Darr River Downs, historic site in Queensland, Australia
Darr River Downs is a former sheep station in Queensland established in the early 1870s. The property features sandstone buildings from that era, including a stone store built around 1874, a shearing shed from the 1880s with metal roof trusses, and the ruins of an early woolscour facility.
The station was founded in 1873 by a group from Melbourne, starting with cattle before focusing on sheep in the 1880s. At its peak, the property covered around 1,100 square miles and became one of the largest sheep stations in the region.
The name comes from the nearby river and reflects the connection between the property and the landscape. The stone buildings and cemetery show how people of the late 1800s organized their work and daily life on the land.
The property is located about 50 minutes from Longreach by car, with the road partly unsealed. Guided tours are offered by the family that operates the station, allowing visitors to explore the old buildings and learn about life on a historic sheep property.
During a strike in 1891, workers attempted to burn down the shearing shed in protest of working conditions, but the attempt failed. The structure was later possibly rebuilt using materials from a Melbourne exhibition, showing how innovative resources reached this remote area.
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