gardens

Land at the heights of Bowen Hills, which provided fine views and cooling breezes, was eagerly purchased by Brisbane’s wealthier citizens. Substantial houses were built on the hilltop and surrounding slopes, including ‘Cintra House’ (1865), ‘Folkstone’ (the 1860s), and ‘Montpelier’ (1860s). Further subdivisions in the 1870s brought new settlers to the area, again primarily to the elevated sites known as Montpelier Hill or Bowen Hill Crest. Lower-lying land was flood prone and remained poorly developed in the nineteenth century, though some industry was opened along the banks of Breakfast Creek and the Brisbane River. Source: heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/258

A bush-house is an Australian term for shade-house, created to grow plants that prefer shady conditions and thrive in warm climates. This shady environment simulates the rainforest understorey. Sometimes called a Fernery or Fern House. o IT IS NOT A GLASSHOUSE or true conservatory. o In design terms, this is where garden architecture and horticulture combine! PURPOSES of BUSH-HOUSES 1. As a working greenhouse to propagate and cultivate shade-loving plants 2. To display plant collections 3. As a recreation facility (for sitting, thinking, reading, taking te Bush-houses were extremely popular in Queensland from the 1880s to 1940s, ranging from Government House (OBG and Fernberg) to suburban cottages and villas, to outback homesteads, in private & public gardens. Source: brisbanebotanictreasures.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/...

Merthyr House was constructed during 1878-1880 and is located in the inner Brisbane City suburb of New Farm. This was the home to former Chief Justice of Australia and Premier of Queensland, Sir Samuel Griffith, and his wife Lady Julia Griffith. The house was commissioned by Sir Samuel and the couple took up residence in 1880. The centerpiece of the house was the Merthyr House Ballroom, where the couple would host both social and official engagements. This grand building was demolished in 1963 with a lack of money to maintain and upkeep the large house being cited. Source: griffitharchive.griffith.edu.au/items/merthyr-house/

Jimbour is one of the oldest stations on the Darling Downs and the heritage-listed Jimbour Homestead is perhaps the grandest country home ever constructed in Queensland. The name Jimbour, originally spelled Gimba or Jimba is from an unidentified aboriginal language apparently referring to good grass or sheep. Thomas Bell came to Queensland from Northern Ireland in charge of convicts in around 1829 bringing his family. Thomas initially left the management of Jimbour to Henry Dennis but when Dennis was drowned in a shipwreck in 1847, he took up the management himself. The Bell family ran the property until 1892 and were responsible for the construction of the homestead and other important buildings on the property. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/jimbour-station-history-pictures#...