How a secret trapdoor has saved one of Qld’s oldest homes
It is 156 years old and has one of the city’s last grand gardens. And it has been saved from development thanks to what the new owners discovered lying under the kitchen floor.
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“WHEN we discovered the trapdoor to the hidden cellar below the original kitchen, we knew had to have this home’’.
That was the comment from the new owners of Dovercourt, one of Brisbane’s oldest homesteads, when they decided to buy the Victorian mansion and restore it to its former glory.
The Toowong community was up in arms earlier this year when news emerged that the 124 Sherwood Rd property was up for sale.
The William Henry Elleker-designed home, built in 1864 on 7036 sqm of steep land near Toowong Village shopping centre, was feared to be a prime target for subdivision after Council refused to buy it.
But Savills’ agents Robert Dunne and Will Carman said the new owners wanted to restore the property and live in it with their parents.
Janis Grady, whose great grandmother Ada Wilson lived in the homestead until the 1920s, said she had planned to fly out from her home in Las Vegas to see the property when she heard it could be lost, but COVID-19 meant she had to cancel the trip.
“My mother grew up on the corner of Wool and Dean streets, across from Anzac Park where all the trees were planted by her uncle Wally (Walter Harding),’’ she said.
Other residents of the house have leant their names to local landmarks, such as solicitor W.H. Miskin, after whom Miskin St is named.
Mr Dunne said there had been huge interest in the property.
“It had 12,000 web page views, we received 7000 emails and had 288 interested parties, resulting in eight strong offers,’’ he said.
“It sold for an undisclosed price to a local Brisbane family looking forward to raising another generation at Dovercourt.
“It will be one of the nicest homes in Brisbane when they’re finished.
“The intention of the buyer is to live there and create a home for their parents as well.’’
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Dovercourt was the talk of the town at the time of its construction, due to its “new-age’’ dumb waiter and enormous bi-fold doors dividing the lounge and dining room.
English architect William Henry Ellerker, who designed it, arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne in 1863.
He had been engaged in private practice in Victoria for three years, and on moving to Brisbane was employed by the Colonial Architect’s Office as a temporary draftsman.
By 1864 he had set up a private practice and that year bought 3.2ha of land at Toowong on which he built “Dover Court Cottage’’ to his own design.
During his time in Brisbane, Ellerker was also responsible for the design of a number of commercial properties in Queen St, a villa for Francis Gregory on North Quay, and James Gibbon’s Teneriffe House.
His entry in the competition for the design of the Queensland Parliamentary buildings was actually selected by the judges, but Parliament requested scrutiny by another architect and after some objections Ellerker’s design was abandoned.
In 1865, Ellerker was heavily involved in the first St Thomas’ Church of England, designing the church and also making a large donation towards its construction.
Dovercourt was sold in 1868 to accountant Walter H Snelling.
Solicitor and local identity W H Miskin was a tenant for many years, finally buying the property in 1887.
By the 1890s it was in use as a residence for the boarders of Mr Mark’s School.
Ada Wilson and her family then lived there until unsuccessfully trying to sell it in 1921.
She stayed there sporadically until the late 1920s before moving to stately home Bullecourt.
For the past 80 years the property has been home to three generations of the Bigge family.
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