As part of the Australian Heritage Festival 2018, the newly created Wolston Farmhouse My Culture My Story Tour is set to bring its visitors back in time on Friday, 11 May 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as they tour through the oldest surviving residential farmhouse in the district.
The tour, led by volunteer guides, explores the rich history of the nineteenth-century rural gem which dates back to the 1950s. Learn about how the Wolston Farmhouse transformed from pastoralism to agriculture and dairying and finally to heritage tourism.
Two tours will be held on 11 May 2018 starting at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. with refreshments available for sale during the day.
Those who want to be a volunteer guide are encouraged to visit the Wolston Farmhouse during the event.
Wolston Farmhouse
The Wolston Farmhouse was established by Dr Stephen Simpson in 1852. He built a horse and cattle station in the area and named the estate after his Warwickshire birthplace.
Stephen Simpson was an educated man. He was a doctor, Justice of the Peace, Police Magistrate, and later member of the first Legislative Council of Queensland.
Upon his return to England, the property was sold to Matthew Goggs in 1860. Goggs raised his family in the estate and continued to the tradition of breeding cattle and horses.
The property was purchased by the Grindle family who introduced the dairy business to Brisbane suburbs in 1906. The family had been the major supplier of milk in the area up to the 1930s.
In 1956, a farmer named Bert Hurley bought the Wolston Estate and finally sold it to the Queensland Government.
The National Trust of Australia (Queensland) acquired Wolston Farmhouse and the surrounding land from the Queensland Government in 1963. They are the ones who are responsible for the restoration of the Wolston Farmhouse which is now a popular tourist destination in Wacol.
As a celebration of the Australian Heritage Festival 2018, entry to the historic farmhouse is free on 11 May 2018.