Eidsvold

Eidsvold explored by Thomas Archer whose Nordic family soon settled there and built the first homestead in 1850. This family later sold out to the Ivory brothers, two Scots, who built the first golf course in Queensland on Eidsvold station. Later still the station was sold to the Joyce family who lived through a period of gold diggings in the Eidsvold area then developed a famous cattle station.

Importing Santa Gertrudis from Texas they found that the five eights Shorthorn and three eights Brahmin blood were ideally suited to this part of Queensland.

In 1982 Errol B (Barney) Joyce OBE often called the ‘Beef Baron’ of Queensland wrote a four-page brochure: ‘The History of Eidsvold Station’ and sent a copy to the Royal Historical Society Queensland inscribed ‘With my compliments to the RHS from the Author’. The cover shows ‘Barney’ Joyce on his white horse leading a herd of fat cattle, titled ‘Santa Gertrudis on their way to the Stockyards’. This photo was kindly donated Carolyn Nolan.

Ref.: Family file ‘Joyce’, 5560, 920.7 ARC