Ben Nevis

James Musgrave Collin was born in Brisbane in 1907 where he trained as an architect. He was employed by Atkinson, Powell and Conrad during the 1920s before establishing his own practice in 1933. From 1938 to 1954, he was in partnership with A. H. Job. J.M. Collin died in 1974.

The Old English style became popular in Brisbane during the late 1920s and 1930s. These houses were often built for wealthy clients in Brisbane’s most fashionable suburbs such as Ascot, Hamilton, Clayfield and Coorparoo. The style, sometimes referred to as Mock Tudor or Stockbroker Tudor usually featured large chimneys, a steeply pitched roof and the combined use of stucco, brick and half timber.

The house is built on land which was part of the grounds of Bayview, an imposing residence built in the 1920s for Thomas and Margaret Lahey which has since been demolished and replaced with high rise apartments. The Laheys, a prominent sawmilling family in Brisbane purchased over 2 acres in Christian Street in 1924. A strip of land to the south of the property was subdivided and sold in 1929. Some 61 perches of this subdivision was bought by Donald Charles Cameron in 1936.

In December 1936, Cameron submitted plans to Council for the construction of a brick residence designed by J.M Collin at a cost of £2 350, a substantial sum at the time for a home. The builder was S. Noyes. Postal records reveal that the Camerons named their home Ben Nevis. Further research is required to establish the occupation of Donald Cameron. It is possible he was related to Sir Donald Charles Cameron, a Queensland soldier, pastoralist and politician who died in 1960.

In 1966, the Camerons placed some 25 perches containing the house on a separate title. This is the same allotment surrounding the house today. Ben Nevis left the ownership of the Camerons in 1967 and in 1980 passed to the present owners.  A contemporary brick and tile garage has been added to the site which is excluded from the heritage listing.