Cockerill

John Cockerill and his family arrived in Brisbane via New South Wales from England in the 1840s and set up a butchering business in South Brisbane. This trade, combined with grazing, continued as a business tradition in the Cockerill family over subsequent decades. Members of the Cockerill family were also associated with two schools in the area. According to a family history, John Cockerill built the first school where Junction Park School is now situated and Mark Cockerill, his son, built the first school at Yeronga. He was reputed to have both timber and masonry skills. 

By the 1890s the Cockerill butchering businesses were firmly established at South Brisbane with the slaughter yards at Stephens Tannery Paddock and brothers Mark (Mark Cockerill & Sons), and John listed as butchers. Also, Mark and his son John A, were listed as graziers at Jumma (near Dalby) and James as a grazier at Nerang.

The Young Street property (part of the St Kilda Estate subdivision) was transferred from James (who died in 1897) to 14-year-old John Allan Cockerill and produced in the Titles Office on 10 March 1882. The land was subsequently transferred to John Allan’s father, Mark, in December 1897 (same year as James died) who then transferred it back to his son when a new certificate of title was issued on 20 April 1900.

The first sign that a member of the Cockerill family was living at the Young Street property was in the 1906 Post Office Directory listing for Allan Cockerill, later listed as John Allan Cockerill. By the early 1900s five heads of households were listed on the same side of Young Street until the 1906 Directory when Allan Cockerill (owner John Allan) appeared in sixth position on the large property right up to the corner of Annerley (Boggo) Road. Prior to this date he was listed as a grazier at Jumma. This indicates that there was no house on the site until at least 1905. John Allan Cockerill would have been about 37 at this stage, 10 years after he married. 

John Allan Cockerill transferred the property to his wife Mary Constance in December 1910, which was owned by her up to the time of her death in October 1941. 

However, John Allan was still listed as the head of household for the property until 1924, after which time there was no further mention of any Cockerill living there. Following subdivision of the corner block in 1928 a new certificate of title was issued to Mary Constance on 21 December 1928 for 26 and nine tenths perches which included access to Annerley Road from the rear of the block. The land was now less than half the size of the original block.

Land title records show that the property was in the hands of Queensland Trustees Limited until a transfer to Edith Alma White was produced in the Titles Office on 23 September 1947.

The building has a wrap around verandah with a roof lower than the main roof of the house, which was more a fashion of 19th century houses. To either side of the verandah entry, which is in line with the front entry door, are paired verandah posts. French doors open at either side of the entry door into the verandah. 

The house, shown in a detail plan of 1935 with a short, single row of steps up to the front entrance, was later raised and some decorations/detailing, particularly to the verandah and front steps, have been added during more recent renovation. However these later alterations do not substantially diminish the integrity of the residence.

1. Brisbane City Council, Detail Plan No 659, 1935

2. Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Certificate of Titles

3. Radcliffe, Mary, Cockerill Family history, John Oxley Library, 1984

4. Post Office Directories 1880-1924

5. Heritage Unit, Stephens District: Character and Heritage Study, Heritage Unit, Brisbane City Council, 1995

6. Mackenzie, Annie, Memories along the Boggo Track, Boolarong Publications, 1992