Keiraville, Ipswich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Keiraville |
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Building in 2015
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| Location | 20 Roderick Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1880s |
| Official name: Keiraville | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 9 July 1993 |
| Reference no. | 600597 |
| Significant period | c. 1880s, 1920s/1930s circa (fabric) 1880s, 1930s-1980s (historical) |
| Significant components | service wing, trees/plantings, residential accommodation - main house, steps/stairway, dormitory |
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Keiraville is a special old house in Ipswich, Australia. It's known as a detached house, meaning it stands by itself. This house is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place in Queensland. It was built around the 1880s and has been part of Ipswich's story for a long time.
The Story of Keiraville
Keiraville is a single-story house made of stone or brick covered with a smooth finish. It was likely built around the 1880s by a builder named John MacKenzie. Not long after, it was bought by the Cribb family, who were very well-known in Ipswich. In 1938, the house was sold to the Congregational Church. They used it as a manse, which is a home for a church minister.
The Cribb Family's Home
The land where Keiraville stands became an official town lot in 1884. John MacKenzie bought it that same year. In 1888, Clarissa Cribb purchased the land, along with the lot next to it. Her son, Harry Cribb, and his wife lived in the house until 1895. Harry was a famous sportsman from the local company Cribb and Foote. It's thought that a tennis court was built on the nearby land around this time.
In 1891, the property was given to Clarissa Spence, who was Clarissa Cribb's oldest daughter. Over the years, different members of the Cribb family owned the house. From 1913 into the 1920s, Harry's son, Gordon, and his family lived there. Gordon was a naturalist, someone who studies nature. He even built aviaries (large bird cages) in the garden for his birds. A photo from around the 1920s shows a separate building behind the main house. Later, another section was added to the house.
Keiraville as a Manse
After Clarissa Spence passed away, the Congregational church bought Keiraville in 1938. They used it as a home for their minister. The Congregational Church in Ipswich was started in 1854. The Cribb family were important members of this church.
After a big flood in 1893, the Church bought land next to Keiraville. In 1895, they built a new church hall on higher ground. Keiraville served as the minister's home for about 40 years after 1938.
Later Uses of the House
For about 50 years, Keiraville was used as the church manse. In 1983, the house became the main office for the Blue Nurses, a group that helps people in the community. A car park was built where the old tennis court used to be. In 1992, a new section was added to the back of the building, which changed some parts of the house. Today, Keiraville is used by Lifeline, a service that provides support to people in need.
What Keiraville Looks Like
Keiraville is a single-story house with walls covered in a smooth finish. It has a corrugated iron roof shaped like a pyramid. There are timber verandahs (covered porches) on three sides of the house. At the back, there are two wings that form a "U" shape, connected to a newer brick addition. The house is part of a group of three buildings on the Uniting Church site, surrounded by many trees.
Outside Features
The verandah has pairs of wooden posts with square tops and pretty wooden decorations. It has a curved corrugated iron roof and a fancy wrought iron fence. The front of the house, facing Roderick Street, has a small front yard and a simple entrance. This entrance has smooth stone or brick stairs and a wooden arch that says "The Manse." The front windows have wooden shutters. The windows on the west and east sides are glass doors with glass fanlights (windows above the door). The house sits on a brick base. Two tall chimneys made of smooth stone or brick and a metal vent stick up from the roof.
Inside the House
The house has a simple square layout with four rooms around a central hallway. All the ceilings are made of timber boards. Some rooms have decorative metal ceiling roses (round decorations on the ceiling). The rooms on the northeast and southwest sides have fireplaces with wooden mantelpieces.
The old kitchen wing, made of smooth stone or brick, is attached to the back of the main house. It has a hipped roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides) and a brick chimney. The southeastern wing is made of single-layer timber with the wooden frame showing on the outside. This part has two rooms that might have been used for sleeping. The verandah for this wing has been closed in. The space between the two wings has been covered and enclosed, and it now connects directly to the new brick addition.
Most of the big changes to Keiraville have been at the back of the building. When you look at it from Roderick Street, Keiraville still looks like an original late 19th-century house. Many of the original details inside the house are also still there.
Why Keiraville is Important
Keiraville was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 9, 1993. This means it meets certain rules that show it's important to Queensland's history.
Showing Queensland's History
Keiraville is important because it helps us understand how Ipswich, and Queensland, grew and changed over time.
A Great Example of Old Homes
This house shows what a typical home from the late 1800s looked like. It also adds a beautiful touch to the street.
Beautiful and Historic
Keiraville is important because it's a lovely example of a late 19th-century home. It makes the street look very charming.
Connected to Important People and Groups
Keiraville has a special connection to the Congregational Church because it was their minister's home for over 40 years. It also has a special link to the Cribb family, who were very important in helping Ipswich develop.
