The Great Wall of Jimbour: Heritage and the Cultural Landscape

Michael T. Davis

doi:10.5130/phrj.v12i0.207

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Published: Mar 15, 2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5130/phrj.v12i0.207

Keywords:

Jimbour, Queensland cultural heritage, dry-stone walls

Michael T. Davis

University of Tasmania

Abstract

On the Darling Downs in Queensland stands one of the most majestic and charming homestead residences from the nineteenth century called Jimbour House. Best known for its homestead complex, comprising heritage listed buildings and ancillary structures, the property at Jimbour has a lesser known but equally significant relic: an expansive dry-stone wall. Built during the 1870s, this wall was recently listed separately on the Queensland Heritage Register and it stands as lasting testimony of the skills and tenacity of our European forebears. It is a rare and significant reminder of nineteenth-century land management techniques, a technology that has few examples in Queensland. This article looks at the story behind this truly fascinating landmark, revealing its importance as a reminder of our past and as a symbol of the rise of the modern-day heritage industry.

Issue

Vol 12 (2006)

Section

Non-refereed Articles

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Author Biography

Michael T. Davis, University of Tasmania

Michael T. Davis is Lecturer in Humanities at the University of Tasmania. He has previously held an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship and more recently he has been a Research Fellow in the Centre for the History of European Discourses at The University of Queensland. His main research interest is in the area of British cultural and legal history but he has previously worked as a Heritage Research Officer in the Cultural Heritage Unit of the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. Research into the Jimbour dry-stone wall was carried out as an independent assessor for the Environmental Protection Agency.

References

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Michael T. Davis, University of Tasmania

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