Laurel Hill Farmhouse in Willow Vale

Laurel Hill Farmhouse is located in Willow Vale

Address: Ruffles Road, Willow Vale

Position on map:

Laurel Hill Farmhouse, erected in 1883-84, is historically important as an example of the pattern of settlement of the Gold Coast. The place is associated with the arrowroot industry in the Pimpama district during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As early as 1897, the house was considered illustrative of the Queensland land selection system and was promoted officially as the ideal type of settler’s residence. Laurel Hill Farmhouse is important in illustrating the principal characteristics of an early 1880s settler’s farm house with unpainted interior and original joinery. Set amidst mature trees, it is a rare example of an intact, early 1880s farm house and landscape in the Gold Coast hinterland. The place has potential to provide important information about rural timber building techniques of the early 1880s, and about the types of materials used. The c1920s kitchen wing has been constructed to the same footprint and design as the earlier kitchen building it replaced. The place has a social value for its long association with the Doherty family and their work in the local community, and for its illustration of pioneering achievement. The Willow Vale/Pimpama community has a number of families descended from the first European settlers in the area, who value Laurel Hill Farmhouse as an important link with the past.

Queensland Heritage Register: YES
Heritage protection boundary: –