Brickstone Residence, Heritage-listed house in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Brickstone Residence is a three-level load-bearing brick house at 11 Murphy Street, rendered with ruled joints and topped by a steeply pitched monopitch hip roof with a central gable over the front verandah. Four dormer windows light the attic, and the main floor has a four-room core around a central hall, with verandahs open on two sides. A detached building to the rear is said to hold the original kitchen and wash-house.

James Kirby Swan, a wheelwright, bought part of the land in 1861 and appears on the 1864 electoral roll at this address, suggesting the house was built for him in the early 1860s. Builder William Hancock, who migrated from England in 1856, later acquired the property and his family history records that he built three houses in a line at 11, 13 and 15 Murphy Street. Hancock lived at number 11 briefly in late 1875.

The residence reflects housing practices and building traditions that were common among prosperous households during Queensland's industrial expansion in the 1800s. Its High Victorian style shows what architectural choices mattered to people of that era.

The site is a private residence and is typically viewable from the street only, allowing you to see the facade details from Murphy Street. The best view is accessible from the pavement where you can fully appreciate the architecture and brickwork.

The cellar and attic spaces reveal construction techniques from the middle 1800s that were typical of Queensland building practices. These hidden areas preserve craftsmanship details that are rarely visible in modern structures.