Newstead House, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Newstead House is Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence and is located on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River
,
in the northern Brisbane
suburb of Newstead
, in Queensland
, Australia
. Built as a small cottage in the
Colonial-Georgian style in 1846, the cottage was extended and today is painted and furnished in a late Victorian style.
Newstead House is the oldest house in Brisbane, but not the oldest surviving building. In 1847 Patrick Leslie (married to Catherine McArthur) sold Newstead House to his brother-in-law (married to Anna McArthur), the Police
Magistrate
and Government
Resident.
, Nottinghamshire, England, a former Augustinian priory which became the Byron family home.
The property was referred to as Newstead until it left the possession of R. N. Wickham in 1859 after which it became known as Newstead House.
Newstead house was built as a residence by Brisbane's first architect
and builder Andrew Petrie
for fellow Scottish
settler
Patrick Leslie
; it was soon acquired by Captain John Wickham
. Then it became home to a series of judges, politicians, merchant ship owners. It was purchased by the Brisbane City Council in 1918 and was the residence of the superintendent of their council parks. The Council leased part of the property to the Historical Society of Queensland
in 1934 and it was used to store historical records. In 1939 the Queensland Parliament created a Trust and ownership was transferred to the Newstead House Trust. For three years in World War II
it was occupied by American forces and then was operated as a museum and research library by the Historical Society of Queensland until they moved to the Commissariat Store.
The building was occupied by American
troops during World War II
. There is an Australian-American War Memorial
in the grounds in memory of this.
Newstead House is now a museum
and is heritage listed
. It is open to the public, and concerts are sometimes held at the house and grounds.
Newstead House and the grounds, Newstead Park, are now maintained by the Newstead House Trust assisted the Friends of Newstead, a volunteer group who also organise various events to attract visitors.
The land originally formed a part of the land purchased by Patrick Leslie
in 1845 on which he built Newstead House.
In the 1920s the Brisbane City Council constructed an electrical substation
for its tramway system in the grounds of the House. Since the closure of the tram system in 1969 the substation has been used by the Queensland National Trust.
In May each year the park is host to the commemoration of the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
A playspace featuring an "Alice through the Looking Glass" theme is located in the park.
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
,
in the northern Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
suburb of Newstead
Newstead, Queensland
Newstead is a riverside suburb of the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is situated 3 km north of the Brisbane central business district...
, in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Built as a small cottage in the
Colonial-Georgian style in 1846, the cottage was extended and today is painted and furnished in a late Victorian style.
Newstead House is the oldest house in Brisbane, but not the oldest surviving building. In 1847 Patrick Leslie (married to Catherine McArthur) sold Newstead House to his brother-in-law (married to Anna McArthur), the Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
Resident.
History of Newstead House
Newstead House took its name from Newstead AbbeyNewstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, originally an Augustinian priory, is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron.-Monastic foundation:The priory of St...
, Nottinghamshire, England, a former Augustinian priory which became the Byron family home.
The property was referred to as Newstead until it left the possession of R. N. Wickham in 1859 after which it became known as Newstead House.
Newstead house was built as a residence by Brisbane's first architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and builder Andrew Petrie
Andrew Petrie
Andrew Petrie was a builder, architect and Australian pioneer.Petrie was born in Fife, Scotland and trained as a builder in Edinburgh, where he married Mary Cuthbertson in 1821. John Dunmore Lang brought him, his wife and four sons to Sydney in 1831 with other Scottish mechanics to form the...
for fellow Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie was a Scottish Settler in Australia. Leslie and his two brothers were the first to settle on the Darling Downs, and he was the first person to buy land in Warwick.-Early life:...
; it was soon acquired by Captain John Wickham
John Clements Wickham
John Clements Wickham was a naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was a Lieutenant on HMS Beagle during her second survey mission from 1831 to 1836, which took the young naturalist Charles Darwin on what became the subject of his book, The Voyage of the Beagle...
. Then it became home to a series of judges, politicians, merchant ship owners. It was purchased by the Brisbane City Council in 1918 and was the residence of the superintendent of their council parks. The Council leased part of the property to the Historical Society of Queensland
Royal Historical Society of Queensland
The Royal Historical Society of Queensland is a historical society founded in Brisbane, Australia in 1913. It promotes the study of Australian history especially that of Queensland and adjacent Pacific islands. It maintains an important collection and catalogue of historical research materials and...
in 1934 and it was used to store historical records. In 1939 the Queensland Parliament created a Trust and ownership was transferred to the Newstead House Trust. For three years in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was occupied by American forces and then was operated as a museum and research library by the Historical Society of Queensland until they moved to the Commissariat Store.
The building was occupied by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. There is an Australian-American War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in the grounds in memory of this.
Newstead House is now a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and is heritage listed
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
. It is open to the public, and concerts are sometimes held at the house and grounds.
Newstead House and the grounds, Newstead Park, are now maintained by the Newstead House Trust assisted the Friends of Newstead, a volunteer group who also organise various events to attract visitors.
Newstead Park
Newstead Park is a significant historic park.The land originally formed a part of the land purchased by Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie was a Scottish Settler in Australia. Leslie and his two brothers were the first to settle on the Darling Downs, and he was the first person to buy land in Warwick.-Early life:...
in 1845 on which he built Newstead House.
In the 1920s the Brisbane City Council constructed an electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
for its tramway system in the grounds of the House. Since the closure of the tram system in 1969 the substation has been used by the Queensland National Trust.
In May each year the park is host to the commemoration of the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
.
A playspace featuring an "Alice through the Looking Glass" theme is located in the park.
External links
- Newstead House - official website