Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queenslander
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Residence
4 Holmes Street, Toowong
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queenslander
This large, Federation style residence was built circa 1901 for accountant Thomas White and his wife Phoebe. Thomas was Managing Director of the White Mercantile Agency, which produced the White Mercantile Gazette, an influential commercial journal. The house survives as a good example of the types of fine dwellings built for the professional middle class in Toowong at the turn of the twentieth century. Since Thomas’ death in 1926, the house has had a number of different owners.
Also known as
Kiarrba
Lot plan
L2_RP95677
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
Also known as
Kiarrba
Lot plan
L2_RP95677
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
History
Phoebe White, wife of Toowong Accountant Thomas Edward White, bought the bulk of this block in 1889, adding a smaller subdivision in 1893. Phoebe and Thomas built Kiarraba in around 1901, first listed here in 1902 Post Office Directory. After Phoebe's death in 1921, Thomas remained here until he died in 1926.
Architect Richard Gailey had designed White's earlier home at Toowong and it possible that he, or his son Richard Gailey Jnr, was involved in the design and construction of this house.
Thomas Edward White was Managing Director of White Mercantile. The White Mercantile Agency, accountants and auditors, established in Brisbane by 1897, produced the important commercial magazine, The White Mercantile Gazette. Eventually the company was absorbed by American firm Dun and Bradstreet. The combined company now has a wide range of business interests, but they still include credit and debt check and business investigations.
After Thomas' death in 1929 the property passed into the hands of Mrs Harriet Lanham, wife of John Lanham. Queensland Trustees Limited had subdivided the land into one large block with this house, and eight smaller blocks along Josling and Herbert Streets. Harriet bought the large block with house, selling to Roger Joseph Hartigan in 1936.
Hartigan further divided the land, selling the remaining Jo sling Street frontage in 1950 and the house and land in 1955. The purchasers, David and Dulcie Swan, immediately divided off the Herbert Street frontage, keeping the larger house block. The land has retained this size and shape since, although the house has had a number of alterations and additions during its life.
Description
This building is a timber house with a large pyramidal corrugated steel roof covering the main core and encircling verandas, which have timber balustrading and security screening. Adjoining buildings of matching form and materials have been added since the original construction.
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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BCC building cards
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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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Transmissions by Death (Qld Government Gazette)
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Donald Watson and Judith McKay, Queensland Architects of the Nineteenth Century, South Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1994
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White Mercantile Gazette, Vol 1, No.1, 24 August 1897
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised September 2020)