Fairy Knoll

Fairy Knoll was designed by architect George Brockwell Gill in 1896 and was completed by contractors Worley and Whitehead in 1901. The cost of its construction was £2000. Although Fairy Knoll was built for Thomas Hancock, his wife Louisa and their ten children, the former died in 1897 prior to its completion. Thomas was the son of Thomas Hancock (Senior) who arrived in Ipswich in 1863 and established a long-running and successful sawmilling and timber business.

An impressive two-storey residence, featuring a 10-foot-wide entrance hall and walnut staircase, Fairy Knoll replaced a simple wooden home built earlier on the site. Upon its completion in 1901, the home was described in the Queensland Times as ‘one of the prettiest and most substantial residences to be found in the environments of the town.’

The Hancock family resided in the home for 46 years and played an active role during the Second World War. The light well at Fairy Knoll was used as a spotter’s tower since it offered an extensive view of the city and surrounding areas.

Following Louisa’s death on 22 April 1947, Fairy Knoll was bought by the State Department of Health in 1952 and transformed into a Maternal and Child Welfare Home. To convert Fairy Knoll into the Jefferis Turner Centre, wide-ranging alterations were undertaken. Officially opened on 3 August 1952, the centre was named for the first director of Maternal and Child Welfare in Queensland, Dr Alfred Jefferis Turner.

In 1986, the centre was closed by the Department of Health and transferred to the Intellectual Handicap Service so respite care could be provided for children with an intellectual disability. The appearance of the building was improved in 1988 with the removal of enclosed rooms and the restoration of the verandahs back to their original form. 

After years of use for other purposes, Fairy Knoll once again became a family home in 2011.

Set on a large portion of land, with well established gardens, Fairy Knoll is a significant example of George Brockwell Gill’s work. With its Federation Filigree architectural style, decorative verandahs and polychromatic brickwork, it remains a grand and imposing residence.