The stately Rosenthal Homestead at Warwick was built in the 1840s and is part of Queensland's pioneering history for its role in breeding of Merino sheep and cattle and is home to mother and daughter Jan and Annie Moir who own the nearby Killarney Hotel.
These days the homestead sits on 26 hectares and includes the homestead, a squatter's cottage, detached separate kitchen building, plus sheds and a meat box that served as a garden shed.
It is surrounded by the newer housing estate Rosenthal Heights on the southern side of Warwick and sits up on elevation overlooking the estate.
For the past two and a half years, the family worked tirelessly to preserve and renovate the property, while at the same time running the nearby Killarney Hotel which is another historic building.
Annie's partner Chris Allen, who is a carpenter, worked tirelessly and the main homestead has been restored into a comfortable home for Mrs Moir. At 82 year, Mrs Moir is Queensland's oldest licencee at the Killarney Hotel.
Annie and Chris have turned the nearby squatter's cottage into their own home and it's their piece of heaven when they take time out from running the busy pub.
Rosenthal Homestead was put up for auction after being in the same family for 98 years in 2016.
Mitchell Mulcahy bought the property in 1919 to run beef and later a dairy farm until the 1980s.
In 2016, third-generation owners, Jim and Diane Mulcahy, made the hard decision to sell the heritage-listed property.
At the time, Mrs Mulcahy said that as they didn't have any children, it was time to turn the page regrettably and sell the property.
It was her wish that someone would buy the homestead who had the money and the time to restore it back to life - and that is exactly what happened.
Mrs Moir said when she spotted the homestead for sale, she discussed it with Annie and they decided they wanted it including all the land.
"They were going to sell it in three lots of 20 acres and there were five people wanting the homestead, but decided we really wanted all 60 acres, so we went up and bid against the vendor for the lot," Mrs Moir said.
Mrs Moir is a great student of Australian pastoral history.
"It is believed to be the oldest homestead and squatter's cottage and were built well before Canning Downs and Glengallan Homestead," she said.
"You have to sometimes kick yourself that we actually got the property in the first place and it is so full of history.
"It was riddled with white ants. I put my hand through a VJ board at one point, but that didn't stop me. I really wanted the place".
Originally, the homestead was three great big rooms after the 1908 restoration.
Now all renovations to the homestead have been completed, the Moirs have turned the homestead into a comfortable home.
It contains a large living room which incorporates both a dining room and sitting room, three large bedrooms, two bathrooms, large gallery the full length of the house, office and kitchenette.
Mrs Moir said they would have spent over $300,000 on renovations, but that does not include input and craftsmanship from Chris as the carpenter doing the work.
"We were mindful to keep the renovations in the era of when it was built."
Most of the original timber remained in the building, while what could not be restored was replaced with the nearest equivalent. The three open fireplaces have been restored as they were all encased with cedar, along with the skirting boards.
All the windows and door frames were stripped of their paint and restored back to their natural cedar timber.
Mrs Moir feels very lucky the former owners left many of the artifacts and furniture in the home to assist with the decor of the era.
"The beautiful dining table comfortably sits 10 and the four poster silky oak beds and wardrobes were left in the bedrooms," she said.
The original bathroom has also been renovated, keeping the claw-footed bath and beautiful marble and timbered wash stand.
"We have restored the main kitchen building which is separate from the house, but I tend to use the kitchenette we included in the renovations," Mrs Moir said.
The homestead has sweeping verandas around all sides of the rectangle building, taking in the breathtaking views of the southern and eastern border ranges.
Work on the squatter's cottage has now been completed with the floor replaced and air conditioning installed underneath. Its vaulted ceiling remains and Annie and Chris are keeping its traditional Hessian insulation.
While juggling the restorations of Rosenthal Homestead, the family have also restored the Killarney Hotel to breathe new life into the busy country hotel.
The Moirs have re-fenced the boundary and paddocks and rejuvenated the pasture and Annie uses the paddocks to home her mostly retired racehorses. Annie was a former horse trainer on the Gold Coast before she relocated to Killarney.
In 2019, the National Trust of Queensland awarded Mrs Moir, Annie and Chris Allan with a high commendation for the restoration of the homestead.
Their high commendation citation read: "Stage one of the restoration of the buildings in this nineteenth century homestead site outside Warwick involved pulling the building straight, as well as retaining its original bed log, timber shingles and wallpapers. With as much of the existing material as possible kept, the well-known Rosenthal Homestead is once again a comfortable home."
"The very favourite part of owning Rosenthal Homestead is its history and it is something that I love and relish," Mrs Moir said.
With as much of the existing material as possible kept, the well-known Rosenthal Homestead is once again a comfortable home.
- National Trust of Queensland
Rosenthal Homestead was settled by Frederick John Henry Bracker - a wool-grower born in Mecklenburg, Germany, the son of a farmer John Bracker.
He arrived in New South Wales from Hamburg in January 1829 in the Diadem with about three hundred stud sheep chosen by him from Prince Esterhazy's Silesian flock for the Aberdeen Company.
Instead of returning to Germany as Bracker had planned, he remained in the colonies. In 1843 the Aberdeen Company gave him the opportunity of a run near Warwick on the Darling Downs which he called Rosenthal and managed until 1849.
It is generally accepted that he took the name Rosenthal from his native Germany.
Australian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who came from the same area as Mr Bracker, first visited in 1846. "It is said Ludwig Leichhardt left Rosenthal on his final expedition and the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt worked there at different times," Mrs Moir said.
In 1848, Bracker then leased the 30,000-acre (12,140ha) run, Waroo (later renamed Warroo), in the Inglewood district, which like Rosenthal soon won repute for its fine Merinos.
The restoration of Rosenthal Homestead can been seen on ABC iview, Restorations Australia.
Helen Walker
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
