By Sue Keong
THE time has come to consider the real possibility of returning the Glengallan gates at the Guy and Fitzroy streets corner of Leslie Park in Warwick to their proper home at Glengallan Homestead.
These gates don’t draw a second glance from passers-by and others are just curious as to why they are there.
Swan Creek resident Jane Morse believes the time is right to return the gates to Glengallan Homestead.
Jane is the niece of Oswald Slade who offered the gates to the city of Warwick in 1940 to mark the centenary of settlement of the district.
“At that time the homestead seemed to have no future,” Jane said.
“But the prospects for Glengallan Homestead are bright as it preserves early Queensland’s history and promotes and caters for our growing tourism on the Southern Downs.
“Glengallan Homestead celebrates its 150th year in 2017 and restoring the gates to their home, where they can be maintained in their correct historical location, would be wonderful to see.”
Glengallan Homestead Trust is being encouraged by descendants of both the Slades and Gillespies – last owner-occupants of the sandstone house – to seek to have the gates returned to their original site where the sandstone footings remain to this day.
The Trust is currently seeking a meeting with Southern Downs Regional Council to discuss the proposal which would be at no cost to the council.
“There is a push in the community to make this happen, and I hope the council is supportive of the idea,” Jane said.
