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When the belated news of a friend’s death finally reached Jane Kilby in the 1870s, she turned to her husband Robert and lamented ‘we never hear anything in this land’s end of a place’. The name stuck and the family made their home on the 366 hectare ‘Lands End’ at Weetangera, ACT.
Robert travelled from England to Australia with his widower father in 1856, where they met Robert’s sister Mary and her husband Edward Smith. Both families chose land at Weetangera where Mary and Edward had already settled. Robert later married Jane and built a homestead for their growing family. With the exception of the dairy, the buildings were said to have been built from timber slabs, all cut and shaped by Robert.
Robert Kilby 1840-1915. Credit: museum.hall.act.au
A skilled farmer, Robert quickly cleared land for crops, fruit trees and vegetable gardens. The area primarily ran sheep, although some cattle were also common. Robert’s love of the land and community shone through when he won prizes for ‘best truss of hay, best bag of potatoes and best ham’ at the Ploughing Matches held at Gungahleen.
One animal that never returned to Lands End though was the Kilby’s pet bird. In 1872 a shed full of saddles, harnesses and some hidden money went up in flames. The culprit? A cheeky cockatoo chewing the end of matches. The bird paid the ultimate price and went down in a blaze of glory, The Age wryly reported.
Jane died in 1913. Less than two years later Robert and his neighbours were informed that the Federal Government would be resuming their land and converting it to leasehold. They could apply to lease back the farms but Robert was one of the many who opted to leave. He passed away just three months later at age 76 and is buried in the Hall cemetery alongside Jane.
Jane Kilby with granddaughters Freda, Thelma and Heather Cameron. Credit: museum.hall.act.au
It was determined in 2017 that the old Lands End site would not be placed on the ACT Heritage Register and it was one of the nine rural properties west of Canberra bought by the now defunct Land Development Agency between 2014-2017. With the aim to ensure the ACT government had enough land to sell in future years, the agency spent a controversial $43.086 million securing the properties.
The Kilby homestead. Credit: museum.hall.act.au
Today, Lands End is managed under short term leases. It’s been reported to present many ‘different opportunities and challenges’ to lessees - but with any luck a match chewing, shed destroying cockatoo isn’t one of them.
Lands End in 2017. Credit: museum.hall.act.au
