It is the house name of one of the homes my Grandparents, (Victor Sidney "Sid" and Charlotte Anderson -"Queenie") lived in, when they resided in Brisbane.
Queenie really loved the house, and was devastated when my Grandfather Sid sold it to 'retire' down to Fingal Heads, (NSW), around 1956. The decision was apparently prompted by a neighbour, Mr Howard, who lived around the corner. Sid was a chair-maker, and when he retired this man, (who I now think may have worked with Sid), apparently decided Sid needed to 'keep his hand in' and kept bringing chairs over for repair. Sid really did want to retire, but was too polite to say anything, so decided the best way to solve the situation was to relocate. I doubt that my Grandmother Queenie had any say in the matter.
She would fondly reminisce about the home and, when it came up for sale in the 1970's she tried to convince her sister-in-law to go halves so they could live in it together, but that, unfortunately, came to nothing.
Being curious about this much-loved family home, I have done some research on the house and the name Coolgarra.
Other occurences of the name Coolgarra:
Our "Coolgarra" exists at 1 Ricardo Street Kelvin Grove Brisbane. The street was renamed in 1938, as an early map shows the street as being Francis Street, which was a duplicate name when the outlying towns amalgamated to form 'Greater Brisbane'.
Sid bought it before 1935. This photo shows Queenie and Mum (Valma) as a 7 month old baby in May 1936.
On visiting the house in 2006, the current owners kindly allowed me a short time to take photos of some of the interior. The name stone over the gate is no longer in place. (Interestingly though, when I found the "Coolgarra" Bush House at Springbrook on AirBnB, one of the photos showed the missing lintel. I am now wondering if this business was set up by previous owners).
Queenie really loved the house, and was devastated when my Grandfather Sid sold it to 'retire' down to Fingal Heads, (NSW), around 1956. The decision was apparently prompted by a neighbour, Mr Howard, who lived around the corner. Sid was a chair-maker, and when he retired this man, (who I now think may have worked with Sid), apparently decided Sid needed to 'keep his hand in' and kept bringing chairs over for repair. Sid really did want to retire, but was too polite to say anything, so decided the best way to solve the situation was to relocate. I doubt that my Grandmother Queenie had any say in the matter.
She would fondly reminisce about the home and, when it came up for sale in the 1970's she tried to convince her sister-in-law to go halves so they could live in it together, but that, unfortunately, came to nothing.
Being curious about this much-loved family home, I have done some research on the house and the name Coolgarra.
Other occurences of the name Coolgarra:
- Coolgarra seems to be a Townland in Ballinacor, Co. Wickow, Ireland
- It also appears in Leighlin, Co Carlow, Ireland
- There is a house called Coolgarra in West End Brisbane (in TROVE).
- Coolgarra Poultry Farm in SA
- Coolgarra the mining township and mine in North Queensland
- Coolgarra Bush House at Springbrook
- Coolgarra Avenue on Bribie Island
- There is also a house in Walsh Street, Mareeba called "Coolgarra"*
Our "Coolgarra" exists at 1 Ricardo Street Kelvin Grove Brisbane. The street was renamed in 1938, as an early map shows the street as being Francis Street, which was a duplicate name when the outlying towns amalgamated to form 'Greater Brisbane'.
This is an early photo of "Coolgarra" from my Grandmother's photograph collection (date unknown).
Sid bought it before 1935. This photo shows Queenie and Mum (Valma) as a 7 month old baby in May 1936.
On visiting the house in 2006, the current owners kindly allowed me a short time to take photos of some of the interior. The name stone over the gate is no longer in place. (Interestingly though, when I found the "Coolgarra" Bush House at Springbrook on AirBnB, one of the photos showed the missing lintel. I am now wondering if this business was set up by previous owners).
The exact date the house was built is somewhat of a mystery. The only records I have been able to obtain are the deeds and they only show the ownership of the land. A visit to Brisbane City Archives in 2006 shed no further light on the question. Below you will see that in 1909 it was owned by William Thomas Alexander Dean and his wife. There were found on electoral rolls in Nundah and Stanthorpe in 1909, and I have not found them ever living at the address, so I think the house was not yet built. The first documented occupants, David Walker and his wife were there, at least, in 1913, (on the electoral roll), so it must be assumed that they were living in the house. So I surmise that it was built between 1909 and 1913.
Not knowing exactly when the house was built makes it fairly difficult to determine where the name originated. My theory is that someone with a connection to the mining town of Coolgarra built it, (perhaps having made their money there), but I have not been able to find any of the known owners having a link to the town. David Walker was a plasterer, which might explain the beautiful ceilings, but would not explain the name, unless he too just thought it was a lovely name to call their home.
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| Taken 29 Jul 2006 |
History of the ownership of "Coolgarra"
Previous Title - John Harris & George Harris
24 Feb 1909 William Thomas Alexander Dean and Lilly Maria Dean
From Qld Electoral Rolls (courtesy QFHS)
1913
WALKER David
WALKER Helen
1922
WALKER David
WALKER Helen
1934
BAILEY John Greenhalgh
BAILEY Doris Margaret
1949
ANDERSON Charlotte Sophie Margaret
ANDERSON Victor Sidney
ANDERSON Paul Victor
TEITZEL Cecil Gordon
TEITZEL Marjorie Phyllis
BULLOCK Annie Doreen
1959
COLEGROVE Ernest William
COLEGROVE Kathleen Nancy
PEIRCE Charles Frederick
PEIRCE James Henry
1969
PEIRCE James Henry
VIVARINI Rocco Gabrielle
I know that my grandparents often had boarders, to make ends meet, and I assume that the extra people on the electoral roll in 1949 were boarders, as the time period was during their ownership.
According to 'Property Value' the home is now worth around $1,000,000! I wonder what my grandparents would have thought of that?
