Wilston House, Heritage villa in Newmarket, Brisbane, Australia.
Wilston House is a single-story Georgian brick residence on Watson Street with characteristic wide verandahs that wrap around the structure. The interior and exterior showcase cedar detailing and slate materials that give the home its distinctive appearance and durability.
William Wilson, a mercantile broker and Queensland Legislative Council member, hired architect James Cowlishaw to design this residence between 1876 and 1880. The building was completed during a period when successful Brisbane merchants were constructing grand homes in the surrounding areas.
The home reflects how prosperous merchants lived and built their residences in the 1870s, showing the taste and values of successful business families. You can see this through the care taken with materials like cedar and slate, which were signs of wealth and status at the time.
The hilltop location allows you to explore the original architectural features, including the entrance hall and drawing rooms at your own pace. The elevated position also gives you views of how the property sits within its surroundings and the period design choices that were made.
During the 1880s, resident James Tolson experimented with freezing mutton on the property to prepare it for shipment to Britain. This unusual use of a private home reflects the experimental agricultural ventures that some property owners pursued during that era.
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