RUHAMAH
The local residents recognise number 23 Killara Avenue as a jewel amongst the other grand houses that resides in this area. Killara Street provides eveidence of the extensive styles of 19th and early 20th century house architecture in Brisbane. The grandeur of Ruhamah is in the originality, presentation nad street presence of a house that does not get lost in the street scape.
The following is taken from the Brisbane City Council's heritage register. The information was published in 2007.
"Ruhamah was built circa 1900-1902 for Thomas Morrow, a Brisbane businessman whose biscuit and confectionary manufacturing firm became the famous Arnott’s Biscuits company. Morrow was born in County Down, Ireland, on 23 June 1841 and immigrated to Queensland in 1863 aboard the ship Cairngorm. Soon after his arrival, Morrow began employment with Brabant & Co, a firm of merchants, where he remained for some 20 years. In 1884, Morrow and R.A. Rankin established a biscuit and confectionary manufacturing business, Morrow and Rankin. In 1900, Rankin retired and Morrow bought out his partner and established Morrows Ltd. In addition to his business interests, Morrow was involved in municipal politics, representing Taringa Division Board and Brisbane’s West Ward, was the Honourable Secretary of the AntiChinese League, took a keen interest in education and was a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian Church. The land on which Morrow built his residence, Ruhamah, was comprised of several allotments which had had various owners since the mid 19th century when it was first sold by the Crown. This land was subdivided from the 1880s when parcels of land held by investors and some of the large estates of wealthy local residents were broken up for residential development, a trend which continued into the 1920s. Previous owners of Morrow’s land included William Hemmant, who built nearby Eldernell, (now Bishopsbourne) in 1869 on more than 11 acres of land and Minnie Markwell, the wife of Walter Markwell who also lived in Killara Avenue. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Killara Avenue was known as Eldernell Avenue. Morrow purchased most of his land in Killara Avenue (over half an acre) in 1900, adding smaller adjoining lots to his holding over the next couple of years. Postal records for the period show Morrow residing in the street from 190?. At this time, the street was already occupied by Charles Bertram Lilley at Bayuda, on the corner with Windermere Road, Charles A. Clarke, an accountant, at Kynance, immediately to the south of the Lilley’s residence and Walter Markwell. Thomas Thomas Morrow’s three sons, William Alexander, Thomas E. and Henry C. Morrow, also resided in the family home. William A. Morrow succeeded his father as Managing Director of the Date of Information — June 2007 Page 2 family company, a position later taken up by his brother, Henry. Thomas Morrow continued to live at Ruhama until his death in 1920. His death was followed closely by that of his son, William Alexander, and then his wife, Margaret in 1926. The property remained in the family until 1948 when it was sold to Franz and Brigid Hirschfield. It changed hands again in 1987 before being purchased by the present owners in 1990. The current owners have made several changes to the house, including the demolition of the rear of the house and the garage (1990) due to white ant infestation. A tennis court, swimming pool and new building have been added to the property."
A few years ago the advertisement and photographs below were available when the house was placed on the market.
"Ruhamah" Gracious Living on Hamilton Hill
23 KILLARA AVENUE, HAMILTON
Properties like "Ruhamah" are as rare as they are magnificent.
This home is set on eight separate titles with a total land size of 4258 sqm, making this 112 year old property one of the largest private holdings in Hamilton and Ascot. This unique home has had only had four families live there, with the current owners residing in the property for over 26 years.
The privacy and seclusion you will experience is unrivalled and unforgettable. The home has been meticulously restored and maintained to deliver a lifestyle of refinement and elegance. There are so many features, with a championship tennis court and an indoor pool house, to name but a few.
The grandeur and location make "Ruhamah" a stand-alone opportunity to purchase one of the most beautiful Queenslander's Brisbane has to offer. It is recommended you view the attached video to reveal the splendour of this home.
