Rosebank, Townsville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rosebank, Townsville |
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Rosebank, 2015
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| Location | 21 Lawson Street, Mysterton, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1885 |
| Official name: Rosebank | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600877 |
| Significant period | 1880s-1920s (historical) 1880s-1910s (fabric) |
| Significant components | kitchen/kitchen house, trees/plantings, garden/grounds, residential accommodation - main house |
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Rosebank is a heritage-listed house located at 21 Lawson Street in Mysterton, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This large timber home was built around 1886. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992, recognizing its special historical importance.
The Story of Rosebank
Rosebank was built around 1885 for Rose and Andrew Ball. They were very well-known people in early Townsville.
Andrew Ball: Townsville's Founder
Andrew Ball was one of the first Europeans to explore the area around Cleveland Bay. Many people consider him the founder of Townsville. In 1864, he was working at Woodstock Station. He was asked to find a good spot for a wharf at Cleveland Bay. This wharf would help transport goods from the stations.
In April 1864, Andrew Ball, along with Mark Watt Reid and two Aboriginal stockmen, found the mouth of what is now called the Ross River. He chose a spot on Ross Creek for the wharf and port. This location reminded him of Castletown, the capital of the Isle of Man. So, he named the place Castletown. When the government surveyed the town in 1865, they changed the name to Townsville. This was to honor Robert Towns, a wealthy businessman.
The Balls' Life in Townsville
Andrew Ball continued his work in the countryside for a few years. He returned to Townsville in the late 1860s. In 1869, he was a partner in a business called Ball & Grimaldi.
In 1877, Andrew married Mrs. Rose O'Neill. Rose was a widow and ran the Exchange Hotel on Flinders Street since 1873. The Exchange Hotel was built in 1869. It became a stop for the Ravenswood coach service in 1870. Rose O'Neill made the hotel very popular and almost doubled its size.
Rose O'Neill eventually bought the hotel. After she married Andrew Ball, he took over the license in 1877. The Exchange Hotel became one of the most popular hotels in Townsville. Andrew was charming and well-known. He had business interests in Townsville and in the goldfields like Ravenswood and Charters Towers. Together, he and Rose built a large and loyal customer base at the Exchange.
In 1881, a fire destroyed the two-story timber hotel. But Townsville was growing fast! Andrew quickly rebuilt it with bricks. The new, large two-story Exchange Hotel opened in 1882. That year, Andrew Ball gave up the hotel license. He and Rose retired from hotel work but kept many other business interests in Townsville. They lived in West End for some years before moving to Rosebank in the mid-1880s.
Building Rosebank
In January 1885, Rose Ball bought a large piece of land. It was about three miles southwest of town, along the Charters Towers road. At this time, the western and southwestern parts of Townsville were becoming popular places for successful business people to live.
On this land, Rose and Andrew Ball built Rosebank. It was a large timber house with a lovely view of a small lagoon and creek. This area is now filled in and is part of Mindham Park. The main entrance drive to the house crossed a causeway and two bridges over the creek. Then, it became a circular drive. This drive was lined with bunya pines and mango trees. It surrounded a large rose garden in the front yard. The back entrance to the house passed through banyan and Moreton Bay fig trees.
Rosebank was designed to be a self-sufficient country estate. It had a dairy, a cow yard, a chicken run, and a vegetable garden. There were also stables and sheds for storage and animal feed. The property had its own underground water supply. Rose Ball also created a beautiful flower garden and a special plant house at Rosebank. These gardens were famous in the Townsville area.
Later Years at Rosebank
Andrew Ball passed away at Rosebank in September 1894, at the age of 62. His wife, Rose, continued to live there until she passed away in February 1925, at 83.
In January 1912, their only daughter, Annie Alice May, married Robert Johnstone Douglas. He was a lawyer and the son of John Douglas, a former Premier of Queensland. Robert later became a Supreme Court Judge. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas are believed to have lived at Rosebank from 1912. They hired a Townsville builder named E. Crowder to renovate the house.
The renovations included adding many pressed metal ceilings. A wall was removed to create a library. The dining room was made larger by opening up the sewing room and pantry. The kitchen was also extended. The floorboards on the verandah were replaced at this time. In 1919, ownership of the property was transferred from Mrs. Ball to her daughter.
The house was damaged by cyclones in 1903 and again in 1971. The owners made big changes and repairs to parts of the house in 1912 and 1972. Some land on the left side of the house was sold off earlier in the 1900s. In 1940, the local Council took over the watercourse in front of Rosebank. They turned it into a public park. This reduced the property to its current size.
The Douglas family owned the house until September 1972. Then, the Lillicrap family bought it. They also made renovations to make the house more useful. After many years, the Lillicrap family sold the house to the family who still owns it today.
What Rosebank Looks Like
Rosebank is a large, single-story timber house. It sits on low brick piers (supports). The roof is made of corrugated-iron and has a short ridge. Wide verandahs surround the house. At the back, there is a separate kitchen wing. You can reach it from the back verandah.
The outer walls are made of deep chamferboards. These are timber boards with a sloped edge. You can see the timber framing on the outside. The roof has decorative cast-iron cresting (a decorative ridge) and finials (ornamental tops). The verandahs have cross-braced timber balustrading (railings) and fancy timber brackets (supports). There is a small gabled entrance portico (a porch with a roof supported by columns) at the front. It has a finial and decorative fretwork bargeboards (boards along the edge of a gable).
Inside, some rooms have beautiful pressed metal ceilings. These have been restored. There are also light fittings from the early 1900s. The kitchen and bathroom in the service wing have been updated. A double brick garage and a pool were added to the left of the house in the late 20th century. Some of the original mango trees from around 1885 are still there. More recently, new cottage gardens have been planted.
The house faces Townsville City Council parkland. This parkland was once part of the original Rosebank property.
Why Rosebank is Special
Rosebank was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. It met several important criteria.
A Glimpse into History
Rosebank, built around 1885, shows us how Townsville grew in the 1880s. This was a time when businesses were getting stronger. Main buildings were being rebuilt with bricks. Fancy homes were being built in the western and southwestern suburbs. Rosebank's grand style shows how successful its owners were and how prosperous the region was during the boom of the 1880s. The renovations in the 1910s and 1970s show that it has been a special home for over a hundred years.
A Great Example of Design
Rosebank is an excellent example of a large, decorative timber house from the mid-1880s. It still has its separate kitchen house. It stands on what remains of its original large grounds and garden.
Beautiful to See
The house is still very much like it was originally. Together with the remaining gardens, it is important for its beauty.
Connecting with the Community
Rosebank is considered one of Townsville's finest old homes. It has a strong connection for the people of Townsville to the early development of their city.
Linked to Important People
Rosebank is also important because of its close connection to Andrew and Rose Ball. They were important early residents of Townsville. Andrew Ball is known as the founder of Townsville.
Images for kids
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Rosebank, circa 1892
