200 years on and Foxlow still remains a wild bush property.

A small, winding creek flowing through a grassy landscape under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Meet the Michell family who have taken on the 6000 hectare property “Foxlow”, and tackled the restoration of the buildings and farmland that have dated through the centuries back to 1835.

“As we take on the custodianship of this land and history, we are driven to ensure its longevity for the next 100 years and to create a home for future generations to enjoy”.

The homestead and gardens have undergone significant renovation and continue to evolve as we put our masterplan vision into action. Adding new structures such as the 200m Haha wall and 30m vegetable garden arbour creates the parkland effect and new spaces to enjoy.

On the land, we actively strive for best farming practices and protection of the Snowy Woodland environment. We are preserving 1000 acres of conservation to protect native flora and fauna and working to rehabilitate the Molonglo River floodplain to protect the habitat of the endangered Green Golden Bell Frog.

After years of renovating, a lot has changed since our first day at Foxlow but much remains the same. We have restored all original buildings including the blacksmiths, workmen’s quarters, station office and more.

Foxlow is a very special place. We look forward to welcoming you to our home.

A black background with elegant, cursive text that reads "Edwin + Elizabeth" in a handwritten style.
A man and woman in white shirts and cowboy hats smiling and talking to each other in a barn.

1835

First settled circa 1835 by John Hosking, who named it after his wife Martha Foxlow Terry. The farm is built on the upper reaches of the Molonglo River, where the valley first opens out onto the Carwoola floodplain

The toponymic surname “Foxlow” dates back to the 13th century, linked to several farms of that name in England and Wales. First recorded as “Foxlawe” in Derbyshire in 1244, it likely derives from the old English “hlāw”, meaning hill or mound – hence, a fox’s den. 

“Molonglo” is derived from a Ngarigo word meaning “sound of thunder”

A detailed topographical map showing regions and towns in Australia, including Coolac, Tumut, Queanbeyan, Braidwood, and Goulburn, with various rivers, mountains, and routes marked.
Watercolor painting of a tranquil landscape with trees on the left, a body of water in the foreground, and rolling hills in the distance, under a cloudy sky.

1860s

Bought by Thomas Rutledge who incorporated it into the enormous Cawoola estate, at its peak covering some 90,000 acres

Black and white photograph of a courtyard with a large tree on the left, a building with multiple doors and windows on the right, and an open space with a gravel path.

1864

Foxlow was repeatedly terrorised by the notorious bushranger gang, the Clarke Brothers.

One of the earliest examples of such was the raid on Foxlow Station on 29 December 1865.

Six armed and disguised bushrangers held up the station and robbed it of over £300 worth of supplies. One of the suspects was Tommy Clarke, but there was no way to prove it.

Two men sitting on a wooden bench with chains around their ankles, holding their hats, outdoors with a stone wall and trees in the background.
Logo for "A Guide To Australian Bushranging" showing a man on a horse holding a rifle, with the text "A Guide To" above and "Australian Bushranging" below, and "Est. 2017" in the center.

1870s

Bought by George Osborne, who purchased Foxlow for his young family.

The eastern gold prospecting blocks were aggregated into Foxlow during Osborne’s ownership.

Sepia photo of six women riding horses outdoors, wearing vintage clothing and wide-brimmed hats, holding tools or rakes.

1910s

“Foxlow Again” – Notorious for clashing with the shearers unions.

A newspaper clipping titled 'Foxlow Again' describing poor conditions at the Foxlow station, Bungendore, N.S.W., including a shearing shed full of bugs and fleas, pigs running around, a disrepaired stone shed, and difficult working conditions.

1920

Foxlow was purchased by Frank Falkiner, a member of Federal Parliament and co-owner of one of Australia’s foremost Merino sheep studs, at Boonoke in the Riverina.

By the 1950s, it was estimated that half of Australia’s entire sheep flock could trace some lineage to Falkiner genetics.  

Falkiner also operated one of Australia’s only percheron draft horse studs (to this day, the Foxlow lineage remains one of the prominent percheron bloodlines in Australia.

