Rewan Police Horse Breeding Station
Former Queensland police horse-breeding and remount station, established in 1909 and operated until 1934.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Rewan Police Horse Breeding Station was a Queensland Police Force horse stud and remount-breeding reserve at Rewan in Central Queensland, approximately 64 kilometres southwest of Rolleston in the Springsure district. It was created to provide the Queensland Police Force with a dependable local supply of horses at a time when mounted policing remained central to police transport, patrols, escort work and ceremonial duties. The station was established in 1909 after the police administration sought a larger and more suitable site than its earlier breeding operation at Woodford near Brisbane. The reserve, taken from the Consuelo leasehold and proclaimed for police horse breeding in April 1909, offered extensive grazing land and permanent or semi-permanent water sources associated with Carnarvon Creek, Johnny Woods Creek, Charcoal Creek and Boggarawalla Creek. The station began operations in mid-1909 when horses from Woodford and police districts across Queensland were transferred to Rewan. The initial stock included mares, geldings and foals, supplemented by purchased mares and three stallions named Mack, Libertine and Bonny Boy. Police staff built and repaired much of the early infrastructure themselves, including fencing, yards, accommodation and animal facilities. The surviving stables date from 1911, while the commissioner's cottage was also built in 1911 and the meat house in 1918. Rewan additionally functioned as a police station and patrol base, and the reserve was associated with the protection of native birds and animals. The stud expanded rapidly during its early years. Horse numbers reached hundreds by 1911 and 1912, and the number of brood mares rose to 215 by 1914. A further notable addition was the thoroughbred stallion Turkish Lad, purchased in Brisbane in 1913. Rewan-bred horses first entered Queensland Police Force service in 1912, when 69 trained remounts were supplied. The breeding program reduced the department's horse-purchasing costs and provided mounts for metropolitan escort work and regional police stations, including Longreach. The station also developed limited agricultural production, growing lucerne, oats and other feed crops and storing hay for the horses. The undertaking was affected by drought, flooding and livestock losses. Drought in 1915 and 1916 reduced foal production and disrupted farming, while dingoes killed calves. Flooding later in 1916 destroyed stored hay. Despite these difficulties, Rewan remained an important part of Queensland's mounted-policing system until its closure in 1934, as motor vehicles and changing policing practices reduced the need for a large government horse-breeding operation. The former station is significant because it is the only surviving Queensland site identified as a police horse stud. Its remaining buildings and landscape demonstrate the Queensland Government's early twentieth-century policy of breeding horses for police transport and its close connection with the historical development of the Queensland Police Force. The place was entered in the Queensland Heritage Register on 31 May 2019.
History
The Queensland Police Force depended heavily on horses during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Police stations commonly maintained horse paddocks, and the force required mounts for ordinary transport, rural patrols, escort duties and public ceremonies. By 1904 the force had more than one thousand horses, many of which were aging or difficult to replace. The price and availability of suitable animals were affected by drought, military demand connected with the Boer War and competition from overseas buyers. These pressures encouraged Commissioner William Edward Parry-Okeden to advocate police-controlled breeding. An initial breeding effort operated at Woodford, north of Brisbane, from 1904. When the reserve there became vulnerable to disposal for agricultural settlement, Commissioner William Geoffrey Cahill continued the search for a larger property. Rewan, a large reserve in Central Queensland, was selected for its grazing conditions and water supply. It was proclaimed for police horse breeding in April 1909, and the breeding station commenced in the middle of that year. The transferred herd comprised 76 mares, 37 geldings and 24 foals, with additional mares purchased from pastoral properties and three stallions acquired for the first breeding season. The early station was built largely through police labour. Existing rough buildings and inadequate fencing were repaired or replaced, while yards, accommodation, stables, water infrastructure and agricultural facilities were developed. The stables, completed in 1911, included stallion stalls, ordinary stalls, a forage room and vehicle-storage areas. A windmill supplied a large elevated tank, and a meat house supported the station's self-contained operations. A commissioner's cottage, also known as officers' quarters, was constructed for official inspections and visiting government personnel. Aboriginal trackers were also employed at Rewan and undertook horse, cattle, fencing and yard duties, although their accommodation was less substantial than that provided for other staff. Rewan grew into a substantial pastoral and breeding establishment. The herd reached 331 horses in 1911 and 400 in 1912; the stud contained 215 mares by 1914. Turkish Lad, a thoroughbred stallion purchased at the Brisbane National Exhibition in 1913, was added to the breeding program. The first Rewan-bred remounts were supplied to the mounted police in 1912, and horses were subsequently used in Brisbane escort work and sent to regional centres such as Longreach. The operation also cultivated lucerne, oats and other fodder crops. These activities were intended to reduce purchasing costs and make the police force less dependent on the commercial horse market. Natural conditions repeatedly tested the station. Drought in 1915 and 1916 reduced agricultural output and foal numbers, while dingoes caused losses among cattle. Heavy flooding later in 1916 destroyed stored panicum hay. The station nevertheless continued its role for several more years. At its largest extent the reserve covered about 108,000 acres and supported substantial horse and cattle numbers. Rewan closed in 1934, reflecting the diminishing importance of horse transport in policing and the broader transition toward motorized operations. The surviving stables, commissioner's cottage and meat house provide physical evidence of the former stud's organization and functions. Rewan is regarded as the only surviving Queensland site of a police horse stud and as an important material record of the Queensland Government's policy of breeding police remounts between 1904 and 1934. Its association with the Queensland Police Force was recognized through Queensland Heritage Register listing on 31 May 2019.
- 2019
Queensland Heritage Register listing
[1]The former station was heritage-listed for its surviving fabric and importance to Queensland policing and government horse-breeding policy.
- 1934
Station closes
[1]The police horse-breeding operation ended after approximately twenty-five years of service.
- 1913
Agricultural production expanded and Turkish Lad acquired
[1]Rewan began cultivating feed crops, while the thoroughbred stallion Turkish Lad joined the stud.
- 1912
First Rewan-bred remounts supplied
[1]The station supplied 69 trained remounts to the Queensland Police Force.
- 1911
Core station buildings completed
[1]The surviving stables and commissioner's cottage were constructed during the station's early development.
- 1909
Rewan reserve proclaimed for police horse breeding
[1]The Central Queensland reserve was formally designated for a police stud, and horses from Woodford and police districts were transferred there.
- 1904
Queensland Police Force begins organized remount breeding at Woodford
[1]The police force commenced an earlier breeding program at Woodford to reduce the cost and uncertainty of buying suitable police horses.
Products and positioning
Government-operated police horse-breeding and remount facility
Police service animals · 1909
Police remount horses
The station's principal output was trained horse stock for the Queensland Police Force. Rewan was established to breed and raise dependable remounts for mounted officers, patrols, escort duties and police stations across Queensland. Its first recorded supply of Rewan-bred horses occurred in 1912, when 69 trained remounts were delivered.
Animal breeding · 1909
Horse breeding stock
The stud maintained brood mares and stallions selected for the production of police horses. The initial breeding herd was expanded with purchased mares and notable stallions including Mack, Libertine, Bonny Boy and later Turkish Lad. The operation reached several hundred horses during its most productive period.
Agricultural production · 1913
Fodder crops and hay
Rewan grew lucerne, oats, pumpkins and other feed crops to support its animals. Agricultural production included the storage of lucerne hay, although drought and flooding periodically disrupted the program.
Sources1 sources
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