Idalia, like so many other properties locally, was originally part of Dunlop, the million acre pastoral holding of Sir Samuel McCaughey’s. Dunlop is famous for being the first place in Australia to complete an annual shearing with the then new mechanical handpieces.

Around 1921 some of Dunlop’s land leases were resumed and Charles O’Mally was granted the lease of a 30,000 acre Darling River fronted block of land, between Louth and Tilpa. Charles, and his wife Caroline, named the block ‘Idalia’, after a property Charles had worked at in Queensland. (The said property in Queensland is now the Idalia National Park.

Through the “O’Mally” years, another 16,000 acres were added and after the Murrays took over, another 13,000 acres were acquired, to bring Idalia to the 59,000 acres it is today.

In 1943 the cottage was built to house Charles’ son Harold, and his bride, Iris. Some years later, Harold and Iris left Idalia, having bought themselves a property north of Bourke. Due to the war at the time of the cottage being built, some building materials were in short supply, and the cottage went without a few finishing interior touches for the next 45 years. It was a well built dwelling however, proven by withstanding a flood just lapping under its floorboards and a lack of human inhabitants for nearly fifty years.

Upon Charles death in 1957, Caroline continued to run Idalia with the aid of a couple of workmen until her death in 1973.
In 1978, Tim, who lived next-door at ‘Bellsgrove’ with his parents, purchased Idalia when it went to auction to wind up the estate of Caroline.

Jane came to the Louth area in 1986 as a governess. She and Tim married in 1988 in Cobar. Originally they were to be wed at ‘Bellsgrove’, as Tim’s Grandparents were, but six inches of rain in the days prior saw to a hurried change of venue!

They have two children, Grace & Dermot. Grace’s primary education was completed at home ‘outback style’ by correspondence and radio lessons. She is now away at boarding school. Dermot is likewise doing his primary schooling ‘outback style’ prior to boarding school.