14 Circe Street Hamilton
When I first rode past this house my first impression was what a wonderful piece of Brisbane's historical architecture. Positioned on another of those wonderful high ridge positions of Brisbane it definitely does a make a statement of being one of those late 19th century villas does adorne Brisbane.
As I researched further into this street address I found different house names for this address and then a picture of the house in 1943. In 1943 when it had been the home of the late Judge Henchmen it was known as Borella but it definitely was not the house situated there today. The first recorded information for the street address is that an acre of land was advertised for sale as J. Arthur Maccartney Esq. was moving to Ormiston House in 1913. This significant piece of real estate and house still remains a mystery as I post this.
While there has definitely been at least two houses there and possibly more what is known is that two people prominent in Queensland's history have occupied the address. The first being J. Arthur Maccartney Esq. The wikipedia reference is very comprehensive and here is the link to the web information. He was born 5 April 1834 and died 10 June 1917) and was an Irish-born Australian colonist, pastoralist, squatter and grazier who established a large number of frontier cattle stations in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Arthur_Macartney
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 19 August 1920, page 2
Good general wanted, small modern home, two in family and baby, nurse kept. Mrs.
Henchman, Circe-street, Hamilton. Telephone, Albion 741.
Justice Hereward Henchman
https://www.sclqld.org.au/judicial-papers/judicial-profiles/profiles/hhhenchman
Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Tuesday 25 April 1939, page 1
MR. JUSTICE HENCHMAN DEAD
His Honour Mr. Justice Henchman, who became ill at Toowoomba on Thursday night, died there early this morning.
He is survived by his widow, three sons, Messrs. H. J. H. and David Henchman and Master Adrian Hench-man, and one daughter, Miss Gwynneth Henchman. There are also two sisters, Misses A. M. and D. I. Henchman (Toowoomba), two brothers, Mr. H. J. H. Henchman (Solicitor-General) and one living in New Zealand. The body will be brought to Brisbane today and arrangements for the funeral will be announced later. (Career — Page, 2.)
14 Circe Street 1943
Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Tuesday 25 April 1939, page 2
10 YEARS A JUDGE
Mr. Justice Henchman
(Continued from Page 1.)
Mr. Justice Hereward Humfry Henchman, M.A., LL.B., whose death is reported in page one, was born at Leeds, England, on November 29, 1874, and came to Queensland with his parents when a youth. The family settled in Rockhampton, where he early gave promise of a brilliant scholastic career. He distinguished himself, first at the Rockhampton Grammar School, and then at Bris-bane Grammar School, winning his way to the University of Melbourne by gaining the first of the three exhibitions then annually awarded by the Queensland Government. He entered Trinity College, Melbourne, and at the University, laid the foundation of that comprehensive and exact knowledge of the law which gave him a large and varied practice after he had been called to the Bar in August 1899. He appeared with distinction before the High Court and the Queensland Courts in many constitutional, equity, and taxation cases, and also acted as a member of the Board of Examiners, and on several occasions as a judge of the District Court.
Late Mr. Justice Henchman
In 1916 he joined the Australian Imperial Force, returning to Australia in 1919, during which time he gained his commission as lieutenant. When, in March, 1929, he was sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland both the Bench and Bar, and his host of friends, united in expression of their sincere satisfaction with his appointment, and their con-fidence in his fitness and efficiency to discharge the duties of the high office with which he had so ably crowned his career. Upon taking his seat on the Bench for the first time, he received the congratulations of the Chief Justice (Sir James Blair), who said of Mr. Justice Henchman that it was always a pleasure to listen to his arguments, for he possessed a clear and logical mind; a direct and lucid style, and had a sure grasp of legal principles. They all felt, said Sir James, that Mr. Justice Henchman keen, learned, thorough, and patient was born to prove a source of strength to the Bench, and they looked forward with every conf-dence to his loyal co-operation. The Honours believed that, in him, practitioners would find a sympathetic and helpful judge and litigants considera-tion and justice. Time gave additional proof of the correctness of the Chief Justice's esti-mate of his Honour the late Judge.
14 Circe Street and John Arthur Macartney
The Brisbane Courier Saturday August 23 1913
J Arthur Macartney on account of his early removal to Ormiston.
Booreela
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 12 June 1917, page 6
DEATH OF MR. J. A. MACARTNEY
Mr John Arthur Macartney, F R G S, of Newstead, Ilfracombe, died at his residence, Ormiston House, Cleveland, early on Sunday morning, at the ripe age of 84 years Mr Macartney was the eldest son of the late Very Rev Hussey Burgh Macartney, the first Dean of Melbourne and was a cousin of Mr E H Macartney M L A He was a very well known Queensland pastoralist, having been engaged in grazing operations in the Central District for many years The late Mr J A Macartney came to Victoria when about 14 years of age, and after being educated there was appointed associate to Mr Justice Barry After occupying this post for a few years he travelled overland to Rockhampton, where he took up Waverley station at St Lawrence, which he retained until the late nineties At the same time he had a large number of station interests in West and Northern Queensland, and some large holdings in the Northern Territory, to which he overlanded a considerable number of cattle in the early eighties He also had a partnership in Diamantina Lake station with the Hon. Heber-Percy, and this he held until a few years ago, when he disposed of it to Mr. S. Kidman. Latterly he became the owner of Newstead, near Ilfracombe, and was carrying on the business of a sheep grazier there up till the time of his death. His wife predeceased him some four years ago. He leaves the following sons and daughters to mourn their loss -Mrs C F Rich Newstead Miss Flora Macartney Ormiston; Mrs. Snappe, Quirindi, New South Wales; Mrs. Kenrick, Collaroy station, near St. Lawrence; Mr. Burgh Macartney, of Western Australia, at present in this State; and Lieutenant Colonel H. W. D. Macartney, at present serving with the A.I.F.
