Old Laura Homestead - QLD

Camping area adjacent to Old Laura Homestead and beside Battle Camp Road, making this are more suited to overnight stops than extended stays. The camping area is a short distance from the Laura River—camping is not allowed on the river. The self-service kiosk at this park has been decommissioned. Visitors need to book their camping permit before they visit either on-line, by phone or at an over-the-counter booking office. Access by 4wd - road becomes impassable after wet weather. No facilities.

Old Laura Station was owned at one stage in the early 1900's by the Grogan brothers. Their daughter Mary, now Mary Geraghty is now in her 80's (2007) and happens to be my next door neigbour. She tells stories of the homestead being completely flooded and having to dig out mud from the downstairs kitchen when the floodwaters receded. When you visit the station you can see from the location of the river that they must have been impressive wet seasons. There are photos displayed of Mary and her family, including Mary in the boat they would cross the river in. As a teenage girl Mary would catch the mail carriage to Cooktown then onto a boat to Cairns to get to boarding school at Herberton.

Mary's brother visited recently when they were researching the historic display for the station and commented how much the feral pigs had changed the waterholes and wrecked the natural vegetation.
The photo shows my last trip through the area. The station has a number of outbuildings and is well worth the stop to have a look and think about life in the Cape last century.
There are no facilities here, but it's a good place to stop for an hour or two and maybe have lunch under a shady tree.