Site 18 – McIntyre’s House

Nestled amongst the historic buildings of Alma Street stands McIntyre’s House, one of Burren Junction’s surviving early residences. While little has been recorded about the history of the house itself, it remains an important reminder of the families who lived and worked in the heart of the township during its early years.

The McIntyre family became well known throughout Burren Junction and played an important role in the town’s commercial life. Their name is closely associated with the nearby McIntyre’s Store, which became one of the district’s leading general stores during the late 1920s and 1930s. Living only a short distance from the business was typical of country towns, where homes, shops and workplaces were all within easy walking distance of one another.

The house reflects the practical style of many early timber homes built across north-west New South Wales. Wide verandahs provided shade from the hot summer sun, while the simple design offered comfortable family living close to the town’s businesses, railway and community facilities.

Like many homes of its era, the property would originally have relied on rainwater tanks and a shallow household bore for its water supply. Even today, Burren Junction has no reticulated town water supply, with many homes continuing to rely on their own bores, rainwater tanks and septic systems. These household bores draw groundwater from relatively shallow aquifers, while the famous Great Artesian Basin water that supplies the Burren Bore Baths comes from much deeper underground.

Today, McIntyre’s House remains a valued part of Burren Junction’s historic streetscape, providing a tangible link to the families who helped build the community during the town’s formative years.

Historical information sourced primarily from Visions of the Plains – A History of Burren Junction and District (2nd Edition) by Judy Field, together with local community knowledge.

Photos

Photo McIntyre’s House Today
McIntyre’s House as it appears today. Carefully maintained over many years, it remains one of Burren Junction’s surviving early homes.

Photo McIntyre’s House (Artist’s Reconstruction)
As no historic photograph of the house has been located, this image is an artist’s reconstruction based on the existing building and its original architectural features, illustrating how the home may have appeared during the early to mid-1900s.