William Grigor's House Gloucester Street Spring Hill
William Grigor's House is a cottage made of Brisbane tuff with sandstone dressings, with a two-storeyed brick and stone wing to the rear. Its steeply pitched corrugated iron roof contains an attic storey with a single dormer window, and it has a timber verandah with a corrugated iron skillion roof overlooking Gloucester St. It is one of a pair of cottages which are semi-detached, and sits on an eastward falling slope. The cottage has a simple rectangular plan with four rooms to the ground floor which run off a central corridor, and two rooms above. A timber and corrugated iron room links the cottage to the rear wing, which contains a former kitchen with a single room above.
The walls and ceilings in the cottage are plaster and lath, with modestly detailed timber trim throughout (much of it cedar). The timber work includes deep window reveals, mantelpieces to the two northern ground floor rooms, a louvred timber door to the north-west room, steep stairs to the attic rooms and cupboards in the eastern attic room. The rear wing contains an early stove, and steep stairs with a shutter door above.
William Grigor's House is a rare example of an 1860s inner city residence. The interior is highly intact. The modestly detailed exterior is also intact and contributes to the surrounding turn-of-the-century residential streetscape. Source Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grigor%27s_House
Who was William Grigor? Did he ever live in the house.
Source - Brisbane City Council Heritage Register
The house was built for William Grigor, a Scottish immigrant who had arrived in Moreton Bay in 1855.
Grigor and his friend and business partner, James Low, acquired the adjoining properties in Gloucester Street in 1867 and proceeded to construct the pair of semi-detached stone houses on the two sites.
In 1862 Grigor, Low and William Pettigrew had formed a partnership, and Grigor and Low moved to Mooloolah where they hauled timber and rafted it to Brisbane. In 1863 Grigor married Mary Fenwick and together with the Lows, continued working in the timber industry.
By 1868 it would appear that the partnership was experiencing financial difficulties and was possibly dissolved. Low and his family moved to his selection on the banks of the South Maroochy River (later called Yandina). In October 1868 Grigor selected land in the parish of Beerwah, where he commenced construction of Bankfoot House in anticipation of the forthcoming Cobb and Co coach route between Brisbane and Gympie. When Bankfoot House was completed, Grigor was rejoined by his wife, and they established an accommodation house, which was also a post-office, dinner stage and change of horses for Cobb and Co coaches. It is possible that Mary had stayed at the Spring Hill house while Bankfoot House was being built.
In the 1980s the house was returned to as close to original condition as possible. This included replacement of the verandah fabric and guttering to match existing materials.
GLASSHOUSE MTNS. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS
Way back in 1869, William Grigor with his wife and young family celebrated their first Christmas in Glasshouse Mount-ains. Nothing unique in that? Not until it is realised that William Grigor was the first white settler in this district and his property was Portion 1. This Christmas. William Grigor's daughter—Mrs. C. Burgess—entertained her two great-grand-children. Little Royce, who is now 13 months old, is the son of Mrs. R. M. Brown, daughter of Mrs. Burgess' elder daughter, Mary. The other great-grand-child was Paula Jean, the brand new daughter of Mrs. Jack Smith, whose husband is with the Commonwealth Bank at Laidley. Mrs. Jack Smith (Glasshouse Mts. folk will remember her as Jean Fullerton) is a daughter of Mrs. Burgess' daughter, Janet Elsie. We're very proud in Glasshouse that these little fifth generation Glasshouse Mts. people are able to know and love the original Grigor Glasshouse homestead. We all hope that with their great-grandmother, they'll be spared for many years. We know that they'll be thrilled with Mrs. Burgess' tales of those early days, just as soon as they are old enough to appreciate their link with history.
The Grigors' Glass House Mountains
Dayboro Times and Moreton Mail (Qld. : 1937 - 1940; 1945 - 1954), Saturday 13 September 1952, page 1
FROM THE FILES OF THE 'MORETON MAIL, 1886.
A trip to Caloundra is described in the 'Moreton Mail' by a writer. After leaving Caboolture the country is described till Toombooboodla Mountains aire reached. The new telegraph wire to Woodford crosses the road just about here. Going further north Bankfort House is reached, the residence of Mr. William Grigor, one of the pioneers of the district, where there was a very comfortable homestead. A splendid view of the Glass House Mountains is obtained. Turning back on to the sea a splendid view of Beerwah was obtained, which is described as the old man of the group, and Crooknek, the most remarkable, directly in front. The writer states that he believes- Mr. Butler, of Kilcoy, ascended Beerwah. At the foot of Crooknek there are some fine caves. The hope is expressed that when the No.rth Coast line is constructed the Beerwah Mountains will become a favourite tourist resort. After leaving Mr. Grigor's residence Mr. Hugh Roberts' homestead was reached.
Mary Grigor and Indigo Jones - Chrohamhurst Observatory
Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (Qld. : 1922 - 1954), Friday 19 February 1954, page 7
SIXTY-TWO YEARS OF SEASONAL FORECASTING
Review of Crohamhurst Observatory (By INIGO JONES)
Some time ago the "Chronicle" published some interesting material concerning the old and esteemed Grigor family, whom I have known for over 70 years. I went to the Normal School with Kenneth Grigor. This interested me very much. It might also interest your readers to know that it was to Mrs. William Grigor Senr. that the observatory finally came to be built at Crohamhurst.
My father intended to retire from his profession of civil en-gineer and find a small estate in the country. For that purpose in the Christmas vacation in 1891 he and I, accompanied by our friend, the Hon. James G. Drake. M.L.A . (then, I think, Colonial, and later Federal Postmaster General) came to Glasshouse Mountains to see some land that the Government had just thrown open. The road to this land went past the Grigor home. On the way back the sight of the people on foot and in town costume caused Mrs Grigor to come out and enter into conversation. Not being of a secretive nature, and then very fortunately for us that it was so, we told her all about our object. In reply the old lady, equally courteous, told us that she knew of just the place we were seeking and gave my father directions for reach-ing the piece of land up the Beerwah-Maleny road, then be-longing to Mr. Thomas Beverley, the poundkeeper at Enoggera.
BUILT THE PRESENT HOME The following week my father inspected the land and decided to buy it. In February he was at work clearing and building the house in which we have resided ever since. My mother and I joined him in the following August. I took my meteorological outfit with me and began observations on 1st October, 1892. On the following 2nd February fell 35¾ inches—the record rainfall of Australia for 24 hours, which is as yet unbroken.
FOUND WEATHER SECRET It is therefore clear that the first credit of this record goes to the late Mrs. William Grigor. If the work I have done here proves to have the basis that I feel it has, then that grand old woman deserves more than honourable mention. It was through her again that I was lead to a position in Australia which is highly sensitive to sunspot changes, and so has enabled me to find what has always been wanted— namely, The Secret of the Weather. When I first came here 47 teams worked up and down the road which was the main accessto Maleny. Among the drivers was that splendid specimen of manhood— a gigantic Highlander — my old friend, Johnny Grigor, who later rose to a position of the highest esteem in our community as Chairman of the Landsborough Shire Council. His probity was recognised, not only by the district, but also by the Crown. I was both pleased and proud the other day to receive a visit from his son, Jack, of Maleny. By coming here on the advice of that splendid woman. Mrs. William Grigor, I have continued the observations, till with those begun in Brisbane in 1885, I have now a continuous record of over sixty-six years. This is, I believe, the longest series in Australia taken by one man.
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