Ilfracombe, Maryborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ilfracombe |
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Ilfracombe, 1997
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| Location | 335 Lennox Street, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1893–c. 1895 |
| Official name: Ilfracombe, Blairholme, Lambert Hyne House | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600703 |
| Significant period | 1890s (fabric) 1890s–1930s (historical) |
| Significant components | residential accommodation – main house, attic, glass – etched, decorative finishes, garden/grounds |
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Ilfracombe is a historic house located in Maryborough, Australia. It was built between 1893 and 1895. This beautiful old home is also known by other names, like Blairholme and Lambert Hyne House. It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of Queensland's history and worth protecting.
What is Ilfracombe's Story?
Building a Home for Family
Ilfracombe was built in the early 1890s. It was meant to be the home for Margaret Blair and her family. Margaret was the sister-in-law of a very important man named Andrew Wilson. Their houses were built right next to each other.
Maryborough's Early Days
The town of Maryborough started in a different spot than it is today. It was first on the north side of the Mary River. Wharves were built there in 1847-1848. These wharves helped transport wool from nearby sheep farms.
In 1850, a surveyor named Hugh Roland Labatt arrived. He was asked to find the best place for a town. He also had to pick spots for public buildings and parks. The town then grew in the area he suggested, a bit further east. Maryborough became a busy port in the 1860s and 1870s. This was because gold was found in Gympie in 1867.
Andrew Wilson's Influence
Andrew Heron Wilson came to Maryborough around 1866. He started a sawmill, which is a place that cuts timber. Later, he partnered with others to build an even bigger sawmill. He retired from the timber business after only two years at his new mill.
Wilson also invested a lot in gold mining in Gympie. He was a director of several companies, including a building society. He was also a member of the Queensland Legislative Council. This was like being a politician who helped make laws for Queensland. He served there from 1883 until he passed away in 1906.
Doon Villa and the Bowling Green
Around 1882, Andrew Wilson bought the land where he built his own large timber house. This house was called Doon Villa and it overlooked the Mary River. It was a very impressive house, considered one of the best in Maryborough. Wilson also created a beautiful garden around his home. He even built a bowling green for a lawn bowls club. This was the oldest bowling green in Queensland!
The Blair Family Moves In
In 1889, Andrew Wilson and his wife went on a long holiday. They visited England and then New Zealand. In New Zealand, they visited Mrs. Wilson's sister, Margaret Blair, and her children. Margaret Blair's husband passed away in 1893. After this, Margaret and her children moved from New Zealand to live with the Wilsons at Doon Villa.
Andrew Wilson then helped build a new house for his wife's sister and her four children. This new house was called Blairholme. Wilson bought the land for Blairholme in 1891. It was right next to his own property. The house was likely built after Mrs. Blair arrived in 1893. Because Wilson was involved in the timber industry, it's thought he managed the building himself. This is why there are no public records of who designed it. By 1895, the Blair family was living in their new home.
New Owners: The Hyne Family
Andrew Wilson passed away in 1906. His land was then managed by a trust. The Blair family continued to live in Blairholme until 1935. After that, the land was divided and sold. Hugh Keys bought the property where Blairholme stood. Two years later, in 1937, James Richard Lambert Hyne bought the property. The Hyne family was another very important local family known for their timber milling business.
The Hyne family had an older family home on Lennox Street also called Ilfracombe. When they bought Blairholme, they decided to transfer the name "Ilfracombe" to this new house. The Hyne family still owns the house today. In 2012, ownership was transferred to Rod and Sue Grieves, who now live there with their family. Over the years, some parts of the house have been changed or replaced. For example, the kitchen area has been made larger.
What Does Ilfracombe Look Like?
Ilfracombe is a large, one-story house made of timber. It sits on a hill and looks out over the Mary River to the east. You get to the house by a small lane from Lennox Street. The house is hidden from the main street by a big garden with many old trees.
House Structure and Roof
The house is built with a timber frame. It has horizontal timber boards on the outside, called weatherboards. The roof is made of corrugated iron and is quite complex. It has many different shaped sections, including pointed gables and sloped hipped sections. There's also a steeply sloped mansard roof over the attic. This attic roof has a fancy cast iron fence-like railing with decorative points on the corners. The gabled ends of the roof also have similar cast iron decorations.
Verandahs and Windows
The house has bull-nosed verandahs on three sides. A bull-nosed verandah has a curved roof edge. Some of these verandahs have been closed in over time. The house has very good quality joinery, which means the wooden parts are well-made. There are several bay windows that stick out from the house. These windows have beautiful etched and colored glass panels. The outside wooden details are also very fine.
Inside the House
Inside, the house generally has timber floors, walls, and ceilings. Sometimes, the size or direction of the timber boards changes. This suggests that many of the walls might have been covered with wallpaper when the house was first built. The inside of the house is arranged around a central entrance area, called a vestibule. From here, hallways lead to the main entrance and to the kitchen.
Many original features are still there, even though some changes have been made. For example, the drawing room has a beautiful anaglypta lined vaulted ceiling. Anaglypta is a type of textured wallpaper. The original internal doors and other wooden details are also still present. There is also a lovely fireplace with painted tiles.
Why is Ilfracombe Important?
Ilfracombe was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it meets certain important criteria:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed.
Ilfracombe was built between 1893 and 1895 for Margaret Blair, Andrew Wilson's sister-in-law. It shows how Maryborough grew in the late 1800s. This part of Maryborough became a popular area for large timber homes overlooking the Mary River.
- It is a great example of a certain type of building.
The house is a wonderful and typical example of a large timber home. Many such homes were built in Queensland in the late 1800s.
- It is beautiful and well-designed.
Ilfracombe is a fine and typical example of a large timber home from the late 19th century. Its design and craftsmanship are very appealing.
- It is connected to important people in Queensland's history.
The house has a special link to two important Maryborough families: the Wilsons and the Hynes. Both families played a big role in the town's development.
