Rebuilding Pikedale

Rebuilding Pikedale Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Rebuilding Pikedale, Landmark & historical place, Stanthorpe.

Follow me as I rebuild, in scale model form, a grand homestead that was lost to fire in 1963, I'm currently handcrafting a model of another precious piece of Stanthorpe's cultural heritage, the Stanthorpe Soldiers Memorial.

Going through the archives and realised I've had the privilege to model a few buildings and structures in and around the...
09/08/2026

Going through the archives and realised I've had the privilege to model a few buildings and structures in and around the Stanthorpe district ....
Can you name any?

You may have seen the video posted here last night but here's "some" pictures (I had trouble narrowing the amout down to...
30/07/2026

You may have seen the video posted here last night but here's "some" pictures (I had trouble narrowing the amout down to only this many) featuring the Stanthorpe Soldiers Memorial model(s), the pics feature sunrise and sunset, handcrafted letters 6mm high, roofing details, interior details like the bench seats, the honour boards and the pressed metal ceiling, an artwork of my field notes, sketches and measurements, progress shots, big and little models side by side, real and model side by side and the two half penny coins donated by a follower to the build, one is 1925, which is when the Memorial was built and the other is 1926, which was when it was officially opened, so they are the same age as the Memorial, very cool, also keep an eye out for the granite rocks I handcrafted, shaped out of wood and painted to look like the real ones (really happy with how they turned out, nailed it).
Thanks for following the builds and thanks to the Stanthorpe Sub branch, I'll let you know when the larger model goes on display at the Stanthorpe RSL.🙂

The worldly WWI cannon .....Believed to have been brought back to Stanthorpe as a "war trophy" by the commander of the L...
27/07/2026

The worldly WWI cannon .....
Believed to have been brought back to Stanthorpe as a "war trophy" by the commander of the Light Horse, Sir Harry Chauvel and his brother Major Alan Chauvel, the Turkish cannon, which is possibly a German made 75mm Feldkanon model 1903 export gun, a Turkish example made around 1907-8, was originally placed on the lower section of the northern slopes of Foxton Hill (below where the Memorial was built in 1926), it spent time as a display in front of the Stanthorpe Rsl but more recently has been moved to Weeroona Park in town after being beautifully refurbished.
The Chauvels' family owned a summer house called "El Arish" (pictured, circa 1920) which still stands on the lower western slopes of Foxton Hill, the house and its property gained heritage listing in 1996.

Did some more painting today which included the roof, the gable fascia boards and the moss covered, granite rocks that e...
26/07/2026

Did some more painting today which included the roof, the gable fascia boards and the moss covered, granite rocks that emerge from the ground around the site.

The landscaping has been started 👌.Firstly I roughly paint the surface in a green colour with a brush, then I airbrush a...
24/07/2026

The landscaping has been started 👌.
Firstly I roughly paint the surface in a green colour with a brush, then I airbrush a dusting of paint colours over that, colours used are dark red, light grey and yellow, it's a bit hard to see in this pic but it breaks down the green and looks like a more realistic representation of grass.

Although built on top of a rocky ridge, the immediate area around the memorial structure is quite flat but it looks like...
21/07/2026

Although built on top of a rocky ridge, the immediate area around the memorial structure is quite flat but it looks like it wasn't always like this, the southern and western areas are supported by concrete block retaining walls that have been backfilled to create a level area, the retaining wall on western side has a pathway running along its base with sets of stairs as you climb, there's also garden beds and an access stairway to the back of the memorial, it seems a lot of effort has been put into the site over the years .......
I've captioned each image for interest.

As the scale of the Soldiers Memorial model is quite large (1:25), I decided to use corrugated cardboard for the roof to...
20/07/2026

As the scale of the Soldiers Memorial model is quite large (1:25), I decided to use corrugated cardboard for the roof to achieve a great detail .... a basic run-down of the process is to get a cardboard box and cut it into flat sheets then soak them in water, after a while the layers of the cardboard delaminate, when dry the corrugated piece can be cut up and used, the ridge capping is also cardboard shaped over a bicycle wheel spoke.

The Stanthorpe Soldiers Memorial has words on the eastern and western sides and the dates 1914-1919 on the ends, they ar...
18/07/2026

The Stanthorpe Soldiers Memorial has words on the eastern and western sides and the dates 1914-1919 on the ends, they are raised and are rendered in concrete like the rest of the building, I'm unsure what they are made out of under the render, anyway I'm making them as we speak, I printed out the words on adhesive paper and then stuck that to plastic sheet and have proceeded to create each, 6mm high letter by hand and magnifying glass, it's almost pushing the friendship too far, I've also made great progress with the roof, using cardboard to make practice pieces to fit neatly, the base is done and now the corrugated cardboard will be cut to size and glued on.

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Stanthorpe, QLD
4380

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