The Hermitage

History

The Hermitage Research Facility was established in March 1897 and was known as the State Farm and/or the Experimental Farm, making it one of the oldest research centres in Queensland. The original land parcel included the homestead of The Hermitage farm. Its original purpose was to provide advice to farmers taking up land in the area through the Queensland Government's closer settlement programs. During the Great Depression, the land was leased for commercial income, but in 1946 resumed undertaking government experiments with wheat breeding. On Thursday 20 March 1997, a cairn with a time capsule was unveiled to celebrate the centenary of the research facility. The locality was officially named and bounded on 14 September 2001. It takes its name from an early pastoral property called The Hermitage.

Geography

The terrain ranges from above sea level with the lower land in the centre and south of the locality and the higher terrain in the north of the location. The land use is crop growing with some grazing on native vegetation.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,674
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  1,560
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  1,408
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  1,266
• Little Corella

  Cacatua sanguinea Gould, 1843 · Aves
  1,223
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,192
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  1,128
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  1,029