Deepwater Station has been in the Macansh family for about 150 years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And, for a long time, Scott Macansh and his family have battled with what to do with some of the heritage outbuildings – until now.
Mr Macansh has just received approval to transform the historical buildings into farm stay accommodation.
“It will be good for people who want to put their jumpers on in winter and see the frost and snow,” Mr Macansh said.
In summer, the area also offers an abundance of activities for the whole family, including fishing and fossicking near by.
“Dad and the kids can camp and go fishing and mum can have a comfortable bed to sleep in,” Mr Macansh said.
“[The property] has about 10km double frontage of the Deepwater River and it’s got good cod fishing in it … fossicking and national parks are nearby and there’s plenty of things to do.”
The cottage was built just after the First World War and used to house the chef.
“We’ve now turned it into a two-bedroom cottage … mainly for families or groups,” he said.
The whole concept sparked when Mr Macansh and his family decided the old buildings had to be utilised before getting to a state of disrepair.
“It got to the point where we had to start using it … and we figured this is probably the best way to use it,” he said.
The station, which also used to host Pony Camp for around two decades, runs Merino sheep, breeding for fine and superfine wool, and Hereford cattle breeding.
It has also drawn the attention of tourists looking for a country escape.
“We’ve had people come up in winter and camp down on the river,” he said.
“So we’re aiming at Brisbane and Toowoomba people who are looking to get away for the weekend.”
Mr Macansh said the accommodation should be ready to go within the next month.
“We’ve done the DA and now we’ve just got to get a certificate of occupancy and upgrade the entrance off Stannum Road,” Mr Macansh said.
“Hopefully it will be ready to go in the next month or so.”
Deepwater Station, including the homestead and outbuildings, is currently listed as a statutory item of environmental heritage in the Tenterfield LEP 2013.
