The History of Barolin Homestead

The Barolin Homestead, built in 1913–14, is a significant part of Bundaberg’s heritage.

The homestead stands on land first selected in 1875 by Nugent Wade Brown, agent and station manager for Alfred and Arthur Brown, following their purchase of Gin Gin Station.

Brown named the coastal site “Borolin” (later “Barolin”), using an Aboriginal word meaning “place of many kangaroos.”

A substantial residence, stables, barn, and underground tanks were built by Brown, replacing an earlier oceanfront bungalow.

The land, nestled between the Burnett and Elliott Rivers, was used for cattle fattening and horse breeding.

A rock wall from this period still marks the homestead site.

In 1912, Barolin Station was purchased by Sidney North Innes and his wife Caroline Matilda Innes.

The Innes family transformed the property into a renowned Hereford cattle stud.

In 1913–14, Sidney Innes replaced the original house with a refined summer residence, designed by F.H. Faircloth and constructed using timber sourced from the property itself.

In 1930, the Inneses donated a portion of the land to the Woongarra Shire Council, now the Barolin Esplanade.

The estate passed to their son, Sidney Burnett Innes, in the 1940s.

He initiated the subdivision of the property for residential development, laying the foundations for the seaside town of Innes Park, named in honour of the family.

Later, Barolin House was acquired by the Young family of the Fairymead Sugar Mill and remained in their ownership until the mid-1970s.

The homestead stands today as a symbol of the region's pastoral and architectural legacy.