Isis Downs Woolshed is a heritage-listed shearing shed at Isisford-Blackall Road, Isisford, Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia.

A prefabricated steel structure clad with corrugated iron, the shed was designed by Kay, MacNicol and Company Engineers for the then property owners, Sir Rupert Clarke and Robert Selmon Whiting.

Pastoralists followed explorers in opening up the land for utilization and by 1860 wool had become the primary export earner for the newly established colony of Queensland.

The initial lease commenced on 1 January 1867 and was held by Charles Lumley Hill, W St John Holberton and W B Allen.

Following the taking up of pastoral properties throughout the area, a town was founded by William and James Whitman in 1877 to provide essential services for the district.

[1] Isis Downs changed hands a number of times before Robert Selmon Whiting and Sir Rupert Clarke acquired it in 1910.

The eldest son of a prominent Victorian family, Sir Rupert Clarke was the 2nd Baronet of Rupertswood and held vast pastoral holdings across the Australian colonies.

At that time the shearing shed on Isis Downs was a rectangular-shaped timber and corrugated iron structure with a central arched spine.

A number of designs were considered but by late December the current structure was chosen as the "cheapest and simplest form of construction".

Accessing sufficient timber for the construction of the pens was a major logistical issue, as the nearest natural supply was 25 miles (40 km) away.

Before World War II approximately 150 permanent staff and numerous seasonal workers were employed at Isis Downs, undertaking the variety of tasks necessary to run the property, including the outstations.

Increasing mechanisation drastically reduced permanent staff levels, which had a negative effect upon the local economy and community.

In the late 1950s only 60,000 head of sheep were grazed on the station, but by the 1990s stock numbers had risen to 100,000, due in part to the acquisition of surrounding properties.

A large, high-set semi-circle with a low-set section along the rear wall, the woolshed's curved exterior faces the property entrance.

Ten smaller sliding ventilation shutters of similar design are evenly spaced in the curved facade, five on either side of the double doors.

Wool presses are located on the rear edge of the timber floor and extend down to the narrow concrete ground level.

[1] The powerhouse is a simple rectangular building with a gable roof located at the rear of the woolshed, in the north-eastern corner of the complex.

Identified equipment within the generator room includes:[1] The powerhouse also retains much of the associated infrastructure such as pipes and the power board.

Historical evidence suggests a ball weight was mounted above the hoist hook, which was heavy enough to pull the cable to the ground and force the piston into position for the next lift.

Although designed as a utilitarian structure, the size and semicircular layout of the shearing shed at Isis Downs makes a dramatic visual impact against the flat, unwooded landscape.

The use of corrugated iron cladding coupled with the setting of the Isis Downs Woolshed Complex within a flat, open landscape, evokes a strong sense of isolation.

The use of prefabricated steel for the superstructure, unusual semi-circular shape, the provision for light and ventilation, is a unique attempt to address the functional, financial and logistical issues associated with a large shearing shed.

The Isis Downs Woolshed complex has a special association with the business partnership of Sir Rupert Clarke and Robert Whiting who played a significant role in the development of the region and were known nationally as major figures in the Australian pastoral industry.