Community & Business
18 January, 2023
Back at the Woolshed headlines Jondaryan’s Australia Day
The Jondaryan Woolshed is open to the public again over the Australia Day long weekend with events ongoing from the 26th to the of 28th January.
The Jondaryan Woolshed is open to the public again over the Australia Day long weekend with events ongoing from the 26th to the of 28th January.
The event is a chance for locals to visit the region’s most historic site, which has been mostly off-limits to the public since the start of the Covid pandemic.
The weekend will be jam-packed with demonstrations of Australia’s shearing heritage, along with displays and activities for the kids.
Visitors can expect to see displays including shearing, old machinery, windmills vintage cars, heavy horses and carts, whip makers and leather workers, a mini diorama display, and the Woodleigh Cheese Factory display.
Highlights for children include the animal nursery and mini train rail with carriages.
Cuisine options include food vendors, barbecue and bar, and the noted Woolshed café, which will be open for tea, coffee and snacks.
Live music will also be on offer, headlined by accordion group Harokevette and buskers all around the site including a family group of singers who will play together.
The Toowoomba Regional Council has set up a mobile stage for music groups performing on the day.
The old machinery display features a saw bench, hand baler and chaffer.
The car display will feature vintage vehicles, including a 1912 Maxwell, made by the company which preceded Chrysler
The Restored Vehicle Association of Dalby will have its display on Thursday, with the Darling Downs Veteran & Vintage Motor Club on Friday, along with the Toowoomba and District Old Machinery Society on Saturday.
Retired builder Rob Prentice has spent months working on his mini-diorama display for this year’s event.
Demonstrations at the various display sites will take place at the following times:
9am - Shearing, Wool Classing, and Spinning Displays
10am - Sheep Dog Trials
10:30am - Machinery displays
11:30am - Heavy Horses display
12pm - Blacksmithing displays
12:30pm - Blacksmithing displays
1pm - Machinery displays
2pm - Shearing, Wool Classing and Spinning
3pm - Sheep Dog Trials
3:30pm - Heavy Horses Display
4pm - Blacksmithing Display
All displays can be viewed throughout the day, when a demonstration is not taking place at the site.
The Jondaryan Woolshed was built between 1859 and 1861 and was the centre of labour disputes which would test the relationships between employers and trade unions.
The Woolshed was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 and hosts historical buildings re-located from other areas.
Camping is available but must be booked prior to the event.
To book, contact the Council on 131 872 or phone 0417 374 536.
The site will be open 26th, 27th and 28th January from 8.30am to 4.30pm daily.
