Farm Gate

Although this beautiful homestead has now gone, what remains are the out-buildings.

It was these buildings that caught my attention and I knew I simply had to stop and try to capture the wonderful rust and timber that still stands, and take you on a journey of delight and discovery I experienced when I was given permission to explore.

The Pikedale station was established by John Pike in 1843 as a sheep station. In 1859 it was sold to W.B. Tooth and Cran who used it as a cattle station, selling it to Massie and Walker. In 1874 Donald Gunn purchased the property and established a sheep stub, which became famous for its wool quality, leading to the export of rams to the United States. Fred White and his son Charlie White operated the station until they sold it to James A. Rogerson in 1919. The Rogerson family owned the property until 1957. H. Vahl Rubin purchased the property in 1957. The homestead (then a 53 room mansion) burned down on Sunday 3 August 1963.

In March 1942 during World War II fearing a Japanese invasion, St Hilda’s School evacuated 90 boarders from Southport to the Pikedale homestead. The school returned to Southport in December 1942.