To-Me-Ree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids To-Me-Ree residence |
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Residence from Park Street, 2015
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| Location | 7 Macalister Street, West Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c. 1910 |
| Official name: To-Me-Ree | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600588 |
| Significant period | 1900s-1910s (fabric) 1910s-1960s (historical) |
| Significant components | garden - rock / rockery, gate - entrance, driveway, garden/grounds, gate/s, fence/wall - perimeter, service wing, residential accommodation - main house |
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To-Me-Ree is a special old house located in West Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a "heritage-listed" place, which means it's important to history and protected. This beautiful house was built around 1910. It was officially added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, because of its historical value.
Contents
A Look Back: To-Me-Ree's History
Building the House
To-Me-Ree is a single-story brick house built in the Federation style. It was one of four houses constructed by George Williams around 1910. These homes were all built on the southern side of Denmark Hill. George Williams and his wife lived in a similar brick house called "Almondsbury" nearby.
George Williams' daughter, Nellie (Mary Ellen), and her husband, Sydney May, were the first residents of To-Me-Ree.
The Name and Collections
The name "To-Me-Ree" comes from Sydney May's interest in Aboriginal words. It is thought to be linked to the Port Stephens headland. Sydney May had a large collection of Aboriginal artefacts. He displayed these items in a room that used to be a side verandah. Later, this collection was given to the Ipswich Art Gallery, where you can see it today.
The May Family's Life at To-Me-Ree
Sydney May moved to Ipswich in 1905. He became the organist and choir master at the Ipswich Congregational Church. He also taught music at the University of Queensland. He even started music summer schools.
The May family kept a special bush house and a rock garden at To-Me-Ree. Their garden was so beautiful that many visitors from the city came to see it. Sydney May passed away in 1968, and Nellie May died in 1972. Their daughter, Barbara, continued to live in the house until her death in 1980.
To-Me-Ree is a great example of the wealthy homes built around Denmark Hill. This area was popular for grand houses from the late 1800s into the early 1900s. The house fits in well with the other large brick and timber homes nearby.
Exploring To-Me-Ree: What It Looks Like
To-Me-Ree is located on the corner of Moffat and Macalister Streets. It sits on the southern side of Denmark Hill, offering wide views to the south. It is a large brick house with a complex roof that has many pointed sections called gables.
Outside Features
The front of the house, facing south, has two gables that stick out. A verandah connects these gables. This verandah has been closed in with wooden boards and colorful glass windows. Each gable has round "windows" for air and fancy wooden decorations. The gables also have cream-colored stone blocks, called quoins, which stand out against the red brick of the house. One gable has a bay window that sticks out, with its own small roof. The chimney is made from a mix of red, cream, and gray bricks, making it very decorative.
On the eastern side, there is another verandah. It has wooden posts with carved tops and simple, elegant wooden supports and decorative trim. This verandah wraps around to the back of the house. A pergola extends from the roof over a large square rock garden. The pergola is held up by fancy Italian-style pillars on the eastern side.
The rock garden is bordered at the back by the driveway. The driveway has original decorative iron gates leading to Macalister Street. Beyond the driveway, in the back garden, you can still see signs of a building that used to be there among the old plants.
Walls and Entrance
The southern and eastern sides of the property are surrounded by a low brick wall. This wall includes an original decorative iron gate at the front, facing Macalister Street. This gate has the name "To-Me-Ree" on it and leads to the front verandah steps.
To enter the house, you go through a door on the eastern verandah. This door is surrounded by colorful, patterned glass, matching the glass on the enclosed verandah facing Moffat Street. The entrance leads into a hallway with a wooden arch in the middle. This hallway goes to the back of the house, with rooms on both sides.
Inside the House
The kitchen is in the southwest corner of the house. It still has one of the two central fireplaces. The other fireplace is in the living room, right on the other side of the wall from the kitchen fireplace. A room on the western side of the house is an enclosed verandah. This leads to the bathroom and laundry, which are still in their original spots in the northwest corner of the house.
Why To-Me-Ree is a Heritage Site
To-Me-Ree was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. It met certain important rules to be listed:
Showing Queensland's History
To-Me-Ree helps us understand how wealthy neighborhoods grew around Denmark Hill in Ipswich. This happened from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
Its Beautiful Design
The house has high aesthetic value, meaning it is very beautiful. It is a fine example of a Federation brick villa with excellent building details. It is also part of a group of four similar houses that are unique in the area. The house also looks great from the street, being on a noticeable corner block. It is surrounded by other large houses of different ages and designs.
Connection to Important People
To-Me-Ree has a special link to the May family. They lived in the house from when it was built in 1910 until 1980. Sydney May, in particular, was a music lecturer at the University of Queensland. He was very active in the Ipswich community and helped improve the city's music scene.
