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Greylands
Greylands, Indooroopilly (2009).jpg
Greylands, 2009
Location 47 Dennis Street, Indooroopilly, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Design period 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built c. 1876
Architect John Hall
Official name: Greylands
Type state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated 21 October 1992
Reference no. 600230
Significant period 1870s (fabric)
1870s-1890s, 1910s (historical)
Significant components basement / sub-floor, garden/grounds, residential accommodation - main house, carriage way/drive
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Greylands is a beautiful old house in Indooroopilly, Australia. It's a special building that has been around since the 1870s. An architect named John Hall designed it. The house was built around 1876. Today, Greylands is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's protected because of its important history and unique design.

History of Greylands

The land where Greylands stands was first bought in 1859. In 1876, a lawyer named Graham Lloyd Hart bought a part of this land. He built Greylands the next year. It is believed that Brisbane architect John Hall designed the house.

The Hart family lived at Greylands until 1897. After Mr. Hart passed away, the Queensland National Bank likely took over the property. John Piper McKenzie, who managed the bank's Brisbane office, lived there from 1900 to 1908.

Later, a timber merchant named David Lahey rented the house from 1910 to 1912. His daughter, Vida Lahey, was a famous painter. She painted a scene called Monday Morning at Greylands. This painting shows laundry day and is now in the Queensland Art Gallery.

In 1912, a bank employee named Alfred Dennis bought Greylands. He made some changes to the house. He removed old wooden parts and stables. He also added five new rooms and a tennis court. After he died in 1944, the property was sold to other families. The Power family bought it in 1984 and updated the house.

What Greylands Looks Like

StateLibQld 2 51120 Gracious Indooroopilly residence, Greylands, ca. 1932
Greylands, circa 1932

The main part of Greylands is made of brick. It looks like one story from the front, but it has two stories at the back. Inside, there's a wide hallway with double doors. On one side, two rooms are separated by folding doors. On the other side, there are two bedrooms.

The wood details inside the house are made of cedar. All the fireplaces still have their original marble mantelpieces, grates, and hearths. The floors in each room have cedar edges.

The original ceilings have been replaced, but the decorative plaster borders (called cornices) are still there. Downstairs, at the back, there are five small rooms. These were once used as servants' quarters and a laundry room.

Outside, the house has a decorative wooden arch (called a fretwork pediment) over the front steps. Wide covered porches, known as verandahs, stretch across the front and along two sides of the house. These verandahs have fancy cast-iron railings. The verandah roof is held up by pairs of posts.

Why Greylands is Special

Greylands was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. It's considered important for several reasons:

  • It shows how Queensland's history developed.

Greylands is one of the oldest and most elegant houses in the Indooroopilly area. It shows us what life was like for important families in Brisbane during the 1870s. The house still has nearly 5000 square meters of its original landscaped gardens. This helps us imagine how it looked long ago.

  • It's a great example of its type of building.

As an early villa from the 1870s, Greylands shows the typical features of houses from that time. It has beautiful details and high-quality craftsmanship. This includes its cedar wood features and other decorations inside.

  • It has special artistic value.

The house has an elegant look and shows excellent craftsmanship. The detailed cedar woodwork and other interior decorations are very well made. The large, well-kept gardens also add to its beauty.

  • It's connected to important people in Queensland's history.

Greylands was the home of Graham Lloyd Hart. He started the law firm Flower & Hart, which has been very important in Brisbane since the 1870s. Also, the famous painting Monday Morning by Vida Lahey was created here. This adds to the house's social importance.

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