas
establishedonPimpamaRiverc.1860,butthesitewasabandoned
withinafewyearsinpreferencetoHothamCreek.MuchofPimpama
runwasthrownopenforselectionfromApril1869,andWhiteforfeited
hisremainingleaseholdonPimpamafrom1January1870.Theprivate
subdivisionandsaleinFebruary1870oftownandfarmlotsatthe
junctionofthePimpamaRiverandHothamCreek,consolidated
Pimpamatownshipandinitiatedasmallfarmingcommunityof
predominantlyIrishsettlers.[1]
Inthe1860s,farmersalongthePimpamaRiverexperimentedfirstlywith
cottongrowing,thenwithsugar,bothofwhichinitiallyweredependent
onSouthPacificIslandslabour.ByDecember1876theprincipal
Pimpamasugarplantations(Ormeau,Malungmavel,Pimpamaand
Yahwulpah)hadceasedproduction,andweredevotedeithertocattleor
arrowroot,butsomesmallerfarmsinthedistrictcontinuedwithsugar
growingforseveraldecades.[1]

Farmhousein2015
Location

105RufflesRoad,Willow
Vale,Queensland,Australia

Coordinates 27.8437S153.2717E
Design
period

1870s1890s(late19th
century)

Built

1884c.1920
QueenslandHeritageRegister

Officialname:LaurelHillFarmhouse
Type

stateheritage(built)

Designated

1December1997

Referenceno. 601936
Significant
period

1880s1920s(fabric)
1880s1940s,1897
(historical)

Significant
components

trees/plantings,
kitchen/kitchenhouse,
garden/grounds,farmhouse

Builders

AlexanderFortune

ThePimpamaselectorsofthe1870s,searchingforanewcommercial
crop,discoveredthattheclimate,soil,andabundanceofpurewaterin
thePimpamadistrictwereidealforthecultivationandmanufactureof
arrowroot.Arrowrootgaveaboutthesamereturnasmaizeorpotatoes,
butwasmorefrost,droughtandfloodresistant.Thefirstcommercial
arrowrootinPimpamawasgrowninthelate1860s,andtheLahey
family,whomovedtoPimpamain1870andeventuallytookup
Sunnyside,adjoiningWilliamDohertyonHothamCreek,wentinto
arrowrootcultivationonalargescale,inventingamechanicalprocessing
methodwhichrevolutionisedtheproductionofarrowroot,andmarketing
arrowrootundertheirownbrand.By1884,arrowrootwaswidelygrown
inthePimpamaandCoomeradistricts,andanumberofnew
manufacturingplantswerebeingestablished.[1]
MostoftheselectionsalongupperHothamCreekweresurveyedin
1871,butnotproclaimedforselectionuntilAugust1874.Intheinterim,
manyfarmerswere"squatting"ontheseselections,withnoguarantee
thattheywouldultimatelysecurethelandasleasehold.[1]
IrishbornsettlersWilliamDohertyandhiswifeElizaFannonhad
arrivedinQueenslandbySeptember1867.Itappearsthattheywereresident
inBrisbaneuntilNovember1869atleast,buthadmovedtothePimpama
districtbyAugust1870,whenWilliamDohertysignedalocalpetition
callingforaprovisionalschooltobeestablishedinthearea.Itisnotknown
whereinPimpamatheDohertyfamilylivedatthisperiod,butWilliam
Dohertyworkedonanumberoflocalsugarplantationsandfarmsbefore

LocationofLaurelHillFarmhousein
Queensland

LaurelHillFarmhouse,1897

takinguphisownselectionsinthemid1870s.[1]
InOctober1874,Dohertyselectedportion21,parishofPimpama(158acres(64ha)ofsecondclasspastorallandon
HothamCreek,onwhichLaurelHillFarmhousewaslaterbuilt).Theblockalreadycontainedsomeimprovements,
includingaslabbarnandasmallhumpyandabout12acres(4.9ha)ofscrubclearedandpartlyundercultivation,for
whichDohertypaid20,andwasissuedwithaconditionalleaseonthepropertyfor10yearsfrom1January1875.
Atthesametimeheselectedtheadjoiningportion31with135acres(55ha),onwhichexistingimprovements
comprisedabarkroofedbarn,asmallslabhouse,someclearedscrubandasmallstockyard.Itappearsthatthe
Dohertysresidedonportion31fromOctober1874untilmid1879,whentheymovedtoportion21.In1879,
Dohertyalsoacquiredtheleasetoportion151,an84acreblockwhichabuttedtheeasternboundaryofportion21.[1]
InJanuary1884heobtainedtitletoportions21&31,andembarkedonsubstantialimprovementstotheproperty,
whichhehadnamedLaurelHill.Afinenewhouse,erectedfortheDohertysbyCoomerabuilderAlexander
Fortune,wascompletedbylateJanuary1884.(ThisisunderstoodtobetheexistingLaurelHillFarmhouse.)Fortune,
residentintheCoomeradistrictby1872,wasacarpenterbytrade,andhaderectedCoomeraStateSchoolandan
AnglicanchurchatUpperCoomera.[1]
AtLaurelHill,WilliamDohertyraisedcattleandgrewvariouscrops.By1884hehadbetween40and50acres
underarrowroot,anderectedhisownfactoryinthefirsthalfoftheyear.Remnantsofthismillsurvive.Beforethe
turnofthecentury,hepurchasedPimpamaPlantationatOrmeau,(approximately1,150acres(470ha)whichheused
forgrazingpurposes),andc.1901acquiredSunnyside,theLaheyfamily'ssubstantialarrowrootplantationadjacent
toLaurelHillonHothamCreek.FollowingWilliamDoherty'sdeathin1904,thepropertiesweredividedbetween
histhreesons:LaurelHillwenttoWilliamAlexander(Alex),Sunnyside(renamedWillowvalebytheDohertys)to
Thomas,andPimpamatoRobert.[1]

