Historic Queenslander property at Rockonia Road, Koongal, has sold

A historic Queenslander that was once owned by the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton has sold for $750,000.

408 Rockonia Road, Koongal, owner Marjan Schokker. Picture: Aden Stokes

When Holland native Marjan Schokker went searching for her dream Queenslander, it was a grand 138-year-old beauty in a leafy Rockhampton suburb that captured her heart.

Now, after seven years of pouring love into the property, Ms Schokker has sold the historic Queenslander, which was once owned by the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton.

The property at 408 Rockonia Road, Koongal, sold for $750,000 on May 31 through Ray White Rockhampton.

Sales agent Vicki Deller said there was quite a bit of interest in the home before it sold, with interest coming from both locals and interstate buyer’s moving to the area and wanting a large home on a large block.

“In the end we had multiple offers on the property,” she said.

She said the buyer was a single man from from the Gold Coast and that the sellers were very happy with the sale.

Marjan Schokker. Picture: Aden Stokes

Ms Schokker, who was the previous owner of the property with her husband Peter Atchison, said they purchased the home seven years ago in February 2016 for $435,000.

Ms Schokker is originally from Holland and moved to Rockhampton with her husband from the Northern Beaches region of Sydney.

“I had this vision of a white Queenslander with the double stairs and we were looking more or less not too far from the coast between Brisbane and Cairns,” she said.

408 Rockonia Road, Koongal, was listed for sale through Ray White Rockhampton. Picture: Contributed

She said they had been working on the home since they moved in May 2016, starting with the front gardens.

“It has taken us seven years bit by bit to renovate,” she said.

“We wanted to keep it original.”

Marjan Schokker. Picture: Aden Stokes

She said with her husband working as a project manager in the Northern Territory, he was constantly coming and going.

“We would like to be together a bit more and it is getting too much for me to handle,” she said.

She said they were looking to move to the Northern Territory to be closer to Mr Atchison’s work.

The home boasts four airconditioned bedrooms, all with French doors opening out onto the verandas, and three bathrooms. Picture: Contributed

“We really love the place, we wish we could wrap it up and take it wherever we are going.”

She said they were looking to move to the Northern Territory to be closer to Mr Atchison’s work.

Ms Deller said the highset Queenslander sat on a one-acre block with no neighbours on one side.

The lounge is at the centre of the home with French doors to the east veranda. Picture: Contributed

An arbour with double gates and a sandstone pathway leads down to the house and wide butterfly staircase with wrought iron panels, which leads up to the wide timber verandas on the front and two sides, with lacework surrounding the verandas.

Upstairs boasts a wide hallway, with four airconditioned bedrooms, all with French doors opening out onto the verandas, two bathrooms and a lounge at the centre of the home with French doors to the east veranda.

The home also features a recently installed kitchen with timber benchtops, as well as a large walk-in pantry, separate dining room and storeroom.

The home also boasts a recently installed kitchen with timber benchtops. Picture: Contributed

Downstairs there is a laundry, workshop and separate shower and toilet.

The property is fully fenced with stunning gardens, a fire pit area, French style green house, garden rotunda, fruit trees and two driveways with a concreted area for five cars.

The property was built in 1885 on William Street, near St Joseph’s Cathedral on Rockhampton southside, and was moved to Rockonia Road in 1982.

The one-acre property is fully fenced with stunning gardens, a fire pit area, French style green house and a garden rotunda. Picture: Contributed

In an interview with The Morning Bulletin in November 2015, previous owner Glenys Kirkwood said her family saved the house from being demolished and when they bought the home from the Catholic Trust of Rockhampton, they relocated it from the grounds of what is now The Cathedral College.

The Queenslander, which was known as the ‘old Cathedral Presbytery’, was lived in by priests who were a part of the cathedral staff.

Around 1951 the priests were replaced by the Missionary Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament who were Italian nuns.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus were the last group of people to reside in the house before it was moved and established the Sacred Heart Convent in the very same home.