Cambridge Ruins - QLD

  Tourist Attraction

Position

DEG: -20.428221 142.925903
DMS: 20º 25' 41.59" S 142º 55' 33.25" E
UTM: 54 K 7739952mN 700938mE
Altitude: 215m

Description

Place Type

Recreation - Tourist Attraction

Location

527.08kms SouthWest of Daintree - Driving 995 km (12 hours 18 mins)

Address & Contact

Croydon Road
Richmond
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: N/A

Information

40km from Richmond, along the Croydon Road, Cambridge Crossing is an intersection of road with the Stawell River. To the left and just before this crossing, are the ruins that remind us of the history attached to the Cambridge Downs homestead.
In the Mid 1860’s this original building was a fine example of the architectural resourcefulness of the Western Pioneers, and here sprang a busy rural outpost where man and beast carved out a new frontier.

These crude building blocks, gathered from the surrounding Downs, made an Australian Frontier version of the Englishman’s castle. There was military significance to this flagstone structure with a thatched roof, stone walls that would not be easily breached and the windows had iron bars to help defend against Aboriginal attacks. The sitting of the homestead, well out on a clear flat 300 meters away from the wooded Cambridge Creek, is supporting evidence of the Pioneer’s defense strategy.

The main building was linked by a passageway to a store room and office. The cookhouse with a big clay oven was out the back. Lawns, citrus trees and grape vines flourished. There were several other buildings; these included a Jackaroo’s quarters (with their own cook and housemaid), Ringers quarters, a Butcher shop with two full time Butchers and a Blacksmith Shop.

The Cambridge Downs shearing shed, 3km in the distance was known as the biggest and best equipped Shed in the District with 26 stands. A wood fired mobile steam engine powered the old Cambridge plant. Up to 80 men camped in a string of tents along the bore drain. The shearing shed burnt down twice, as did the Cambridge men’s quarters.
PlaceID108083
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Wildflowers

Weather

Closest Weather Station

Richmond at 06/02:00pm EST
Distance from Cambridge Ruins 36.3km SE
TemperatureFeels LikeRel. HumidityDew PointPressureRainfallWind DirectionWind SpeedGusts
40.3°C36.6°C11%4.2°C1009.2hPa0.0mmNNE13km/hr
7knots
24km/hr
13knots

Closest Climatic Station

Richmond Airport
Distance from Cambridge Ruins 36.3km SE
 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean Max. °C36.436.035.333.029.426.426.629.033.236.537.338.0
Mean Min. °C23.122.820.917.812.79.98.59.814.918.721.423.2
Mean Rain mm130.082.158.636.28.217.46.85.93.811.351.466.1

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