Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Victorian 1860-1890
Style
Queenslander
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Ford's Cottage
Ford's Cottage
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Victorian 1860-1890
Style
Queenslander
This timber cottage was built circa 1882 for labourer Timothy Ford on Boundary Street, which marked the original outskirts of the Town of Brisbane. The street was later renamed Cemetery Street for its proximity to the General Brisbane Cemetery and renamed again in 1890, as Hale Street, as it is known today. The house has had numerous owners throughout its history and has been well maintained as a private residence.
Lot plan
L5_RP10683
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) HistoricalInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L5_RP10683
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
Criterion for listing
(A) HistoricalInteractive mapping
History
The land on which this residence was built was originally part of Suburban Allotment 303 purchased in 1861 by Joseph Baynes, a Queen Street watchmaker. He paid ₤81 for 1 acre, 1 rood and 2 perches of former crown land situated along Boundary Street (later Hale Street), which at that time marked the outskirts of the Town of Brisbane. Baynes also dabbled in land development so he subdivided Lot 303 into a number of small residential blocks.
William Mannaring Martin and his partner Godfrey Freeman White bought Subdivision 5 on the corner of Boundary and Princess Streets from Baynes on 9 September 1863. It was sold twice before being purchased by Timothy Ford in September 1881. It has been suggested that the house at 205 Hale Street may have been first built as a mortuary and a chapel to service the adjacent Ithaca Cemetery which operated until 1875, however there is no clear evidence for this. Boundary Street was renamed Cemetery Street during the 1880s.
Postal records indicate that Ford built the cottage on the corner allotment soon after purchase. He then sold the property in December 1883 to John Harr (sometimes spelt Hare). Harr died in 1890 and the house passed to his widow who continued to live in the cottage for a short time before it was rented. At this time, Cemetery Street was renamed Hale Street.
Ford’s Cottage remained in the hands of the Hare (Harr) family until January 1927, when George Fitzroy Bendell became the new owner. It has since changed hands many times.
This is an unusual triple-gabled timber, nineteenth century cottage surviving in what was one of Brisbane’s earliest suburbs. It was featured as a heritage place in the 1988 book Petrie Terrace Brisbane 1858-1988.
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, Properties on the Web, website
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Brisbane City Council, 1946 aerial photographs.
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Brisbane City Council’s Central Library, local history sheets
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Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Certificates of Title and other records
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Woodcock, Steve & Fisher, Rod, Petrie Terrace Brisbane 1858-1988, (Brisbane: Boolarong Press, 1988)
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John Oxley Library, Brisbane Suburbs – Estate Maps
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Queensland Government, Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889, (Brisbane: Department of Justice and Attorney General, 2000)
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Queensland Post Office Directories, 1868-1949
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised June 2022)