Kilcoy Homestead

Kilcoy Homestead, is a privately owned single-storeyed brick residence, and may be architecturally compared with Ormiston House near Cleveland. Both were built by the Hon Louis Hope; Kilcoy in 1857 and Ormiston in 1864-5. Kilcoy had been taken up as a sheep run in 1841 by Evan and Colin McKenzie. Establishment of the station was resisted by local Gubbi Gubbi people. The run changed hands in 1849 and in 1853 was transferred to Louis Hope and Robert Ramsay. Hope purchased Ramsay’s share in 1863 and began experimenting with sugar production. He is credited with founding the Queensland sugar industry at his property at Ormiston, near Cleveland. Although Hope sold off his sugar milling equipment in 1875, he continued to own the Ormiston property as well as Shafston House, Kilcoy and the island now known as Hope Island near Coomera. In 1882, the Hope’s returned to England, leaving managers at Kilcoy and Ormiston. William Butler was manager at Kilcoy from 1871, later purchasing the property from Hope’s estate in 1908. In 1922 it was transferred to Jeremiah Kennedy and the property remains in the ownership of the Kennedys. The property includes mature Bunya Pines, a brick shed, dairy and stables. Please note - This is a private residence and not publicly accessible.