Annie Brown's House

Livingstone Shire Historical Markers

A Project of Capricorn Coast Historical Society & Livingstone Shire Council
Annie Brown's House

The Historical Marker's location is located on Browns Lane.

The Early Years

'Annie Brown’s House' as it became known to locals, was the home of Donald Brown and his wife Matilda, sons Alex, Hector and Hugh and daughters Annie and Marie.

Donald Brown was a native of Scotland who arrived in Rockhampton in 1886 and found work as a bullock team ploughman at the Farnborough sugar mill. He also grew sugarcane for the mill and drove bullock teams hauling logs to the Adelaide Park sawmill. After the Farnborough mill closed in 1901 he worked as an overseer for the Livingstone Shire Council and later for the Rockhampton City Council. 

1. Annie Browns House Main Camp - undated. (CCHS Collection)
1. Annie Browns House 'Main Camp' - undated. (CCHS Collection)

Importance to the Community

After the closure of the Farnborough sugar mill the nearby “Woodlands” station was cut up into smaller blocks and sold off. Donald managed to buy a block of 300 acres in partnership with two others. He was later able to buy his partners out and named the property “Main Camp”, as it had once been used by drovers as a resting and watering place for their cattle. Donald focussed on dairying, but also boasted a healthy herd of prime Berkshire pigs.

He built a homestead, large for its time, from a mix of recycled and bush materials. The bricks used to construct the kitchen were salvaged from the closed-down Taranganba gold mine whilst the main body of the house consisted of an ironbark exterior lined with blue gum, making the house both solid and comfortable all year round.

2. House viewed from entry off Farnborough Rd. (Courtesy of M Letchford)
2. House viewed from entry off Farnborough Rd.
    (Courtesy of M Letchford)

Donald Brown was active and highly regarded within the community. In 1903 he succeeded in having a school established at Farnborough and he served as president of the school committee for a number of years. He also helped establish the Farnborough Race Club and allowed part of his land opposite his house to be used to conduct race meetings.

The Later Years

Donald died in 1947 at the age of 82. Matilda, his wife, survived him until her death in 1960. Both are buried in the Yeppoon cemetery. Daughters Annie and Marie continued to work the farm. Over time the family home became known to locals as “Annie Brown’s House”.  

All members of the family are now deceased. In 1992, following Annie’s death, her house and the farm once known as “Main Camp” were sold to a nearby tourist resort to enable expansion of the resort’s facilities.