Como, Yeronga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Como
Como (later Barrogill), circa 1921
Location	88 Kadumba Street, Yeronga, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1889 - 1890
Built for	James Walter Hayne
Architect	Alexander Brown Wilson
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Como, Barrogill
Type	state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated	25 August 2000
Reference no.	601474
Significant period	1880s-1890s (fabric, historical)
Significant components	stained glass window/s, residential accommodation - main house, garden/grounds, trees/plantings, carriage way/drive
Builders	Mr Peterson
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Como, also known as Barrogill, is a special old house in Yeronga, Brisbane, Australia. It was built between 1889 and 1890. A famous architect named Alexander Brown Wilson designed it. Mr Peterson was the builder. This house is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it is an important part of history.

Discovering Como's Past

How Yeronga Grew

Como was built for a Brisbane businessman, James Walter Hayne. He bought the land in October 1889. The house cost £999 to build. It was finished by February 1890.

Yeronga became a popular place to live in the 1880s. Before that, it was mostly farmland. The Brisbane River runs along one side of Yeronga. Wealthy people wanted to build big homes there.

The main reason Yeronga grew was the new railway line. It opened in 1884. The Yeronga train station opened in 1885. This made it easy for people to travel to and from Brisbane. Yeronga quickly became a fashionable suburb for people who worked in the city.

Important Homes in Yeronga

Many grand houses were built in Yeronga from 1885 onwards. Only a few of these old homes still stand today. Como is one of them. Another important house nearby is Astolat, built around 1890. Rhyndarra (1889) is also at the end of Kadumba Street. These houses show how Yeronga developed in the late 1800s.

The suburb of Yeronga got its name from an earlier large house. This house was called Yeronga-Lea. It was built around 1883. The Railway Department named the local station after this house in 1885. Soon, everyone started calling the area Yeronga.

The Architect and Owner

Alexander Brown Wilson designed Como. He was a very respected architect in Brisbane. He designed many important buildings. These included homes like Kinauld and Lamb House. He also designed churches and other buildings.

James Walter Hayne was the first owner of Como. He was born in England in 1852. He moved to Queensland in 1864. James worked in the iron business. Later, he started his own real estate agency. He also worked for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. He lived in Como with his wife and three daughters.

Later Owners and Changes

James Walter Hayne owned Como until 1915. Other families lived in the house over the years. Thomas Lahey, a timber merchant, lived there from about 1901 to 1907.

In 1912, David Cannon, a station owner, moved into Como. His wife, Margaret Cannon, took ownership in 1915. After she passed away, the property changed hands again.

In 1954, Emily Perla Brown bought the house. She then sold it to Donald and Elsie Rosie the same year. The Rosies renamed the house Barrogill. They named it after a castle in Scotland. In 1958, they divided the large land into five smaller blocks. In 1968, a small apartment was added to the house. The Rosie family owned Barrogill until 1993.

What Como Looks Like

Como is a beautiful, large timber house. It has steep, wavy corrugated iron roofs. It sits on a small hill on Kadumba Street. Large trees surround the house. It is one of several grand old houses on this street. These houses make Kadumba Street look very special.

The house has a charming design with steep, decorated gables. Gables are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof. Verandahs wrap around the house. A verandah is like a porch. At the front, there is an entry area with its own roof.

The outside of the house has special wooden boards. It has sliding windows. The verandah roof is gently curved. It has pretty cast iron decorations and railings.

The house has lovely details. The gables have wooden cross-patterns. They also have fancy scalloped edges and carved wood at the top. The roof has a decorative border with small block shapes. The front entry has two arched openings with special "keystones" at the top.

The garden around Como is also beautiful. It has many old, tall trees. There are mango trees along one side. A large camphor laurel tree is in the front yard. A tall hoop pine tree marks the entrance to the driveway.

In 1993, an advertisement for the house described its inside. It had a wide entrance hall and four bedrooms. There was a formal lounge and a dining room with a fireplace. It also had a large sitting room and a reading lounge with fireplaces. The ceilings were very high, about 3.66 meters (12 feet). The front door had amazing stained glass. It showed hand-painted birds and butterflies.

Why Como is Heritage Listed

Como was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 August 2000. This means it is protected because it is important.

Showing History's Story

Barrogill helps us understand how Yeronga changed. It shows how a small farming area became a fancy suburb. It also shows how railways helped Brisbane grow. In the late 1800s, new railway lines created many "outer" suburbs. These suburbs were for wealthy people who could travel by train. Como helped set the tone for Yeronga. It became a quiet, middle-class place to live.

A Special Type of Place

Barrogill is a great example of a large, beautiful timber house. It has a lovely garden with old trees. It sits on a hill and is framed by its trees.

The house is also a very good example of the work of architect AB Wilson. It is still mostly in its original condition.

Its Beautiful Look

Como is the most noticeable of the old houses on Kadumba Street. The house and its grounds make Kadumba Street look very special. They also add to the overall look of Yeronga.

Connected to Important People

The house is a wonderful example of the work of the important Brisbane architect AB Wilson. It shows his skill in designing homes.