Capturing the collection at Dundullimal Homestead

This extremely rare portable pump organ features ivory and black wood keys and was formerly owned by the McKillop Family who lived at Buddah Station in Narromine, NSW. In 1910, the timber Timbrebongie Presbyterian Church was moved to Buddah Station and the McKillops would carry the portable organ to the church for their monthly service. According to family anecdote, the organ, which folds into a suitcase for ease of transport, was also loaned to the local Minister for his travels to other places for services, such as the township of Bourke.

Up to 13 layers of wallpaper from different periods were found at Dundullimal Homestead, shining a light on how the various rooms were used over the years. This 1988 reproduction wallpaper, seen in the dining room, was made to match one of the earliest remnant wallpapers found at the property, which is still partially in insitu. During conservation research in the 1980s, the original design was found in the Patent Office at Kew in the UK. It was registered by C.H. and E. Potter & Co of Darwen, Lancashire.

A blacksmith made use of many tools but most essential for their work was a good set of bellows. Typical of the style used in the 1860s, this double-action bellows features a wooden top attached to the leather with a double row of metal rivets. Bellows were used to force air into a forge and this example most likely came to Dundullimal Homestead c.1862-1871, during the time that Edward Cornish and William Brocklehurst owned the property. Following cleaning a number of makers marks were discovered stamped into the wood including an ‘Award for Excellence’ stamp in 1862.

Discovered in a state of disrepair in the shearing shed of Dundullimal Homestead, this suite of stately furniture was most likely stored away after the devastating floods of 1955. Following extensive research, the chaise longue and two tub chairs were meticulously restored thanks to funding from the Dundullimal Dubbo Support Crew. Traditional techniques such as horsehair padding, tied springs and webbing were employed to bring the 19th-century furniture back to life. The three-piece suite was then upholstered in a vivid emerald-green cotton and finished with contrasting striped piping.

From 1842 to 1858, Dundullimal Homestead was owned by John Maughan who was involved in East Indies trade. Crafted from teak, the style and construction of this squatters chair, one of the earliest known examples of its type, suggest it was made in Asia. In Australia, this style of chair is generally seen on verandahs, as was the case at Dundullimal Homestead. The initials C.E.M. are stencilled onto the back of the chair and engraved by hand into one of the arms. John’s sister, Catherine Maughan lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, and although her middle name is not known, one could speculate who carved the initials!

One of the most interesting pieces of furniture at Dundullimal Homestead is John Maughan’s cedar campaign or military chest. Campaign furniture was ingeniously designed to travel and this stunning chest is no exception. It travelled - across the world and over mountains - with its merchant owner who arrived in the colony in 1827. The four drawers separate into two sections so the chest could easily be loaded onto a cart for journeys on land or taken aboard a ship, with each half fitting neatly underneath a bunk bed. Maughan left the chest behind when he departed Dundullimal Homestead for Sydney in 1859.

This collection of branding irons belonged to Thomas Baird, who purchased Dundullimal Homestead in 1871 and lived at the property with his family until 1914. The branding irons were most likely made in the blacksmith’s shop on the property. In the early days of settlement, cattle and horses roamed freely in their paddocks. Brands showed ownership and provided permanent identification of the livestock. Baird, a grazier of some renown in the region, frequently moved his cattle to the Channel Country of southwest Queensland for the purpose of fattening and breeding and used a variety of branding irons with the letters T and B to identify his stock.

This highly functional cedar writing desk sat in Dundullimal Homestead’s drawing room and was used extensively. The first owner of the desk, Thomas Baird, kept detailed ledgers for pastoral and agricultural activities on the property. He was also an intelligent observer of weather changes in the area, methodically recording temperatures and rainfall, and in later years phoning details to the Sydney Observatory. Dr. David Palmer, his great grandson, also used the desk before donating it to the National Trust in 2013. It still has the original locks and cedar knobs with mother-of-pearl inserts on the two drawers under the desktop.