Miegunyah is a heritage-listed

detached house A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelli ...

at 35 Jordan Terrace,

Bowen Hills Bowen Hills is an inner north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the Bowen Hills had a population of 3,226 people. Geography Bowen Hills is by road from the Brisbane CBD. Mayne is a neighbourhood within the s ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. It was built . It was also known as Beverley Wood. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...

on 21 October 1992. It is now home to the Queensland Women’s Historical Association and operated as a late 19th century period

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

History

On the verandah at Miegunyah a residence in Brisbane 1886

This single-storeyed timber residence was built around 1885 on land owned by

William Perry William Perry may refer to: Business * William Perry (Queensland businessman) (1835–1891), businessman and politician in Queensland, Australia * William H. Perry (businessman) (1832–1906), American businessman and entrepreneur Politics and ...

, a successful ironmonger and merchant who lived at nearby Folkestone. Perry had bought the land in 1875, and the house was occupied by his adult sons Herbert and George who built the business premises Perry House in the

Brisbane CBD Brisbane City is the central suburb and central business district of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is colloquially referred to as the "Brisbane CBD" or "the city". It is located on a point on the northern bank of the ...

. Herbert's wife was Leila Elizabeth Markwell, grand-daughter of

George Edmondstone George Edmondstone (1809–1883) was politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and an alderman and mayor in the Brisbane Municipal Council.Brisbane City Council Archives The surname is spell ...

. Leila Perry died in 1920 and Herbert Perry died in 1922. Miegunyah remained in the Perry family until 1926, and several changes of ownership followed to 1966. The house was saved from demolition by the

Queensland Women's Historical Association The Queensland Women's Historical Association is a historical society in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia which studies the history and heritage of Queensland, including its pioneer families and the contribution made by women. The Association is ...

, who by 1967 had raised sufficient funds to acquire the building. They refurbished the house and later opened it as a house museum dedicated to the pioneer women of Queensland. The interior has been partly returned to its original layout and colour scheme.

Description

Miegunyah is a single-storeyed timber house (c.1885) surrounded by a

verandah A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

with

cast-iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

balusters, wide filigree posts and valances. Bay windows at the front do not extend to the

hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...

, which is in

corrugated iron Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a ...

. Entry is via a projecting gabled portico with a

fretwork Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly use ...

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

. The house is highset at the front with brick

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

and honeycomb brick infill. The stairs and portico base are in solid masonry ornamented in classic detail including arches with

keystones A keystone (or capstone) is the wedge-shaped stone at the apex of a masonry arch or typically round-shaped one at the apex of a vault. In both cases it is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allo ...

. The exterior of the timber stables at the rear has been conserved while the interior has been altered to provide caretaker accommodation.

Heritage listing

Miegunyah was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Miegunyah demonstrates the principal characteristics of a substantial single storeyed 1880s residence, including stables and garden. The fine quality of the residence exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics valued by the community. Miegunyah is significant for the association between the building and the Perry family, prominent Brisbane merchants and also with the work of the

. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. Miegunyah demonstrates the principal characteristics of a substantial single storeyed 1880s residence, including stables and garden. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The fine quality of the residence exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics valued by the community. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. Miegunyah is significant for the association between the building and the Perry family, prominent Brisbane merchants and also with the work of the

References

Attribution

External links