Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queenslander
Hillsdon Road Kindergarten
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Hillsdon Road Kindergarten
Hillsdon Road Kindergarten
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queenslander
This former residence was constructed in the early 1890s as a rental investment property for John Edward Jones and his wife Elizabeth. It was purchased by tenant John Simmons in 1899 and retained in the Simmons family until 1960. The house was then purchased by the Toowong Kindergarten Association and converted for use as the Hillsdon Road Kindergarten which has continued to operate from the building into the twenty-first century.
Lot plan
L1_RP23625
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (G) SocialInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L1_RP23625
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (G) SocialInteractive mapping
History
Evidence indicates that this house was constructed for John Edward Jones a teacher of Leichhardt St. School. Jones purchased the property in May 1889. He subdivided part of the land in 1893 to his wife, Elizabeth Jones.
By 1896 the house, still owned by Jones, was occupied by Brisbane stone mason John Howard Simmonds. Simmonds appears to have operated a reasonably sized business as
he claimed to have, regarding Headstones and Monuments, The Largest Stock in the Colony to select from.
The previous name given to the residence was Pen-y-Bryn.
It seems possible that Simmonds rented the house for several years off Jones until buying it in 1899. Simmonds, and later his wife Rose, lived there until her death in 1960. The
house was then sold by the family to the Toowong Kindergarten Association and converted into the Hillsdon Road Kindergarten. A number of Kindergartens were established during the 1950s - 1960s which were intended to meet the social obligations of local communities during this particular and later periods.
Description
This building is a low-set L-shaped Victorian style residence with hipped corrugated iron main roof and separate curved iron verandah roofs. A simple hipped roof annexe is attached to the rear corner, and the rear verandah is enclosed with louvres and chamfer boards. The house retains its brick chimney and original form, with minor alterations to suit its current kindergarten use.
Statement of significance
Relevant assessment criteria
This is a place of local heritage significance and meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage planning scheme policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2014. It is significant because:
References
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Brisbane City Council Water Supply & Sewerage Detail Plans
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Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Certificates of title and other records.
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Environmental Protection Agency
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JOL Estate Map Collection and photographic collection
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Lawson, Ronald Brisbane in the 1890s: A Study of an Australian Urban Society. St Lucia U of Q Press, 1973
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Queensland Post Office Directories
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised September 2020)