The Brisbane suburb named after a brewhouse

IT’S one of Brisbane’s most well-known suburbs but did you know it actually took its name from the local pub?

The Stones Corner Hotel. Picture: Facebook/Stones Corner Hotel

YOU’VE heard of the pub with no beer, but what about the pub that could only sell ginger beer?

There’s a lot of history in Stones Corner Hotel — just ask Andrew Hill, the great great grandson of the pub’s founder James Stone.

James Stone, founder of Stones Corner. Picture: reproduced with the authority of Stones Ginger Beer

In 1875, after saving his shillings as a tree seller, James Stone purchased land on the corner of the present day Logan and Old Cleveland roads from Frederika Klumpp for 100 pounds.

On the site he built a brewhouse, and became the first person in the state to brew and sell ginger beer.

Mr Hill brought the ginger beer back to life in the 90s.

Mr Hill said men finishing work and travellers passing by would pull up at the brewhouse to quench their thirst.

“James Stone was a smart cookie. He was a real genuine pioneer for the area,” he said.

“He worked out that the only way to get to Brisbane was by sailing ship and people going from the port to Brisbane, whether they walked or rode a horse, they had to go past that corner.”

“It became so popular everyone referred to it as Stone’s corner.”

Stones Corner Hotel in 1949 with a crowd drinking on the footpath, possibly on a Saturday afternoon on their way to a rugby league match.

Later in the 1880s, Mr Stone built a 13 bedroom hotel, on the site where Stones Corner Hotel sits today, but unable to get a liquor license he sold it for 2700 pounds.

Mr Stone lived in the suburb with his wife Mary Ann until his death in 1924. He was 89.

He is buried in Balmoral cemetery, but his ginger beer lives on, supplied to venues across the state by Mr Hill who resurrected the brew in 1999.

James Stones’ great great grandson Andrew Hill, with his son Rubens.

Timeline

1838 — James Stone born in Somersetshire England.

1857 — Aged 19 immigrated to Australia with family settling at Happy Valley (Kedron). Tree feller and bridge carpenter by trade and became a roads inspector.

1872 — Aged 34 he married Mary Ann Clayton. Purchased corner block on 2 important tracks (roads) at ‘Burnett Swamp’ for 100 Pounds. Built a two bed slab timber brewhouse and became the first person in Qld to brew and sell ginger beer. Regular Aboriginal corroborees in area, Mary Ann distributes blankets to Aborigines, King Billy gives James a fig tree sapling in exchange for some ginger beer and tobacco. James plants the sapling out the front of his brewhouse.

1884 — Built 13 room hotel and for 3 years tried unsuccessfully to get a liquor license.

1887 — Sold ginger beer hotel to Denis O’Connor for 2700 Pounds. Built Shakespeare Street Coorparoo house. Plaque made from front door of that house in the library.

1893 — Licensee of the Glen Hotel at Eight Mile Plains.

1900 — The Stones moved back to Stones Corner and Mary Ann established a fruit shop.

1924 — James Stone died at Stones Corner aged 89. His funeral procession stopped for 1 minute at hotel and largest limb fell off tree. Buried in Balmoral cemetery.

*Timeline supplied by Andrew Hill