Yurunga Homestead Receives Funding for Restoration Project

Published on 10 September 2021

The heritage listed Yurunga Homestead has been successful in attracting $185,000 funding through the Victorian State Government’s Living Heritage Program to provide urgently needed stabilisation works to the structure. The soils of the Rainbow district are silty clay that results in many older stone buildings in Rainbow showing various degrees of cracking in their walls. This has been exacerbated on the kitchen and laundry walls at Yurunga over the years through water drainage making them increasingly unstable.

The popular Rainbow tourist attraction has had sections of the homestead closed from tours due to these structural concerns.

The homestead was built in 1908 from local limestone and its unique construction style has required specialist restoration work to allow visitors to enjoy all of the heritage site and minimise further damage to the homestead.

Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Ron Ismay said “Council is excited to receive the support from the Victorian State Government to enable this important restoration work to be done” Cr Ismay continued “Yurunga Homestead is a significant heritage listed property and a key heritage attraction in our Shire. It will be great to see this project completed and the whole homestead open for visitors to enjoy”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Planning Richard Wynne:

“The Living Heritage Program is about protecting significant sites across Victoria for future generations to enjoy and learn from.” 

“These are the sites that tell stories about our history and play a major role in rural and regional Victoria’s tourism industry – we’re proud to protect these treasured community assets.”

For more information, please contact Jeff Woodward, Tourism and Economic Development Officer, on 03 5391 4444 or email jwoodward@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

Greg Wood

Chief Executive Officer