Westbrook Homestead
| Westbrook Homestead | |
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Westbrook Homestead, 1999
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| Location | Coupers Road, Westbrook, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°36′03″S 151°47′37″E / 27.6008°S 151.7936°ECoordinates: 27°36′03″S 151°47′37″E / 27.6008°S 151.7936°E |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1864 - 1867 |
| Official name: Westbrook Homestead | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological, landscape) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600636 |
| Significant period | 1860s (historical) 1860s (fabric) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, kitchen/kitchen house, driveway, garden/grounds, chimney/chimney stack, residential accommodation - main house |
 Location of Westbrook Homestead in Queensland
Location of Westbrook Homestead in Queensland
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Westbrook Homestead is a heritage-listed homestead at Coupers Road, Westbrook, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1864 to 1867. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Westbrook Homestead was constructed in 1867 on land taken up by John "Tinker" Campbell in 1841 as one of the first pastoral runs on the Darling Downs.
Allan Cunningham, botanist and explorer, first visited the region in which Westbrook is located, the Darling Downs, in 1827. He considered the discovery of this fertile pastoral land as one of his greatest achievements. Thirteen years later, grazier Patrick Leslie decided to look for land north of Penrith where he was renting a farm. With his brothers and a large party, he set out for the Clarence River district, and then, with one convict, set out to explore the Darling Downs. In 1840, he established the first pastoral runs on the Downs, Toolburra and Canning Downs.
Other squatters, including John "Tinker" Campbell, who had arrived from Scotland about 1833, soon followed him. After selling tinware in Sydney, Campbell set up an inn at Muswellbrook and acquired two small runs, one on the Hunter River and one on the Gwydir in 1839. As this run was in dispute, he looked for land further north in 1840. After an abortive attempt to settle at Kittah Kittah near Goondiwindi, he moved to the Darling Downs in 1841, taking up Westbrook. However, Campbell then had the misfortune to experience bad seasons followed by the collapse of several commercial ventures, including the establishment of a boiling down works at Brisbane. This led to his selling Westbrook to John Stevens in December 1843 for £300 plus 12/6 a head for the stock. In mid 1844 the Campbells quit Westbrook and in late 1846 the run was sold to Hughes and Isaac, owners of Gowrie Station, and was reduced by 5000 acres to 45,000 acres in 1850. In 1853 Westbrook changed hands again, passing to John Donald McLean for £12,000. In 1855 McLean married and toured Europe for three years and William Beit, who had become McLean's partner, moved to Westbrook to manage it in 1856.
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