A black and white photograph of a rural landscape featuring open fields, patches of shrubs, trees in the background, and hills or mountains in the distance.
Black and white photo of four horses standing on grass in an open field, with trees and rolling hills in the background.
Black and white photo of a rural scene with a dirt path leading past single-story buildings with small windows and a bench, and a large tree on the left side.

1924

Falkiner completed a renovation of the homestead, to the design of architect Howard Joseland.

The renovation combined several older, separate structures into a single building which persists largely unchanged to the present day.

A black-and-white photo of a house surrounded by trees, with a curved driveway leading to it.

1929

Appeared in Pastoral Homes of Australia Volume 1. 

Historical black-and-white document titled 'Foxlow, Bungenore, New South Wales, The Property of F. S. Fultner, Esq.' with a photograph of a house surrounded by trees and a garden path.

1940s

The Captains Flat railway was opened, operating for 26 years to serve the nearby silver-lead-zinc mine

The track famously stood in for Glenrowan Station in the 1969 film Ned Kelly, starring Mick Jagger (the film had an unusual artistic style that did not prove successful, and was widely credited with the early demise of Jagger’s acting career)

Black and white photo of abandoned train tracks curving through a wooded area, with trees surrounding the tracks and a small wooden platform in the distance.
Poster for a film featuring Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly, directed by Tony Richardson. The poster shows a black-and-white photograph of Mick Jagger with a rugged look, set against a background of leafless tree branches. The film's title is stylized with large bold letters, with the tagline "Expect anything but the usual."

2014

The Michell family bought Foxlow and began a generational renovation of the farm, homestead, garden and outbuildings. 

A family photo in black-and-white featuring two adults and two children, dressed in outdoor or cowboy attire, with a rustic brick wall background and a window on the right.
A man and a child holding hands and walking through a grassy field, with trees and hills in the background under a clear sky.

2022

Foxlow renovation was completed and opened.

A large white house with a porch surrounded by trees and tall grass.
Black background with white wavy lines forming a pattern, with some dotted lines mixed in.

THE HISTORY of the MOLONGLO RIVER

A peaceful landscape featuring a calm winding river, dry grasslands, and rolling hills in the distance during twilight.

The term Molonglo Plains refers collectively to the flood plains along the entire length of the Molonglo River, including the flood plain located north-east of Queanbeyan on the Molonglo River. The upper Molonglo Plain sometimes referred to as the Hoskinstown Plain is bordered by Foxlow, east by the low ridges of the Turallo Range, Forbes Creek Ridge and Thurralilly Hill before the steep rise up to the top of the Great Dividing Range.

The area is noted as the birthplace of cricketer and inventor of Australian rules football Tom Wills.

A watercolor painting of a landscape with trees in the foreground, open fields, and mountains in the background. It is titled 'Hillslow on the Mangho' and dated 1892.

The Molonglo River is significant to Ngunnawal people because of its use as a pathway for Ngunnawal people travelling into the mountains for trade and ceremonial purposes. The waterways on Ngunnawal Country have sustained all life including their people and the plants and animals.

The word molongolo is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning “like the sound of thunder”. 

The first white men to come to the area arrived around 1820, and began to settle along the Molonglo Plains, arriving at the junction of the Molonglo and Queanbeyan Rivers on 8th December 1820. 

A scenic landscape with a river flowing through grassy terrain, trees in the background, and the sun shining through the branches of a tall tree, creating a reflective and serene atmosphere.

The Molonglo is part of Ngunnawal songlines and pathways throughout Ngunnawal Country. Songlines are the memory code that gives Ngunnawal people information from the landscape to tell the stories of vital knowledges, cultural values and wisdom. 

The Molonglo River has a rich history of Ngunnawal occupation along its banks, with the river being a rich source of resources for food, fibre and tools.

As Traditional Custodians, the Ngunnawal people continue to feel a deep responsibility to preserve the spirit and stories of their ancestors throughout this landscape.