Lara Station

We arrived at Lara Station after leaving the Landsborough Highway, 28 km south of Barcaldine, and driving the last 13 km along a well-maintained dirt road with some minor corrugations in places.
 
All the sites are spread out around the Lara Wetlands, which were created from a 100-year-old bore. Initially, the wetland was formed by digging open bore drains; however, these have now been replaced with pipes. The wetlands measure 1 km by 800 metres, and when we arrived, about thirty groups were scattered around the area, with our nearest neighbour just 60 metres away. Over 120 bird species have been recorded here, but due to the abundance of water, we could only identify around 20 different species.

Camping fees are $20 per couple per night. With limited phone and internet access, there is no Eftpos available. Your fees include flushing toilets, hot showers, fresh artesian drinking water, and free wood if you cut it yourself; otherwise, it's $10 a barrow load, with each site having a fire pit. There is also a mineral hot pool at a very pleasant 38 degrees. Additionally, there is a dump point for toilet cassettes.

Originally, Lara Station was part of Barcaldine Downs, which was divided into three separate stations, with Lara covering 15,000 acres. The station has had two owners, with Michael and Jo purchasing the property in 2009. To supplement their income, they both worked in the mines and returned to the station on their weeks off. Michael had been flying planes since he was seventeen and also held a helicopter licence; he would muster cattle from time to time. Jo, with Michael's support, wanted to start a tourist venture, and on 12th May 2014, her first paying customers arrived. 

Later that same day, Jo received the tragic news that Michael had been killed while mustering cattle in the helicopter. Since that fateful day, many wonderful people have come here to support Jo after the accident. Take Bill, for instance, who arrived three months ago, just over two years ago, and is still helping out. Then there is Debbie, who lives on the Sunshine Coast but comes for three to four months each year to lend a hand. A two-hour tour is offered, and at just $10, it is well worth the price. We highly recommend that if you stay here, you must do it. 

The tour includes 'smoko' with freshly made scones, jam, and cream. The original Lara Station residence is only visible on this tour. The impressive house was built between 1917 and 1918 for Eric Sealy. It combines features of both bungalow and colonial Georgian designs. The house is elevated and stands on gidgee wood stumps, which are resistant to white ants.

The two wings come together and join at a hexagonal living room, which is the focal point of the house. This room has 15-foot-high ceilings and is lined with red cedar. As his family grew, more rooms were added to the house, with covered verandas three metres wide on both sides and a five-metre veranda at the end.
 
Eric Sealy was a very wealthy man but, by all accounts, not well-liked, including by his own family. He had three daughters, two of whom married into wealth and moved far away. The middle daughter remained at home and married the head ringer, much to Mr Sealy's disgust. He allowed them to marry on the front veranda of the house, but then forbade them ever to set foot in the main house again. This also included any grandchildren. They lived in a small house about 50 metres from the main house, and the only time Mrs Sealy could see her daughter and grandchildren was once a week when her husband visited Barcaldine.
 
Mrs Sealy passed away first, followed by Eric. The daughter wanted to move back into the big house, but the ringer refused, saying that if he wasn't allowed to enter the house for the past thirty years, then he never would.
 
The irony of this story is that the ringer's children moved away, and his wife passed away, leaving him with sole ownership.
 
Because the ringer had no interest in the house, he let it fall into disrepair. Jo has tried to have parts of the house restored, but there is still much work to be done, and a considerable amount of money is required to finish the restoration.
 
We thoroughly enjoyed our five days spent here, so please, if you are passing this way, stop in and support Jo.