By1908,QueenslandfarmersonaboutadozenfarmsintheYatala,Pimpama,OrmeauandNerangdistricts,were
supplyingalmostthewholeofthearrowrootusedinAustralia.DohertyBrothersofHothamCreekandRobert
DohertyofOrmeau,withtogetherapproximately100acres(40ha)underarrowroot(or50%ofthetotal200acres
underarrowrootinthesedistricts),wereamongthelargestarrowrootgrowers/producersinAustralia.TheWillowvale
arrowrootmillwasmovedfurtherdownstreamonHothamCreek,closertothePacificHighwayatPimpama,and
continuedproductionuntilthemid1930s.AlexDohertyatLaurelHillturnedtodairyingintheearly1920sbefore
retiringtotheGoldCoastc.1947.SubsequentlythepropertywaspurchasedbytheMilesfamilyofPimpama,with
titletoLaurelHilltransferredin1950.MembersofthisfamilyresidedinthehouseuntilmidOctober1997.[1]
TheDohertyfamilywereprominentmembersofthelocalcommunity,involvedinchurchandcivicaffairs.William
DohertywasatrusteeofPimpamaSchoolofArtsandservedasacouncilloronCoomeraDivisionalBoardfrom
c.1887toc.1889.HissonThomaslaterbecamechairmanofCoomeraShire.[1]
SomechangestothefarmhouseweremadeduringtheDohertyfamily'soccupation.Thereisevidenceofminorre
arrangementofinternalpartitionwalls,andthestaircasetotheattichasbeenremovedandthestairwellenclosed,
possiblyinthe1920s.Theceilingliningsinseveraloftheroomsmaydatetothe1920salso.Theoriginalkitchen
wingreputedlyburntdowninthelate1920s,andwasreplacedwiththepresentkitchenbuilding.[1]

Description
LaurelHillFarmhouse,asinglestoreyedweatherboardresidencewitha
corrugatedirongableroofandtimberstumps,islocatedfrontingRuffles
Roadtothenorthwest.[1]
Theresidencehasverandahstofoursides,withaseparatekitchenwingat
therearconnectedviaacoveredlanding.Originalatticwindows,onetoeach
gableend,havebeeninfilledwithweatherboard.[1]
Theverandahhasacorrugatedironskillionroof,withatimberlinedceiling
(partiallyremoved)andtimberposts,capitalsandbrackets.Sectionsofthe
Signage
verandahhavedeterioratedandpartiallycollapsed,andonlyafewsections
ofbalustrading,consistingofdowelbalustersandtimberhandrail,survive.
Thebuildinghasweatherboardcladdingtothesideandrearwalls,andasingleskinexternallycrossbracedwallto
thefrontverandah.Themainentrance,consistingofapanelledtimberdoorandfanlight,opensoffthefrontverandah
andisflankedbytwoFrenchdoorswithfanlightsonthenorthernsideandaFrenchdoorandfanlightonthe
southernside.Multipanesashwindowsopentothesideandrearverandahs,andatimberdooropensfromtheliving
areatothesoutheastverandahandcoveredlanding,andaseconddoorwithfanlightopenstothenortheast
verandah.[1]
Thekitchenwingconsistsofanunpaintedweatherboardstructurewithacorrugatedirongableroofandtimber
stumps,withacorrugatedironleantoadditionattherear.Thisstructurehassashwindowstothemainsection,with
corrugatedironandtimberbattenhoods,andhopperandlouvredwindowstotheleanto.Atimberdooropenstoa
coveredlandingtothenorthwest,andaseconddooropenstothesoutheastwithtimberstepstogroundlevel.[1]
Internally,theresidencehasalargelivingareafacingthesoutheastandnortheastverandahs,withtwobedroomsto
thesouthwestandtwobedroomstothenorthwest.Ceilingsandwallsareunpainted,andtheoriginalatticspacehas
beenclosedandtheaccessstairremoved.Theceilingofthelivingspacehasbeenalteredandnowconsistsof
plywoodsheetingwithtimberbattens,andsomeinternalwallsmayhavebeenalteredandpartiallyrelined.Door
headsarenotofauniformheight,andthemainbedroomhasFrenchdoorsopeningfromthecentralhallway,also

