Branyan Retreat Bed and Breakfast Beginnings
Good old Aussie know-how, and years of hard work have transformed two dilapidated Australian hardwood pioneer slab huts into a delightful bed and breakfast retreat.
Set in peaceful rural surroundings, ‘Branyan Retreat’ is only seven kilometres from the heart of Bundaberg in Queensland. The property overlooks the Burnett River where water-skiing and canoeing are enjoyed by locals and visitors.
The property was named ‘Branyan’ when land was opened for selection in 1871, and originally comprised about 80 acres. The first dwelling built on the property was described as “One hut, hardwood slabs and shingles with outhouse attached. Value ten pounds.”
Over the years sections of the large landholding were sold and in 1973 the remaining 1.5 hectare lot was purchased and named “The Blue Anchor”. Three slab huts were relocated to the property and it operated as a pioneer museum with furnishings and personal items dating back to the nineteenth century.
It was subsequently sold and re-named ‘Birra Barra Homestead’. Scenes from the 1977 Australian movie, The Mango Tree, were shot on the grounds and local people played as extras in the film.
In 1988 one third of the Birra Barra Homestead estate was sold and the new owners relocated another slab hut from the district to the property. They restored that hut and one of the existing slab huts and operated them as bed and breakfast accommodation for over 25 years.
Furnishings and styling of the huts incorporate features from the days of our pioneers, from the benchtops in the kitchens that were created from old railway sleepers, to church pews and garage doors re-fashioned into coffee tables and cupboards. Metal hinges and handles for doors were made by a local blacksmith.
In Mulberry hut stands an old milk can, an oxen yoke and horse handling equipment adorn the walls. In Mango hut, slices of a mango tree trunk form the bedside tables, and a door has become the bedhead. Sunlight streaming through a leadlight window enhances the rich warmth of timber walls, floor and ceiling.
The huts are fully self-contained and air-conditioned for the comfort of guests. Squatter’s chairs on the verandah of Mulberry Hut entice visitors to relax and enjoy the restful surroundings, and views of the Burnett River can be enjoyed from the deck of Mango Hut. Relics of old pioneering farm implements are scattered throughout the lush gardens, and an authentic Australian windmill adds a sense of days gone by.
