Steve and Jane Wilson to spend $15m restoring Lamb House

The new owners of Brisbane’s Lamb House have been revealed, and while their plan is to turn the landmark building into a family home, the doors will still occasionally open to the public.

High-flying power couple Steve and Jane Wilson are the new owners of historic Lamb House, beating eye-watering international tenders to secure the near derelict home.

The Wilsons won’t be drawn on the sale price but confirmed they would spend a further $15 million to turn the crumbling Kangaroo Point property into their new family home.

The couple, who have five children, said this was the most powerful way to protect it into the future.

Steve and Jane Wilson outside Lamb House at Kangaroo Point. Picture: David Kapernick

“This is the most exciting but daunting heritage project we’ve taken on – the home is falling apart before our eyes,” Mr Wilson said.

“But when it came on the market, we wanted it go to a Brisbane family, and if not us, then an Australian family.

“All great buildings outlive their owners – the Lamb family built and owned it for 118 years and now the stewardship has come to us.”

Mr Wilson said following the painstaking restoration work, which would take two to three years, they would open the home for fundraising and occasional public events so others could enjoy it.

“It really lends itself to fundraising for good causes, and we are cause junkies,” he said.

The Wilsons’ commitment follows Brisbane City Council slapping a permanent protection on the heritage-listed property to prevent developers demolishing it.

Former owner Joy Lamb at the house in 2019. File picture: Peter Wallis

In 2019 Joy Lamb told The Courier-Mail she would “rather see the house fall down than sell out to a developer”, and accused property tycoon Kevin Seymour of wanting to build a $60 million apartment tower on the site. Mr Seymour denied the allegations.

Ms Lamb, who moved out of the home in 2015 after a ceiling collapsed, has been embroiled in a bitter feud with council since and owes $335,000 in unpaid rates.