In the course of an article entitled "A Central Queensland Pioneer," the Hon. F. E. Winchcombe, M. L. C. wrote in Winchcombe Carsons Monthly Record for March 10, 1910 :—" The travels and adventures of Mr Macartney during the half century standing from 1858 to 1908 would furnish matter for a most interesting book. I am the proud possessor of an autographed pamphlet, printed in 1909, in which is given in sketchy outline some account of the explorations and the pastoral enterprises which engaged Mr Macartney' s energies during the heyday of his pioneering career. In recognition of his exploring achievements, he was made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; and the honour was well earned. As a worker in the direction of promoting settlement, of discovering and opening up new country, or inducing others to take up lands for pastoral occupation, and so developing the resources of Central and Northern Queensland, Mr Macartney deserves well of the State. To latter day Queenslanders Mr Macartney is best known as the owner of Diamantina Lakes station, in the North Gregory, and Waverley station, in the Port Curtis district Both these properties he held for over 30 years But the explorers instinct was strong within him, and he was on the move nearly all the time He explored virgin country all over the State from the East coast out to the South Australian border, and over into the Northern
Territory, extending his travels westward to tho Victoria River, northward to the Arafura Sea, and round to the Gulf of Carpentaria. During these journeys which began in 1857 and continued at intervals for a great many years Mr.
Macartney took up blocks of country here and there, and in most cases stocked these squattages, either on his own account or as a partner with others.
Waverley Station was his home for a long period, and he saw the growth of Rockhampton from its very earliest babyhood into the big city which it is today It is a curious fact that in the first week of 1858, when Mr Macartney rode into Rockhampton, the population of the town consisted of three people only. The Bush Inn, which was only a rough slab shanty stood on the site now occupied by the Criterion Hotel, but it was closed that day because the proprietor had gone to Gayndah to be married. Probably other residents had gone to the wedding also, thus reducing the inhabitants to the very small number quoted above. The incident serves to show that at that time the town which is now the capital of Central Queens-land had scarcely taken root. Gracemere station was then a larger and more important centre of population than the town. Mr Macartney steadily pursued his journeys of discovery travelling nearly always on horseback. In fact it is probably true to say that he covered a greater number of miles on horseback than any other man in Australia. When living at Waverley he frequently rode into Rockhampton, a distance of 125 miles in one day, transacted his business that night, and rode home again next day. As a test of endurance such a ride as this takes a high place, and the performance gives evidence of a toughness of constitution, without which the work accomplished by Mr Macartney would have been impossible. In all his wanderings he was never attacked by blacks but once ; and that was on an occasion when he was exploring the Florida country, of which he took up 10,000 square miles in the Northern Territory. He had two men with him at the time and a black boy named Rosy Tommy. The wild blacks attacked the camp one moonlight night ; but they cleared out when fired upon. They returned at dawn with reinforcements and made further hostile demonstrations. But again they refused to face firearms and eventually they disappeared. With the exception of this little skirmish, Mr Macartney was never brought into personal encounter with the blacks although his stations were sometimes molested, and a few of his cattle were killed. In view of his great pastoral activities later on, it is curious to note that when Mr Macartney's father the Very Rev. Dr. Macartney, for 43 years Dean of Melbourne first set him up on the land in Victoria, he went in for agriculture and during the days of the gold fever he sold hay as high as £70 a ton, oats at 35/ a bushel, watermelons at 6d a pound cabbages at 6d a pound, and grapes as high as 10/ a bunch. But even at these figures there was evidently not sufficient excitement in growing cabbages and water melons, and it was not long before Mr. Macartney, entering into partnership with Mr. E. G. Mayne, set out to look for pastoral land in northern latitudes. The partnership continued for many years, to the great advantage of the partners, and also of the colony of Queensland. From first to last he was owner or part owner of no less than 31 different stations some of which he held for only one or two years, while others remained in his possession for periods ranging from three to 38 years. Australia owes a debt of gratitude to men of his stamp—men who by grit, energy, and enterprise forced their way into the back country during the early days, and blazed a track for others to follow "
After the death of J. Arthur Macacrtney in 1917 his estate at Hamilton was placed for auction again in September of 1917. It obviously did not sell in 1913 but was still in possession of Macartney at the time of his death. It was described as a large 8 roomed house with kitchen and servants quarters. The advertisement states that the land fronts Crescent Road but the magnificent views are to the east which implies that this is the land that 14 Circe Street would have been part of.
It could be then assumed that this is the house that Herewarth Humfrey and Enid Maud Henchmen moved into on their return to Brisbane.
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