Bunburra

The house is built on land which was once part of a 5 acre parcel of land purchased by successful Brisbane sawmiller, William Pettigrew, in 1865. In 1882, the new railway line to Sandgate passed through the block of land, leaving Pettigrew with over 2 acres of land in Norman Parade. Now part of the suburb of Clayfield, this locality became known after the arrival of the railway as Eagle Junction, a shortening of “Eagle Farm Junction” because of the branch line forking to Eagle Farm.

In 1883, Pettigrew transferred his Eagle Junction land to his son, Robert Pettigrew. The Pettigrew family suffered financial difficulties during the economic crisis of the 1890s and in 1891, Robert Pettigrew mortgaged his land at Eagle Junction for £12,900. In 1896, the land passed to Pettigrew’s mortgagees and it was subdivided for residential development in 1902. Just over 32 perches in Norman Parade was purchased that year by Charles Henry Day.

Although Day gives his occupation as “commercial traveller” in electoral records, he was wealthy enough to commission an architectural firm to design a house for his Clayfield property. In May 1902, the firm of Eatons and Bates called for tenders to build a “villa residence” for Day at Eagle Junction. Day soon took up residence in his new home which he named Bunburra.

Day sold his Eagle Junction property in 1906 to Katherine Peel, the wife of Robert Sydney Frederick Peel. Norman Parade and the neighbouring streets of Bayview Terrace and Roseby Avenue attracted a range of commercial and professional families who had been building substantial, often architect designed houses in the suburb since the late 19th century. Successful business families such as the Pikes and the McWhirters built impressive homes in this locality. It seems that the Mrs Peel took an active role in the local community, for example hosting a committee meeting for the Clayfield Flower Show at her home in 1914.

The Peels sold Bunburra in 1917. It has since had several owners.

The house has a verandah on the front and sides with separate verandah roofs. French doors open onto the side verandahs which have lattice panels and doors dividing them
from the front verandah. The front and side verandahs have chamfered timber posts with capitals and cast-iron balustrading and friezes. The walls sheltered by the front and side verandahs have single skin VJ boards.

A centrally placed front door with sidelights features leadlight panels with stained glass as does internal swing doors in the hallway. Symmetrical bay windows on either side of the front door have central double-hung walk through windows flanked by side windows with double casements with coloured patterned glass. The casement windows at the eastern corner of the house also have coloured patterned glass.

The style of the house is complemented by a timber front fence and gate.

The layout of the house follows a central hallway with formal rooms or bedrooms on either side and a central room. One of the rooms on the western side has an ornate marble fireplace with tiles and an iron grate. The timber mantel is thought not to be original. Another fireplace is situated at the rear of this fireplace with a third immediately below underneath the house. Some of the internal ceilings have pressed metal ceilings.

There have been some internal modifications with the addition of an internal staircase at the rear leading to an enclosed area underneath the house. The bathroom and kitchen have been modernised and an extra bathroom added off the back verandah.

The back yard has access to the rear of the site and there are three mature palms near the eastern boundary.

1. Apperly et al. A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present. Sydney: Harper Collins, 1989

2. Brisbane Courier, 29 Apr 1902, 26 Mar 1914

3. DERM. Titles Office Records

4. Queensland Electoral Rolls 1903-1913

5. Queensland Post Office Directories