Iconic builder Walter Taylor’s first family home up for sale
The man behind Brisbane’s iconic Walter Taylor Bridge built a family home in the 1910s which is up for sale for the first time in 55 years.
The builder of the iconic Walter Taylor Bridge made a home for his wife more than a century ago – and it’s back up for sale, for the first time in 55 years.
Walter Taylor is known for his work on the renowned bridge over the Brisbane River, along with other heritage sites such as the Graceville Methodist Church.
This five-bedroom home is called ‘The Gables’, and was the first home Taylor built for his wife, Louisa Taylor. It finished construction in 1916, with the family living there for a decade.
It, along with four other properties, are some of Queensland’s best homes up for sale this week.
In 1969, this home came to be owned by the Johnson family. Vendors Peta Taylor and Rowan Johnson spent many formative years in the home, often playing games in the huge garden outside.
“It was a noisy house – my mum loved the noise,” Mr Johnson said. “My friends and myself were generally out playing tennis, cricket, playing in the pool.”
“A lot of land to run around with … I’m not gonna miss the mowing!”
The home has two floors on its 2050 sqm block, with doors across the ground floor to give quick and easy access outside.
The home also features a distinctive tower that stretches two storeys higher than the rest of the home, giving residents a sprawling view of Brisbane river and the distant Mt Coot-Tha.
“You can imagine playing hide and seek in that place,” Ms Taylor said.
“I think it reminds me of English homes … when mum and dad met, they met in London, and I think when they saw the house it reminded them of England.”
With a broad library room, a juliet balcony and plenty of hidden nooks to explore, the house is a rare opportunity for a new family to live in an iconic architect’s first dream home.
Agent Doug May from Ray White Sherwood has listed the home for auction on Saturday, December 7.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 102 Coolum Pde, Newport, offers a slice of lake frontage in Moreton Bay, just before the water slips out into the ocean.
Built in 2024, ‘Marisol’, is going on the market for the first time with modern smart home amenities, mixed with designer features across the house.
Quartz stone accents cover walls and pillars across the facade, with three-metre high ceilings inside the two-storey building.
A home cinema, a garage that offers space for cars and then some, and a dock leading to the water, make for a home that meets the standards of the modern day.
For more information on the property, speak with Jess Culling of Place Redcliffe Peninsula.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 5 Spring Gardens Ct, Hunchy, is a hillside retreat with a massive 15-acre estate.
To the west of the Sunshine Coast, a private driveway leads into the home on its huge acreage, which separates its living area into four spots.
The main house is divided into two areas, with three bedrooms each having their own walk-in wardrobe. Meanwhile, the second area features wide open-plan living, and expansive docks to really enjoy the scenery.
A lower level contains a study and extra amenities, while a studio sits separate from the house, offering its own contained slice of living.
When put together, the property offers a convenient living style for residents to enjoy, so they can focus on the breathtaking views of the fields and forests before them.
Agent Graham Smith of Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty, Noosa Heads, is accepting offers over $3.8 million.
The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom property at 2/1-7 Bayview Rd, Noosa Heads, is a newly completed luxury offering that spared no expense.
Right by Noosa National Park and a short trip from Little Cove Beach, the home is full of premium living options: from an infra-red sauna to two low salt pools, to a private guesthouse with a dedicated front entry.
Named ‘Lumiere’, five of its bedrooms across the house are kingsize, with another room taking the top level for a penthouse premier suite, complete with designer furniture and private fireplace.
Covered in crystal and marble finishes, the house is turnkey: ready for a well-off family to move into it today.
Agent Chris Miller of Tom Offermann Real Estate will be auctioning the home off on November 22.
The six-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 19 Shannan Pl, Kenmore Hills, is a green retreat that’s been built in a cul-de-sac for an active family lifestyle.
When vendor Caroline Hinson moved into the home, she only needed to make one change for her teenage boys as they went through high school.
“We did add a basketball court,” she said. “It was a great spot down the bottom [of the house].”
The court is placed by the bushland, right beneath a magnesium swimming pool and two expansive floors.
Ms Hinson said her growing kids were able to live their own life on the lower floor without being disrupted by their parents on the floor above, and one could often have guests over without even seeing them.
“It’s just got great bones,” she said. “It really is spacious, and just caters to a multigenerational family
Contact Sacha Hennessy and Jenny Torrisi from Place Paddington for details on the home.
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We’re not just looking for the best homes – we’re looking for homes with a story. If you own or know of a property with a story to tell, contact me at nicholas.finch@news.com.au.
Originally published as Iconic builder Walter Taylor’s first family home up for sale