Dunholme - A Ferryman's Rest

John Gibbins ferryman, ship owner and oyster farmer at one point in time had an acre of land on the corner of Cairns and Lambert Streets, Kangaroo Point. This area of land was originally known as the Shafston Estate.

The first newspaper records of a John Gibbins in Brisbane is in 1866 when a John Gibbins seeks to rent the Market Reserve. This is the area around Market Street and Eagle Street in Brisbane. This John Gibbins then erected his own timber building on the reserve. He did not obtain a lease or permit. He was then ordered by the Brisbane Town Council to remove it. It could be assumed that this same John Gibbins then became a merchant and shipping agent in Eagle Street. In 1869 John Gibbins advertised for the sale barley, bran, oates and lucerne hay unloading from the schooner Alpha.

John Gibbins traded in grain produce coming into Brisbane and solely from the schooner Alpha. In December of 1869 the Alpha was docking at the A. S. N. and Company's new wharf at Eagle Street. In the 1870's the clipper schooner Alpha was plying its trade along the Queensland coast for produce merchant John Gibbins of Eagle Street. By 1873 John Gibbins had expanded his produce business to be now in Maryborough and other colonies.

In October of 1874 John Gibbins entered the oyster farming industry when the Queensland Government under the new Oyster Act put up for lease oyster dredges in Moreton Bay. John Gibbons was successful in obtaining lease lot 34 at fifteen pound per annum for seven years. Under the act the lease had to be manitained and improvements undertaken. In February of 1875 John Gibbins put a notice in the newspapers notifying the owners of his neighbouring properties at Kangaroo Point that he intended to fence his property. This notice fits the timeline of the house Dunholme being built.

July 6 1875 Advertisement in the Telegraph Brisbane

In August 0f 1876 John Gibbins places his complete business with stores in Eagle Street, stock and mill  all up for auction as he is notifying he is retiring from business. The cottage in Eagle Street that he had occupied with his family was also up for rent by the A. S. and N company in Ausgust 1875. Gibbins could have been renting this cottage from the A.S.N shipping company. John Gibbind retired from that business as a produce and shipping merchant to for a short time shipping agent for the schooner Fearless as she was advertised for charter from the Government's new wharves in 1877. In 1878 John Gibbins nmow has a lease on the Alice Street ferry.

Brisbane Courier February 16 1878. 

John Gibbins, lessee of the Alice-street ferry, was charged with delaying a passenger. The evidence of Mr. W. Clarke showed that he arrived at the ferry on the Kangaroo Point side to cross to town, the ferry boat at that time being on the point of leaving the south side stage, and containing one passenger les than the boat was entitled to carry. There was conflicting evidence on this point, but the balance of evidence being against the defendant he was fined 20a. and costs.

 He had continued to lease his propert and store in Richmond Steet, Maryborough until placing it for sale in April of 1883. 

Possibly from the Maryborough sale he purchased the cutter Henrietta as he advertised for a master to captain the ship in August of 1883. In November of 1883 he placed his property in Cairns Street, Kangaroo Point up for sale or let.

On Monday December 3, 1883 the furniture, household goods, fittings and out house implements were placed for auction with . E. Hooker and Son without reserve as John Gibbons was leaving the colony.

John Gibbons continued in business from his Cairns Street house Dunholme dealing with his oyster lease and land speculation. The notice below appeared in the Brisbane Courier, January 10 1885.

Kangaroo Point still existed as a shire or town until the amalgamation of the nineteen town councils and shires that made up the greater Brisbane area. The Government of Queensland created the City of Brisbane with a view to uniting the then Brisbane metropolitan area under a single planning and governance structure. The City of Brisbane Act 1924 received assent from the Governor on 30 October 1924. On 1 October 1925, 20 local government areas of various sizes were abolished and merged into the new city. While the Kangaroo Point of today bears very little resemblance to 1925 if you look there are still examples of the early colonial era. 

The following information on Dunholme is taken from the Brisbane City Council's Heritage Register.

This timber cottage was constructed for ferry proprietor John Gibbins between 1876 and 1878. It was one of the first houses to be built in Cairns Street and is one of five nineteenth century houses that survive in the street, providing a unique link to the past. After Gibbin’s death in 1885, his estate was placed in trust and later divided among members of his family. The house has since had a number of different owners

This cottage is located on land which was originally purchased by Robert Cribb and former Collector of Customs, William Thornton in 1851. It was not until the Shafston Estate was offered for sale by the then owner, notable sugar planter and miller the “Honourable” Louis Hope, in 1874 that land became available for building. At the time of sale the entire estate covered over forty four acres.

Evidence from the title deeds in conjunction with the Post Office Directories (PODs) indicates that John Gibbins purchased one rood of land in October 1875 and that by 1878-1879 he was one of two people living on the “West Side” of Cairns Street. His occupation is given as “Ferry Proprietor”. The POD of 1876 fails to list Cairns Street.

In January 1885 John Gibbins died, his occupation at the time of death given as “gentleman”. He left, among other properties elsewhere, his Cairns Street house in trust. James Beech and William Hooker were the nominated trustees of the estate. Members of the Gibbins’ family lived in the house to the early 1890s, where upon the house appears to have then been rented out. In 1895 the estate was divided among four people, presumably John Gibbins’ children.

In May 1903 the Gibbins Estate, on the corner of Cairns and Lambert Streets was offered for sale. There were 9 blocks offered for sale, ranging in size from 16 perches to 19½ perches. Thirty two perches remained with the house. The house was eventually purchased by John Helsdon in July of the same year.

The house has had several owners since that time. Applications were made to the Brisbane City Council in 1946 and 1951 for “Dwelling Alterations”. The house is one of the earliest residences still existing along Cairns Street, and forms an important early link as part of a group of 19th century cottages remaining in the street which development from the mid 1870s onwards.