Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queen Anne
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Residence
Doonholm
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Federation 1890-1914
Style
Queen Anne
This elegant two-storey masonry house was constructed circa 1891. With its arches and corner tower, it has elements of the Queen Anne style of the Federation period. The house was built for John Stewart who acquired the site in 1890. Stewart was a builder and contractor and it is likely he built the large family residence himself. Stewart was an alderman on the Brisbane Municipal Council from 1899 to 1901.Known as ‘Doonholm’ from the late 1890s, the house was transferred to Stewart’s widow, Catherine, after his death in 1904. ‘Doonholm’ remained in the Stewart family until the mid-1950s. The Stewarts resided at the house for many years and at times, took in boarders. The house was let after the death of Catherine Stewart in 1911 and by the 1950s, ‘Doonholm’ had been converted to flats. It has since been returned to a single dwelling.
Lot plan
L1_RP11151
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Masonry
People/associations
John Stewart (Builder)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L1_RP11151
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Masonry
People/associations
John Stewart (Builder)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
History
‘Doonholm’ was built for John Stewart, circa 1891, and remained the Stewart family’s home for several years. As John Stewart was a builder and contractor, it is likely that he built the house himself. The name ‘Doonholm’ was that of a mansion in Ayrshire, the birthplace of John’s wife, Catherine.
John Stewart purchased 33 perches of land in Walmsley Street in 1890. Kangaroo Point was well established as a residential area by this time, with many of the smaller workers’ cottages providing accommodation for those employed in the local industries such as shipbuilding. However, Walmsley Street, located quite close to the cliff top overlooking the river and St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Leopard Street, was a more middle class locality. In 1890, the street was home to only three residents: a school teacher, a carpenter and an immigration official. By the late 1920s, the street had grown to contain some 20 homes.
John Stewart served as an alderman on the Brisbane Municipal Council from 1899 to 1901, holding positions on several committees, including the Works Committee, Parks Committee and Health Committee. It appears that he ran his contracting business from his home in Walmsely Street. John Stewart died on 10 January 1904, leaving ‘Doonholm’ to his wife, Catherine. Upon his death, a large amount of building material and equipment was sold on site in “Walmsley and Baynes Streets”, including a crane, a gas engine and a cottage and large iron “joiner’s shop” for removal.
John and Catherine Stewart had nine children including a son who was killed during World War I. After the death of Catherine Stewart at ‘Doonholm’ in 1911, the house passed to her married daughter, Jean Smith, and for a time was used as a boarding house. The property was subsequently let. An advertisement in the Brisbane Courier on 24 February 1914 described the house as a “two-storey residence, 9 rooms and bath, laundry, shed, bush-house, tennis court, gas and water, over ¼ acre land”.
After the death of Jean Smith in 1955, the property was subdivided into two allotments and sold. By the 1950s, the house had been converted to flats. It has since been restored to a single dwelling.
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
-
Brisbane City Council Detail Plan no. 49, 1933
-
Brisbane City Council, aerial photographs 1946 & 2009
-
Brisbane City Council Building Cards
-
Brisbane Courier, 10 July 1911, 24 Feb and 25 Jul 1915, 25 July 1918, 26 October 1924
-
DERM. Titles Information
-
Queensland Post Office Directories
-
Queenslander, 8 June 1918
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised June 2022)