96 Donaldson Street, Corinda

In 1867, three of the first pupils at the new West Oxley State School (where Sherwood State Primary is today) were the sons of Francis Lahey, who had purchased a 224 acre farm at Coopers Plains in 1862 (sold 1872). More land was obtained in 1864 at Jindalee (sold 1876), and in 1870 the Laheys purchased land at Pimpana, where they made their mark in the arrowroot industry (sold 1901). 

The youngest of Francis’ 11 children was David Lahey, who was to become involved, along with his elder brothers, in sawmilling operations at Tygum (1876), Canungra (1884) and Beaudesert (1889). One of David’s sons, Romeo Lahey, was to be instrumental in the formation of Lamington National Park, and David’s eldest daughter, Vida Lahey, was to become a well known Queensland artist.

In 1910, David started a sawmill at Corinda, independent of his brothers, in order to provide employment for his sons. Some of Brisbane’s “Dreadnought” trams were built at Corinda, along with the car ferry that operated between Chelmer and Indooroopilly before the construction of the Walter Taylor Bridge. Little remains of  the buildings from the “Brisbane Timbers Ltd” operation (later “Laheys Pty Limited”), and David’s house “Wonga Wallen”, which was built in 1912 at the junction of Clara St, Railway Tce and Collins St, Corinda, has been demolished. Between 1910 and 1912 the Lahey family leased the large “Greylands” home at Indooroopilly.

However, the Californian Bungalow at the corner of Hall Ave and Donaldson St, built in 1919 for David’s sixth child, Eric (Huck) Lahey, still exists. The house at 11 Hall St was built on 61 perches of land, from the finest timbers that this sawmilling family could obtain, as was the house at 96 Clewley St (“Red Dawn”) built around 1924-1925 for David’s ninth child Jack, and 103 Martindale St, (“Hardeen”) built 1924 for his second child Percival. 

Huck and his wife Vera owned the house at 11 Hall St until 1939. In 2003 their daughter Shirley Lahey published the book “The Laheys: Pioneer Settlers and Sawmillers”.

1. Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Certificates of Title

2. Walter Taylor South Character and Heritage Study, BCC Heritage Unit, 1997

3. Brisbane City Council Water Supply & Sewerage Detail Plans

4. Lahey, Shirley, The Laheys: Pioneer Settler and Sawmiller, Brisbane, 2003

5.  “Lahey’s Corinda Connections”, Shirley Lahey, in Oxley-Chelmer Places, Patriarchs and Pastimes, Oxley-Chelmer History Group Papers I, 1999.

6. Oxley Creek Times: Original Inhabitants .www.brisbane-stories.powerup.com.au/olxey/01_tales/03_aborigines.htm