Microbrewery proposal after historic Willard’s Farm makes Redland priority list

A southside council has listed a 150-year-old crumbling farmstead as a priority, opening options for a microbrewery.

Willard’s Farm at Birkdale, above ; and the Wynnum fish market top, where there are plans for a microbrewery and; below; underneath the historic farmstead.

A century-old homestead left to rack and ruin may be resurrected under a bayside council plan which could eventually see it turned into a swanky microbrewery.

Willard’s Farm, at Birkdale, has been left relatively untouched since 2015 when a stop order was slapped on the site barring a developer chopping up the land for a 12-lot subdivision.

A year later, Redland City Council paid $1.45 million for the property in an effort to stave off the subdivision and started mooting plans to get it on the historic tourist trail.

Willard’s Farm at Birkdale is now on Redland City Council’s five-year corporate plan list.

But in the four years since then, no plans have been drawn up for the site, with the historic timber buildings being left without paint and tin sheets to rust.

That was until this week, when the council unveiled its five-year corporate plan listing Willard’s Farm as a “catalyst” project, with the prospect of it becoming an “iconic landmark”.

Capalaba MP Don Brown, who called for the 2015 stop order, said the lack of maintenance for a piece of Redlands history was a disgrace and called for the historic building to be used as a microbrewery.

Capalaba MP Don Brown with the then Heritage Minister Steven Minister and the stop order halting development at the site in 2015.

“I want to see a microbrewery like they did at Wynnum for the old fish markets but the key is to get the building restored before it deteriorates any further,” he said.

“One year ago, Redlands mayor Karen Williams announced council would enter a Memorandum of Understanding with Redland Museum in a bid to restore the Willard’s Farm site to its former glory,” he said.

Paint work needs maintenance.

“We have been eagerly waiting more than four years for the council to restore this beautiful property.

“You don’t need a plan for the entire Birkdale Bushland before starting this restoration.

“Willard’s Farm can be restored while the council figures out what is happening with the rest of the site. It has to happen anyway,” he said.

Last month, Mr Brown publicly called on the council to work with the State Government to kickstart restoration works, offering the possibility of grant funding and student labour from Alexandra Hills TAFE.

The next door site at Birkdale where there is also a heritage interest.

The farm, at 302 Old Cleveland Road East, Birkdale, was the site of one of Redland City’s first farms and houses the Willard family’s homestead, The Pines, built sometime between 1863 and 1876.

In June, the council backed a state government plan to heritage protect the next door property, which was a former US Army radio receiving station used in World War II.

It was where General Douglas MacArthur and Australia received the transmitted signal informing the world of the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945.

Key features to be saved at that site, include the main radio receiving building and access road.

Mayor Karen Williams said the five-year corporate plan would help shape a modern city which would meet the community’s current and future needs.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE WILLARD’S FARM SITE?