HISTORY OF BANCHORY

Edward Lauderdale Ramsay was the original owner of Banchory. In 1902, an area of 1450 acres of prime grazing land was subdivided from Harrow, an adjoining property owned by his father Robert Ramsay, and named Banchory after a village on the River Dee in Scotland. The homestead, a smaller and less ornate replica of the Harrow residence was built in 1903.
Like his brothers, Lauderdale shared a passion for thoroughbred horses and a stud was established on the property where many winners were sired by Banchory stallions such as Parthenopacus, Howletts, Leverier, The Black Joke and Apple Snow. Parthenopacus, Ramsay’s earliest sire, fathered many of the stud’s foundation mares, which later produced a plethora of winners for his enjoyment. Although Howletts, Leverier and The Black Joke sired many runners over the years, they weren’t considered first class sires. Apple Snow, imported from England in the late thirties upgraded upgraded the bloodlines on the stud and sustained Lauderdale’s passion for thoroughbreds until his death. Ramsay raced most of the progeny bred on Banchory with only the occasional yearling being sold.
Lauderdale Ramsay, was a bachelor and a quiet unassuming man who was widely read, a philanthropist and shunned publicity. His first love was racehorses and he spent many hours researching names for the horses that he bred. It angered him to hear the names of his horses mispronounced. For example, “Bachian”, which won the AJC Villiers Stakes in 1934 was one. Many race callers persisted on pronouncing his name ‘Barkian’ instead of the correct pronunciation of ‘Ba-sheen’. Another of Ramsay’s pet hates was chestnut horses and he refused to either stand as a sire or race a horse of that colouring.
Ramsay was a Trustee of the Clifford Park Race Course and served on the Committee of the Queensland Turf Club for many years. He supported many sporting bodies in the area including the Toowoomba Cricket Association and the darling Downs Lawn Tennis Association as well as being patron of the Toowoomba Choral Society.
Andrew McAlpine, father and grandfather of well-known Darling Downs breeders, Colin and Scott McAlpine of Eureka Stud, was stud groom at Banchory from September 1914 until the death of Ramsay in December 1941. Colin was born in the cottage on Banchory in the late thirties. Lauderdale Ramsay died on 6th December aged 75 leaving an estate of over 211,000 pounds to be divided amongst his nieces and nephews as well as generous legacies to many local charities.
In February 1942 Banchory was auctioned at the Brisbane Wool Exchange and was purchased by Roly and Aub Mace. The freehold property was split between the two brothers, with Roly remaining at Banchory and Aub taking up residence at the new block now known as Banchory West. At this time part of the original homestead was removed and several theories abound as to its whereabouts. Roly and Dot Mace and their three children, Peter, Kaye and Susan lived in the Banchory homestead for approximately fifteen years. During this time many visitors to Banchory enjoyed the Mace’s generous hospitality whilst the racing tradition was carried on through the successful sire, Murray Stream and broodmare White Wings. Roly Mace was also a Committeeman on the Toowoomba Turf Club, serving as its President for two terms.
In the late fifties the McDougall family took over the reins at Banchory and kept its racing tradition alive, racing many horses over the years. Like Lauderdale Ramsey, Don Mc Dougall also served on the Committee of the Queensland Turf Club. In 1941, in pre-Banchory days, McDougall part-owned the winner of the Brisbane Handicap, Commonsense which was by Wise Course and out of Durbar Queen. In 1974 and 1975 Bebi and Don McDougall were proud owners of the dual Weetwood Handicap winner Combo, which had been sired the Eureka Stud stallion, Messmate. With its first Weetwood win, Combo, trained by Billy Neilson and ridden by Terry Tewes broke the track record at Clifford Park. In honour of Don McDougall, the Queensland Turf Club named their first two-year-old fillies race of the season in his memory. This race is one of the few fillies races in Queensland enjoying listed status. Two well known Brisbane racing identities, with happy memories of Banchory, are Damien and Brandon Walsh, who grew up there, in the care of the McDougall family following the death of their parents in a car crash.

Banchory was once again offered for auction in 1984 and was subsequently purchased by MaryLou and Andrew O’Dwyer from Mount Manning at Pratten.

Richard and Mary Lee Trivett, who have owned two properties in the area (the Felton Homestead at Felton East and Alfalfa at Leyburn) over the past twenty years, bought Banchory from the O’Dwyers in May 2000. Two years later the mammoth task of restoring the homestead to its former glory began in earnest. Using photographs taken during Lauderdale Ramsey’s tenure, the western wing removed in the forties was replicated and the circular driveway at the front entrance replaced.
The racing tradition also lives on with Richard and Mary Lee who have raced many horses such as Initiation, Bravisa, Levante, Kai Chow and Seidnazar over the past twenty years. Bravisa, Picabelle and Kai Chow became some of the foundation broodmares now producing future winners to grow and mature on the fertile country.
Banchory, under the banner of Banchory Thoroughbreds, is now run as a commercial entity, specialising in broodmare and foal management, yearling preparation, and racehorse spelling. All thoroughbreds residing at Banchory are under the care of experienced horseman Scott Colless and his partner Janine Park.