Glenferna
The Opening of Glenferna
On the 15 June 2019, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland visited the Maleny Pioneer Village, inspected the Village and opened Glenferna. Glenferna, a historic farm house built in 1903, was donated to the Historical Society by Brian & Leone McFarlane. It was shifted to the Pioneer Village from 1010 Maleny/Landsborough Rd on 26 May 2013. The restoration took 3 years and was undertaken by almost 100 volunteers and donors, many from the Men's Shed, with grants and fund raising.
The occasion was very memorable when an old farmhouse was opened for posterity to store Maleny's history.
Community groups co-operated for the Open day including Maleny RSL, Maleny Rotary, Maleny Lions, Maleny Show Society, Blackall Range Horseless Carriage Car Club, Men’s Shed, Maleny High School & Maleny State School.
The occasion was very memorable when an old farmhouse was opened for posterity to store Maleny's history.
Community groups co-operated for the Open day including Maleny RSL, Maleny Rotary, Maleny Lions, Maleny Show Society, Blackall Range Horseless Carriage Car Club, Men’s Shed, Maleny High School & Maleny State School.
Speeches presented at the Opening of Glenferna
History of the restoration
Photos below show the restoration of Glenferna.
Photos below show the restoration of Glenferna.
Glenferna was built as a farmhouse at 1010 Maleny/Landsborough Rd, Balmoral, by Edward Thynne in 1903. The land (790 acres) was originally selected by Isaac Burgess, subdivided, and in 1902 one portion was sold to the Thynne sisters, MM, JMP & EG Thynne (320 acres) and the other portion to their sibling, Edward T F Thynne (469 acres). Edward Thynne called his house Glenferna, named from where their father, Andrew Joseph Thynne, originated from in Ireland. Glenferna was registered as a Receiving Office for mail in January 1904 and became known as Thynnes RO in 1906. Edward married and 2 children were born while living in Glenferna. The property was sold in 1912 after drought and financial difficulties.
In 1915 the farm was bought by Arthur & Mary Cork and it became their family home for their 11 children for 34 years. Their eldest daughter, Blanche, married Ernest E Pattemore in 1916, which links Glenferna to Fairview, the Pattemore family home. Fairview is Maleny’s only State Heritage House.
The property was sold and resold until it became an Art Union Prize Farm in 1976. The winner tenanted the house and farm until recently, when the property was purchased by Brian & Leone McFarlane. The house was given to the Historical Society to be shifted to the Maleny Historical Village to become a Schools’ & Post office Museum. It was shifted on the 25th May 2016 and is presently being restored.
Edward Thynne is remembered on the cairn at Mary Cairncross Park which reads - “This park was donated by MM, JMP & EG Thynne in memory of their mother, Mary Cairncross and her family. May the memory of Ted (FTF) Thynne linger in this beauty spot he loved so well, and helped his sisters to preserve and cherish”.
The School Museum will include memorabilia from the small schools that closed down within the district - Blackall Range (Wootha), Witta, North Maleny, Bald Knob, Curramore, Booroobin as well as the Maleny State School, Maleny High School and the Ananda Marga River School. The Post Office Museum will include the history of the mail service to Maleny, M.S. 373 which started c1890. The verandah on the southern side has been fully enclosed with an office and a climate controlled archive and there's will be a secure work area & store space under the house.
The restoration of Glenferna is now complete thanks to Ed Lawley the Project Manager and the Site Manager Bernie Gilbert. Local tradesmen, businesses, past students of the schools, descendants of Edward Thynne & families who have lived in Glenferna and members of the Men’s Shed are some of the volunteers who have assisted with the project. Glenferna has been restored by volunteers of the community for the community using funds from grants, donations, and fund raising.
The Museum to tell the story of the schools and telecommunication to the district have yet to be displayed. We've saved the house, but we now need to funds to display the Museum.
We've been offered an amazing display for other rooms. Watch this space.
The garage from Glenferna was removed in May 2015 and rebuilt as the Blacksmith's Shop at the Village.
February 2016
The Blacksmith's Shop