Redlands’ historic Willard’s Farm deteriorates amid wait for cultural and environmental studies

Vital funding to progress plans to save a historic homestead in southeast Queensland was not included in the local council’s budget, sparking fears the home will deteriorate further.

The historic Willard's Farm in Birkdale. Picture: Cr Paul Bishop

A HISTORIC farmhouse owned by a southeast Queensland council is being left to decay without funding for vital studies to progress plans for its future.

Redland City Council has backed up promises to buy the Commonwealth-owned land next to the historic Willard’s Farm site in its latest budget.

However, there is no money to fund expert studies on its historic, cultural and environmental value.

Willard's Farm, which councillors fear is being left to deteriorate due to a wait on funding for vital heritage studies. Picture: Paul Bishop

Mayor Karen Williams said the council’s “prudent economic management” meant it was able to buy strategic land at Birkdale and Cleveland Point.

“Financial sustainability has been a driving factor of budgets during this council term, allowing us to secure the 61ha Birkdale Commonwealth land and the site adjacent the council reserve at Cleveland Point for the community,” she said.

“This was something we could only do that because our debt was low and we had money in the bank.”

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO PROTECT LAMB HOUSE

ACTIVISTS FIGHT TO HERITAGE LIST SCHONELL THEATRE

A Redland City Council said spokeswoman there was a separate $152,000 allocated to Willard’s Farm “for maintenance and to stop deterioration”.

Cr Wendy Bolgary (Div 1) and Cr Paul Bishop (Div 10) said despite the acquisition funding, no money was allocated to undertake vital studies on environmental and cultural heritage of the land and farmhouse, built in 1863.

View of Tingalpa Creek from the Willard's Farm/Commonwealth land site. Picture: Cr Paul Bishop

Cr Bolgary said the $152,000 was operational funding for Willard’s Farm, “to keep the fences up and do some weeding” but nothing for cultural and environmental studies.

That means it would be a year or more before those studies were done, which need to be done before community consultation and land use planning.

“We’re looking at getting Birkdale land and they’ve said let’s wait and do them together but the house will need restoring, so why not start now?”

“While we’re waiting more vandalism is being done to the home and it’s deteriorating.

“You can just see driving by what’s happening — it’s heartbreaking watching it deteriorate.”

Norfolk Pine Trees allegedly grown from Seeds given to Mrs Willard by South Sea Islander labourers who lived and worked on site (before 1900). The name of the Willard homestead used to be "The Pines". Picture: Paul Bishop

Cr Bishop said the landmark farmhouse was built for early settlers James and Margaret Willard in 1863 but the whole site, adjacent to Tingalpa Creek, is also culturally significant for the Quandamooka People.

“It’s important for our history because it tells us some unique things about the way we have developed,” Cr Bishop said.

It was used by the US Army in the 1940s as a telecommunications base and Cr Bishop said it was “arguably” the first site to receive Emperor Hirohito surrendering the war.

Cr Bishop said the studies needed to be undertaken so the council could go to the community to consult with all the facts in hand to plan the future of the site.

The Queensland Heritage Council rejected an application to enter the site onto the State Heritage Register in 2015 but Redland City Council voted it onto the city’s Heritage Places Register in 2016.