Lanyon Homestead — Attraction in District of Tuggeranong

Lanyon Homestead sits at the heart of a classic Canberra region landscape of great natural beauty.

This land has been occupied by Aboriginal people for millennia. The fertile open grasslands reported by the earliest European explorers were a result of careful maintenance through fire-stick farming. There are a number of important artefacts and landscape elements that reveal Lanyon’s past as a landscape that was actively managed by Aboriginal people.

JAMES WRIGHT (1834-1848) Squatters grazed this area prior to its purchase by James Wright and John Lanyon in 1834. At that time the journey from Sydney took several weeks by bullock wagon over rough tracks. The estate was isolated and self-sufficiency was essential. James Wright’s brother and neighbour William was killed in a shooting accident soon after settling the land, and John Lanyon returned to England leaving James to manage the property alone. Wright honoured his friend by naming the property Lanyon. The men had chosen an excellent location which lay on the limits of the settled areas. This meant that they could use the land across the Murrumbidgee River, as well as their own land, to graze their stock while water was supplied by the river.

Convicts were assigned to work on the property in return for rations, clothing and simple wooden huts. Maintaining discipline could be difficult. Convicts were confined to their huts or sent to the magistrate at Queanbeyan to be flogged for misdemeanours such as bogging drays or losing sheep.

With the help of the convict workforce, James established a home farm to provide food, built a small house and huts for the convicts, and a kitchen and barn, both of which still stand today. James managed a self-supporting community of up to 60 people at Lanyon, although he suffered ongoing financial problems. In 1848 Wright’s creditors foreclosed and he moved to a property across the river

.THE CUNNINGHAMS (1849-1926) Andrew and Jane Cunningham bought Lanyon in 1849. They built a new homestead alongside the existing house, which was later demolished. The new homestead faced north towards the realigned driveway and the gardens were extended to surround the house. The new driveway brought visitors to an imposing entrance with a carriage turning-circle at the front door. By the 1860s the region was becoming less isolated as more land had been settled and homes established. The Cunningham family, including their eight children, entertained regular visitors including the De Salis family from across the river. They were comfortable without being affluent, and the house and furnishings reflected this.

THE FIELDS (1930-1971) The Field family owned Lanyon for forty years, until it was compulsorily acquired by the Commonwealth Government in 1971. They introduced modern farming methods and further expanded the property. Pastures were improved, breeding programs undertaken and new structures built. The garden was also expanded and terraced to the west of the house. After being acquired by the Commonwealth Government, Lanyon was opened to the public as a historic...

This place was a nice area to chill out and take in the natural scenery with views extending out to the snowy mountains and the murrumbidgee river. The trees were mostly dead in the gardens because it was winter but cafe was alright and the heritage buildings were cool to look out. The boundaries of where to go were a bit here and there for a mountain bike rider and stuff. If you want to break up the natural order of things and skirt off out there in your new whip, this is a great test area and farm but with a 'no dogs' within ten meters sign although there are cows in the fields walking across the road. It's got a country ting like old navy and venting energy riding dem bullz like red bull flyin', wings like a bird, and arms strong like a soldier, soldier on and get that tablet if you need that help, no second guessin', I've been wildin since when I first wrote reviews and dat, when there was a break-up between the fam, and when I was thinking small and like dying to show respect to god, and also when we moved houses out of that street and get the baggage off my chest, and the thoughts expressed out of my head, messed up undead, and back in 2014 I took an L and my girl left me on read. My mother supported the reports to show I was diagnosed with autism and this was no joke and I had two of everything. SO yeah, life's short so make the most of it and it's spring now this is re-uploaded and edited...

It a nice area but a staff member at the cafe was extremely rude. I took my elderly and sick mother out there Saturday afternoon. We arrived around 3pm, I needed to get my mother out of the house and we wanted to go somewhere peaceful to have a coffee. We went to the cafe, I simply asked the lady if I could order an ice coffee, her reaction was extremely hostile towards me. My reaction was forget the coffee what can my mum have, so we both got a juice. Then we walked outside to sit down (outdoors) to drink our juice and have a talk. I pull out my vape and have a puff (not a cigaret, no smell no litter). The lady working at the cafe to come out the door and yelling and screaming at me like was a 10 year old child (I’m 40 years old). I did not see any non vaping signs, and of course I’m happy to go by the rules. The lady could have simply said there is no smoking or vaping here, not carry on the way she did, very rude and trying to intimidate me. Obviously the behaviour of this woman made my elderly, very unwell mother and I uncomfortable. For a place to try get some peace, it was awful and hostile. A horrible experience to deal with that woman, I just wanted to spend quality time...