suggestingsomealterationtointernalwalls.Theexteriorwallshavewidehorizontalboarding,andtheinternalwalls
haveverticalboarding.Thebedroomceilingsvary,withsomecomprisingrakedcorniceswithjoistssupporting
floorboardsfortheatticabove,andothersfinishedwithtimberboarding.[1]
Internally,thekitchenwinghasunpaintedceilingsandwalls.Themainsectioncontainsadiningareaandbathroom,
andhasverticallyboardedwallsandaboardedceiling.Therearleantoadditionhousesthekitchenwithastove
recessatthenorthernend.[1]
Thebuilding'simmediatesurroundsincludeovergrowngardenstothenorthwestfrontingRufflesRoad,withthe
remainsofarockgardentothenorthofthehouse.Therearealsoanumberoflargetreestothenorthandsouth,and
theremainsofapartiallydemolishedshedtothenortheast.[1]

Heritagelisting
LaurelHillFarmhousewaslistedontheQueenslandHeritageRegisteron1December1997havingsatisfiedthe
followingcriteria.[1]
TheplaceisimportantindemonstratingtheevolutionorpatternofQueensland'shistory.
LaurelHillFarmhousesurvivesasanimportantillustrationofthepatternofQueensland'shistory,demonstratingthe
successofarrowrootgrowingandmanufacturinginthePimpamadistrictinthelate19thandearly20thcenturies,
whenthisQueenslandregionsuppliedalmostthewholeofthearrowrootusedinAustralia.Asearlyas1897,the
housewasconsideredillustrativeofwhattheQueenslandlandselectionsystemcouldachieve,andwaspromoted
officiallyastheidealtypeofsettler'sresidence.[1]
Theplacedemonstratesrare,uncommonorendangeredaspectsofQueensland'sculturalheritage.
Itisraretofindanearly1880sfarmhouseasintactasthisontheGoldCoasthinterland,whichhasexperienced
enormouspressurefordevelopmentinthelastquarterofthe20thcentury.[1]
TheplacehaspotentialtoyieldinformationthatwillcontributetoanunderstandingofQueensland'shistory.
Theplacehaspotentialtoprovideimportantinformationaboutruraltimberbuildingtechniquesoftheearly1880s,
andaboutthetypesofmaterialsused.Thec.1920skitchenwingappearstohavebeenconstructedtomuchthesame
footprintastheearlierbuildingitreplaced,survivesveryintact,andinmaterialsandformcomplementsthe1880s
building.[1]
Theplaceisimportantindemonstratingtheprincipalcharacteristicsofaparticularclassofculturalplaces.
LaurelHillFarmhousesurvivesreasonablyintact,andisimportantinillustratingtheprincipalcharacteristicsofan
early1880ssettler'sfarmhousewithunpaintedinteriorandoriginaljoinery.[1]
Theplacehasastrongorspecialassociationwithaparticularcommunityorculturalgroupforsocial,
culturalorspiritualreasons.
TheplaceisvaluedbythelocalcommunityforitslongassociationwiththeDohertyfamilyandtheirworkinthe
localcommunity,andforitsillustrationofpioneeringachievement.TheWillowvale/Pimpamacommunityhasa
numberoffamiliesdescendedfromthefirstEuropeansettlersinthearea,whovalueLaurelHillFarmhouseasan
importantlinkwiththepast.[1]

References
1."LaurelHillFarmhouse(entry601936)".QueenslandHeritageRegister.QueenslandHeritageCouncil.Retrieved1August
2014.

Attribution
ThisWikipediaarticleincludestextfrom"TheQueenslandheritageregister"(https://data.qld.gov.au/dat
aset/thequeenslandheritageregister)publishedbytheStateofQueenslandunderCCBY3.0AU(http://creativeco
mmons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/)licence(accessedon7July2014,archived(http://web.archive.org/web/20141008094
804/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/thequeenslandheritageregister)on8October2014).Thegeocoordinateswere
originallycomputedfromthe"Queenslandheritageregisterboundaries"(https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/queensland
heritageregisterboundaries)publishedbytheStateofQueenslandunderCCBY3.0AU(http://creativecommons.or
g/licenses/by/3.0/au/)licence(accessedon5September2014,archived(http://web.archive.org/web/2014101522351
4/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/queenslandheritageregisterboundaries)on15October2014).
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laurel_Hill_Farmhouse&oldid=707615671"
Categories: QueenslandHeritageRegister WillowVale,Queensland
AgriculturalbuildingsandstructuresinQueensland BuildingsandstructuresontheGoldCoast,Queensland
HomesteadsinQueensland Housescompletedin1884 Pimpama,Queensland
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