Sunnyside, Kangaroo Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunnyside, Kangaroo Point |
|
|---|---|
Sunnyside, 2011
|
|
| Location | 255 Main Street, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1895 - 1920s |
| Official name: Sunnyside, Dr Wright's House | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 28 July 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601810 |
| Significant period | 1890s-1920s (fabric) 1890s (historical) 1940s late - 1940s early (social) |
| Significant components | service corridor, pavilion, kitchen/kitchen house, residential accommodation - main house, cellar, views from, pathway/walkway |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Sunnyside is a special old house in Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia. It was built around 1895 and changed a bit until the 1920s. People also know it as Dr Wright's House. This house is important because it's on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected for its history.
Contents
The Story of Sunnyside
Sunnyside was built in the mid-1890s. It stood on land owned by Joseph Thompson. He was a businessman from Sydney who owned lots of property in Kangaroo Point. For a while, Sunnyside was rented out to different families.
Early Days of Kangaroo Point
The land where Sunnyside stands was first bought in 1843. This was at one of the first land sales in Brisbane. Kangaroo Point was becoming Brisbane's first suburb. It was a busy place with industries and shipping. The land was close to the river and a wharf.
Joseph Thompson bought this land in 1861. He owned it until he passed away in 1902. Thompson built rental houses on the part of the land facing Main Street. These included an older house called Silverwells and, later, Sunnyside. He also leased part of his land to a shipping company. This company built workshops and a wharf there.
A New Home in the 1890s
Sunnyside was built around 1895. We don't know who designed it. But its style suggests it might have been a Sydney architect. By the late 1800s, Kangaroo Point was a popular place to live. It was easy to get to the city by ferry. Many large homes were built here. Sunnyside showed that Kangaroo Point was still popular for middle-class families.
From about 1897 to 1903, Charles M Foster lived in Sunnyside. He was an ironmonger, someone who sold metal goods. Later, the Schureck family lived there from about 1906 to 1920. Julius Schureck was a shop owner.
Dr Wright's House
After Joseph Thompson died, his son, William Mann Thompson, took over the property. In 1920, he divided the land and sold it. Dr Robert Wright, a dentist, bought Sunnyside in October 1920. He made some small changes to the house. Around 1923, he built a garage. He might also have added a large room at the back of the house.
Sunnyside has stayed in the Wright family ever since. Dr Robert Wright's son, Dr RJ Wright, became a dentist too. In the late 1950s, he changed the house into two separate apartments. He lived in one part, and his sister-in-law lived in the other.
Dr RJ Wright was also the Chilean Consul in Brisbane. This means he represented Chile in Brisbane. Sunnyside was the Chilean Consulate for over 40 years. Dr RJ Wright lived there for most of his life. Today, Sunnyside is a single family home again. It is currently lived in by a grand-niece of Dr RJ Wright.
What Does Sunnyside Look Like?
Sunnyside is a big, one-story brick house. It sits on a hill in Main Street, Kangaroo Point. From the house, you can see the Brisbane River and the city. The land in front of the house is now a public park. This means the great views of the city are still there. Next to Sunnyside is another old house called Silverwells.
The house is made of brick. Only one side wall is still its original brick color. The front of the house has a bay window and a verandah. A verandah is like a porch. The verandah posts and floor were added later. At the back of the house, there was a separate brick kitchen building. Below it was a cellar. There's also a large timber room at the back. This room was likely added in the 1910s or 1920s. It used to be open but is now closed in.
Inside Sunnyside
Inside, the walls are plastered. The ceilings are high and have fancy metal designs. The wooden floors are shiny. Many walls have wallpaper, some from the 1960s or 1970s.
The house was built for a middle-class family to rent. It has nice details and big rooms. The front door opens right into the main hallway. To the right were the living room and dining room. These rooms share a chimney. A hallway leads to the kitchen building at the back. There was also a small pantry and a maid's room.
The house was changed into two apartments around the 1960s. This changed some of the doorways and rooms. For example, some bedroom doors were bricked up. A large room at the back was once an open pavilion. It now has wooden walls and windows.
The southern side of the house shows the most changes from when it was two apartments. One bedroom was split into a bathroom and toilet. Another room, possibly a small fourth bedroom, became a kitchen.
Outside Areas
At the back of the kitchen building, there's a small extension. Next to it is a larger double garage made of wood. Both have concrete floors. A concrete driveway leads from the street along the side of the house to the garages.
The front garden has an old path layout. But the plants and garden features are from the 1970s. These include a stone fountain and stone-edged garden beds. A bamboo hedge screens the house from the street.
Why Sunnyside is Special
Sunnyside is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register for several reasons.
A Glimpse into History
Sunnyside helps us understand the history of Kangaroo Point. It shows how the area grew from the 1850s. Middle-class families built large homes here with views of the river. Sunnyside, built in the 1890s, shows that Kangaroo Point stayed popular. It also shows how money from southern cities helped Queensland grow. The house is also important because it was the Chilean Consulate for over 40 years.
A Rare Find
Sunnyside is a rare example of a late 19th-century brick house in Brisbane. Its design and materials are more common in Sydney from that time. It's also rare because not many 19th-century homes are left in Kangaroo Point. The area has changed a lot over the years. Sunnyside and the nearby Silverwells are some of the last old homes in their block. They help show the history of Kangaroo Point.
Beautiful Design
Sunnyside is a well-built and beautiful brick house from the late 1800s. It shows the main features of houses from that time. Even though trees and bamboo hide it from the street, its garden and nearby trees add beauty to Main Street.