-Set on eight separate titles comprising 4258sqm
-Two formal dining rooms, two living rooms
-Billiard room with overhead lighting and leadlight turret area
-Extensive period features including high pressed-metal ceilings, chandeliers and hardwood polished floors
-Chef's kitchen with butler's pantry
-Six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and powder room
-Views to the river from the verandah
-Tepanyaki terrace and outdoor dining area
-Enclosed pool house with glass panelled roof and large Spa
-Floodlit championship tennis court set on a suspended concrete slab
-365,000-litre water tank with an ultra-modern, industrial-grade filtration system
Ruhamah is more than one of Brisbane's truly historic homes it is a link to one of Brisbane and Australia's favourite food brands the biscuit made by Arnotts. Thomas E. Morrow and the Morrow family are long departed from the name Arnotts or Arnott Morrow Biscuits and the factory on Coronation Drive. The factory is gone and now replaced with a modern unit complex. The current generation of Brisbane citizens have no knowledge of the biscuit industry at Milton and the house Ruhamah in Hamilton and the family name linked between the two.
The Morrows and the Biscuit Factory
Arnotts Biscuits History
The following information is taken from the Facebook Post Passing Time by John Prpic
(Taken: 1980s/2018) (Source: Fischmann Photo/John Prpic)
Arnotts Biscuits Factory, Coronation Drive, Brisbane.
Here we have the Arnotts Biscuits Factory that was located on Coronation Drive in the city. In the very beginning the business was called Rankin and Morrow, which was created in 1884 by Robert Rankin and Thomas Morrow. They manufactured biscuits as well as confectionary. By 1900 Robert Ranking was looking to retire, so Thomas Morrow bought Robert’s share in the company. Mr Rankin lived on until 1908 when he passed away.
The company, now renamed Morrow, continued on until after World War II. After the war, American products began entering the market and customers began turning against them. U.S. food powerhouse Nabisco also begun making serious efforts to enter the Australian market by targeting acquisitions of existing companies. In response to this, Arnotts Biscuits of NSW led the consolidation of a number of prominent regional Australian baked goods companies around 1949. Companies such as Motteram & Menz from Adelaide, Mills & Ware from Western Australia, Morrow from Queensland and Brockhoff Biscuits from Melbourne merger together to form the Australian Biscuit Company.
During the 1960s the company renamed itself Arnotts. It remained 100% Australian owned until the 1980s when Nabisco attempted a take over of the business. Arnotts instead turned to America’s Campbell Soup Company, who purchased a 14% share in Arnotts. During this time the last member of the Arnott family to be involved in the company resigned, which led to the appointment of the first managing director to come from outside the family.
In the 1990s, with losses mounting, the Arnott family announced its intention to sell its controlling share of the company. By 1992 Campbell’s raised its share to 33%, then due to the slumping Australian economy, raised its share to 70% in 1994. Things weren’t improving for the company as in 1996 there was an extortion plot by a Joy Ellen Thomas, 72 years old, to poison packets of Arnotts Monte Carlo biscuits in Victoria and South Australia. Arnotts then conducted a massive recall and publicity campaign, publishing the extortionists threats and demands in full page newspaper ads. The recall cost the company $22m. Ms Thomas was not charged with any offence as the prosecution dropped the case against her due to conflicting evidence. Sadly in 1997, Campbell’s Soup Company gained full control of Arnotts. Campbell’s sold Arnotts in 2008 to The Real McCoy Snackfood Co., who later renamed themselves as Snack Brands Australia. Snack Brands Australia was acquired in 2016 by Universal Robina Corporation, which is a company based out of the Philippines.
Now I am unsure of when this building was first constructed, but it existed on this site in 1946 to say the least. The site was cleared sometime between June of 1991 and June of 1992. It then sat vacant for many years until it was redeveloped into apartments in 2004. As for the biscuit factory, Arnotts built a new facility in Virginia in 1987/1988. I assumed they moved operations to the new building sometime after and the old might have sat vacant for some time afterwards.
For further reference and reading the following links are provided.
http://www.oncewasacreek.org/2014/04/the-history-of-the-coronation-drive-office-park/
https://familytreefrog.blogspot.com/2016/05/sepia-saturday-330-14-may-2016.html
https://www.housedetective.com.au/ardenclutha
https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/829
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