Carfin

 

The following information is taken from the Brisbane City Council's Local Heritage web pages.

https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/148

This land was acquired by Thomas Stephenson Sword who at that time was on the Queensland Government’scLand Board. He commissioned Brisbane architect John J Lough to design the elaborate brick residence, and incMarch 1888 Lough called tenders for the construction of the residence. Sword died at his residence in 1915 andchis estate was sold to a succession of owners until 1956 when the Baptist Church acquired the house. It wascconverted to a nursing home and hospital known as ‘Clifford House’, before being sold in 1988 as a privatecresidence.

Thomas Sword was educated in Scotland as a Procurator, yet established himself as a pastoralist when he arrived in Queensland. He was appointed Police Magistrate at Aramac in 1877 and Polynesian Inspector for the Mitchell district, and later transferred to Charleville. He was appointed to the Queensland Government’s Land Board in 1885 and on the creation of the Land Court was made its chairman, a position he held for most of his life. Thomas Sword died in 1915 and his estate was sold to Nina MacDonald wife of Alexander MacDonald in 1921. Some subdivision was made off surrounding land in the 1930s, and the house and a remaining 3 roods of land was sold to Alan Davidson in 1952.

In 1956 the Baptist Church acquired the house and land and converted it to a nursing home and hospital known as ‘Clifford House’. It 1988 the property was again sold as a private residence and the hospital and aged care residential units were removed.