Branyan Retreat Bed and Breakfast Beginnings
Good old Aussie know-how, and years of hard work have transformed two dilapidated Australian hardwood pioneer slab huts into a delightful bed and breakfast retreat.
Set in peaceful rural surroundings, ‘Branyan Retreat’ is only seven kilometres from the heart of Bundaberg in Queensland. The property overlooks the Burnett River where water-skiing and canoeing are enjoyed by locals and visitors.
The original property was named “Branyan” when land was opened for selection in 1871. The first dwelling built on the property was described as “One hut, hardwood slabs and shingles with outhouse attached. Value ten pounds.” The second hut, the station kitchen, was transported from the Goodnight Scrub area on the upper reaches of the Burnett River.
Over the years the large landholding was gradually sold off into smaller parcels. In 1973 the small section containing the slab huts was renamed “The Blue Anchor” and opened as a pioneer museum with furnishings and personal items dating back to the nineteenth century.
It was subsequently sold and re-named ‘Birra Barra Homestead’. Scenes from the 1973 Australian movie, ‘The Mango Tree’, were shot on the grounds and local people played as extras in the film.
In 1988 one third of Birra Barra Homestead property was sold, including two of the original slab huts which were later restored.
Furnishings and styling of the huts incorporate features from the days of our pioneers, from the benchtops in the kitchens that were built from old railway sleepers, and church pews and garage doors re-fashioned into coffee tables and cupboards. Metal hinges and handles for doors were made by a local blacksmith.
In Mulberry hut stands an old milk can, and an oxen yoke hangs on the wall. In Mango hut, slices of a mango tree trunk form the bedside tables, and a door has become the bedhead. A ceiling lamp hangs from a re-turned table leg. Sunlight streaming through a leadlight window enhances the rich warmth of timber walls, floor and ceiling.
The huts are fully self-contained for convenience and air-conditioned for the comfort of guests. Squatter’s chairs on the verandah of Mulberry allow guests to relax and enjoy the restful surroundings. Relics of old Australian farm implements can be found throughout the beautiful gardens, and an authentic Australian windmill adds a sense of days gone by.
