Resilience is a term often coupled with farmers, but there are none more deserving of the word than Kay and Dave Tommerup.
The family's 132-year-old homestead at Kerry is a testament to their character. The structure, standing tall, is steeped with history and perfectly captures the property's battle with the environment and economy.
The Scenic Rim farmland was first settled in 1874, the lush grasslands and surrounding timber providing a perfect genesis for a pastoral property. Rushed to meet council standards, the family had just 12 months to clear the land and build a property.
"That homestead was actually the second home that they built on the property. The original home was built in 1874," Kay Tommerup said.
"It was just a little slab hut and that was part of the required regulation to be able to keep their property."
The rushed home didn't survive long, and it wouldn't be the last time the family's livelihood was dictated by things outside of their control.
Kay said the story goes that "when the flood came through in 1887, the water went from one range to another, right through the middle of the valley."
The family's resilience can be tracked back to that flood and how they responded to the destruction, not wasting time to get their operation back up and running.
"The family spent the night on the top rail of the cattle yard and thought, 'this won't do' and then built the homestead," Kay said.
In 1888 the homestead was complete. This time the family settled on the hillside, avoiding potential floods and providing a magnificent view over the property's 80 hectares.
Now, it is not wild floods that threaten the family farm, it is years of devastating drought and instead of shelter and warmth, the homestead is offering a revenue stream as the harsh environment forces the Tommerups to diversify their business.
And for Kay there would be no better way to build on their business than to pay respect to those who inspire them.
The family spent the night on the top rail of the cattle yard and thought, 'this won't do' and then built the homestead,
"Everything we do here, we really try hard to honour all the history for all the generations that have been through," she said.
The homestead has received a few modern touches, striking the perfect balance between comfort and authenticity. The home is fully self-contained, with reverse cycle air-conditioning and a dishwasher.
The main bedroom faces the north west of the property and is complete with an original four-poster bed that once belonged to Dave's great great-grandfather.
The second bedroom also features an original four-poster bed and was Dave's bedroom growing up.
The bunk room is new and was built to give larger families and groups a more immersive experience of what life was like in previous generations.
The home has two bathrooms for privacy and a TV room and divided sitting room for time and space to relax.
Despite the improvements to the home's interior, the sprawling verandah remains Kay's favourite place to sit.
"When we took over and started to make the homestead somewhere people could stay, the first thing we did was trim the trees back so we could actually look out over the property," Kay said.
"In the afternoon when the sun goes down, you stand there with a cold drink and it's really something beautiful."
Kay said it was their intention and strategy to keep the special feeling of the homestead when they were renovating.
"When we were looking at what we should do with the house to make it more comfortable for people, we wanted to have a few creature comforts like air-conditioning and TV, but we still wanted people to feel that special feeling."
Kay said walking into the homestead "takes you back, you can feel the history and it can just instantly feel like a home".
"That's something we really wanted to keep. That genuine and authentic feeling that let people feel like they were travelling through the different generations."
The history is on full display - monuments of each generation hang on the walls in an effort to maintain the story of the family.
"There's so many different timelines that you can see within the house and we wanted to preserve that," Kay said.
"All the furniture that is up there is original and is all from the previous generations that lived there."
The home wears the family name proudly and offers people the chance to breathe a part of history.
When Dave is away from farm work, he will take guests through the property and tell family stories about what has changed over the years.
Kay said that embrace is what makes the experience for the guests.
"It means a lot for Dave to share those stories with people, and if we were renting a house that didn't fit in with those family stories it would be really odd."
Kay has led the charge diversifying the family business in order to make the farm more sustainable, joining a long tradition of resilient women who have grabbed the property by the scruff of the neck through hard times.
Sisters Katie and Agatha Tommerup stayed on the farm after the family was hit with another tragedy in World War I.
"All the boys left the farm after their brother was killed in the war. The death of their brother really impacted them," Kay said.
"The girls stayed and kept supporting their Dad and started doing all sorts of things to keep the farm going."
The family was forced to sell two thirds of the property in 1922 to help deal with the tough times.
"Katie pretty much ran the farm with her sister," Kay said.
"Dairying, beef cattle and pigs were the mainstay for the farm at that time but they started to diversify into turkeys and cropping to help pay the bills.
"There have been a lot of strong women on this property and I hope that will continue."
When Kay and Dave first approached their extended family to tell them their plans of turning the home into a visitor experience, they were met with raised eyebrows.
"It seemed crazy at the time, our family thought who would want to come and stay on a farm out here," Kay said.
"We've been surprised, and they've been surprised at just how popular it has been out here."
The pandemic has offered the family a silver lining, reminding people what is really important in life and encouraging them to experience life like they haven't before.
"The world had a real wake up about what is really important, and we've seen a lot of people who just wanted to come and immerse themselves in the simple pleasure of sitting out in the country," Kay said.
"People are moving away from materialistic values, and are realising that life's really about experiences and memories."
To experience a family farm stay at the Tommerup's Scenic Rim property or to keep up to date with family's next business adventure, visit their website at www.tommerupsfarmstay.com.au
