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The original Athlone Cottage was a slab hut with ant bed floor located opposite Athlone, a property near the Jandowae Dam. It was extended to include the bathroom, kitchen and verandah in about 1930 and a floor was added. It had not been occupied since about 1970 and after years of being used as a storage facility its importance to the district was recognised and it was moved to its present location in 2001 with the support of the Wambo Shire Council. It has been progressively restored and the area landscaped. Athlone Cottage was first opened to the public as part of the Timbertown Celebrations in June 2004.
The desilting of the water hole and the addition of the wooden viewing platform (with grateful thanks to Landcare) have added interest to the area, and many species of the local birdlife can usually be viewed.
The addition of the windmill to the site in early 2005 was met with great excitement, and since then the ramp, the cottage water tank and the windmill tank have been added. The latest addition has been the dairy which is about to undergo restoration as time permits.
Future plans include the installation of the hand hewn cattle trough as part of the windmill/tank feature and the relocation of shearers quarters onto the site from another local property.
The old bakers oven, while not really being consistent with the theme of a small farm, has been on the site for many years and has its own unique heritage value.
The Jandowae & District Progress & Heritage Association Inc. thanks our volunteers for their tireless work in bringing to reality the restoration of the cottage and other buildings. We thank the volunteers who give their time to open the cottage for visitors and those who help to maintain the gardens and grounds. We thank the members of the local community for their financial support and donations of items for display. We thank the Councillors of the Wambo Shire Council. Without the support of the Council this project would not have come to reality.
We hope you enjoy your visit to this historic precinct. Our forebears endured many hardships but their resilience, their inventiveness and their determination., laid the foundations for rural life in this area and is retained to remind us that life is not always easy and that we have much to be grateful for.