Harlaxton House

Harlaxton House is a single-story villa built from locally quarried red laterite stone in Georgian style, featuring cedar joinery and multiple original fireplaces throughout. The residence sits on elevated terrain with extensive grounds that retain mature trees from the original landscape design.

Francis Thomas Gregory, an explorer and botanist, constructed this residence between 1869 and 1870 as one of the first substantial villas in Toowoomba. The building marked the beginning of refined residential architecture in the region during a period of economic expansion.

The property functioned as a summer retreat for various Queensland governors, reflecting the social importance of the Darling Downs region at that time. Visitors can still observe how the house and grounds were designed to accommodate guests of high standing.

The building sits on elevated ground with good views of the surroundings, offering plenty of space to explore comfortably. The extensive gardens allow visitors to walk through the entire site at their own pace.

The house was built using locally quarried red laterite, a material rarely seen in Queensland architecture. This careful material choice made the building a memorable example of regional construction methods from that era.