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Mrs Wass touring a bedroom inside Wolston House, Wacol, Queensland, January 1978
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TitleMrs Wass touring a bedroom inside Wolston House, Wacol, Queensland, January 1978Date Created28 January 1978AcknowledgementThe Queensland Times
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DescriptionWolston House, also known as Wolston Farmhouse, was built in 1852 by Dr Stephen Simpson on his 640 acre estate in what was then known as Goodna or Woogaroo but the house itself was later considered to be in Wacol, Brisbane. Named after Dr Simpson's birthplace in Warwickshire, England, it is the oldest residential farmhouse still standing in Brisbane and was constructed before Queensland separated from New South Wales to become its own state in 1859.
Dr Simpson arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales on the 'Wilmot' in January 1840, with his wife, his cousin Sophia. In May 1840, Sophia and their infant daughter, also named Sophia, died, and Dr Simpson travelled to the Moreton Bay settlement, arriving on the 'Speculator' in July 1840. He acted as interim Colonial Surgeon due to the absence of the Colonial Surgeon.
In May 1842, Dr Simpson became an official resident of the Moreton Bay settlement.
Around 1842-1843, he was a Commissioner for Crown Lands for the Moreton Pastoral District and relocated to Redbank in fulfilment of his commissioner duties to oversee the free settlers in that area. He was a medical doctor and a justice of the Peace, as well as a Police Magistrate and a politician, having sat at and been a member of the first Legislative Council of Queensland post separation from New South Wales. He operated his lands as a horse and cattle stud.
In 1856, Dr Simpson's nephew and heir, John Ommaney, died in a riding accident.
In 1860, Matthew Buscall Goggs, a pastoralist from Chinchilla after emigrating to Australia in 1841, bought the house from Dr Simpson at auction, Dr Simpson having returned to England before the sale. Matthew Goggs added extensions to it to suit his large family of ten children with his second wife, Anne Goggs (nee Gedge), and continued to run the property as a horse and cattle stud. He bought land all around the original property and at its largest, the property was 100 000 acres.
In 1882, Matthew Goggs died and was interred in a mausoleum he built on the Wolston House property. His son, Matthew Buscall Goggs, continued to run the property until around 1890. From 1890-1893, Thomas Matthew is recorded as having been a resident at Wolston House and it is thought that he leased the estate from Goggs.
In 1893, the Goggs Family Mausoleum was damaged in the 1893 Floods and the Matthew Goggs and two Goggs infants were reinterred at Toowong Cemetery.
Between 1860 and 1907, the property was extended by purchasing neighbouring land and also decreased by selling land and by 1907, the property consisted of 650 acres surrounding Wolston House.
In 1907, the Wolston property and Wolston House were sold to Grindles Inc. and housed the Grindle Family. The Grindle family made Wolston House the heart of their dairy company and supplied Brisbane with dairy products. The Grindles renovated Wolston House to homogenize the building and standardise the different building styles of the different parts of the house, particularly in the roof, covering the shingle roof with corrugated iron, and also the verandah posts, which were rearranged to equal distances.
By the 1950s, the property was in decline and was residence to three Grindle family brothers who were elderly and unable to maintain the buildings or run the estate.
In 1956, the house and property, now consisting of only 117 acres of poor freehold land, were sold to Robert Hurley. The Hurley family moved in and established their own dairy business while improving the property.
In 1960, the Wolston property was resumed by the Department of Agriculture and Stock, who acquired the land in order to set up a tick research centre. The Department tore down the property outbuildings, previously used for the farm, and had planned to tear down the 108 year old Wolston House itself, but requests from the Women's Historical Society, the Historical Society, and the National Trust of Queensland to save the house caused the department to reconsider. The Queensland arm of the National Trust of Australia was formed specifically in order to rescue and conserve Wolston House.
In 1965, Wolston House was the first property to be placed into guardianship of the National Trust of Queensland. It had been continuously occupied until that time, though it was becoming run-down.
In 1992, Wolston house was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register. Architect Karl Langer and Sir Raphael Cilento, president of the National Trust from 1966-1971, were at the forefront of the process to acquire and conserve the house. Their vision of conservation resulted in a timber extension of the house, built at a later period than the original, being torn down, but the remaining buildings were repaired.References (online)World War II: Wolston House, Wacol - National Trust of Queensland - [accessed 11 August 2023]Wolston House - Queensland Heritage Register - Queensland Government - [accessed 11 August 2023]VISIT TO WOLSTON HOUSE - Griffith University - [accessed 11 August 2023]STEPHEN SIMPSON - Dr Margaret Shield - Griffith University -Wolston Farmhouse - Wacol - National Trust Queensland - [accessed 11 August 2023]
Dr Simpson arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales on the 'Wilmot' in January 1840, with his wife, his cousin Sophia. In May 1840, Sophia and their infant daughter, also named Sophia, died, and Dr Simpson travelled to the Moreton Bay settlement, arriving on the 'Speculator' in July 1840. He acted as interim Colonial Surgeon due to the absence of the Colonial Surgeon.
In May 1842, Dr Simpson became an official resident of the Moreton Bay settlement.
Around 1842-1843, he was a Commissioner for Crown Lands for the Moreton Pastoral District and relocated to Redbank in fulfilment of his commissioner duties to oversee the free settlers in that area. He was a medical doctor and a justice of the Peace, as well as a Police Magistrate and a politician, having sat at and been a member of the first Legislative Council of Queensland post separation from New South Wales. He operated his lands as a horse and cattle stud.
In 1856, Dr Simpson's nephew and heir, John Ommaney, died in a riding accident.
In 1860, Matthew Buscall Goggs, a pastoralist from Chinchilla after emigrating to Australia in 1841, bought the house from Dr Simpson at auction, Dr Simpson having returned to England before the sale. Matthew Goggs added extensions to it to suit his large family of ten children with his second wife, Anne Goggs (nee Gedge), and continued to run the property as a horse and cattle stud. He bought land all around the original property and at its largest, the property was 100 000 acres.
In 1882, Matthew Goggs died and was interred in a mausoleum he built on the Wolston House property. His son, Matthew Buscall Goggs, continued to run the property until around 1890. From 1890-1893, Thomas Matthew is recorded as having been a resident at Wolston House and it is thought that he leased the estate from Goggs.
In 1893, the Goggs Family Mausoleum was damaged in the 1893 Floods and the Matthew Goggs and two Goggs infants were reinterred at Toowong Cemetery.
Between 1860 and 1907, the property was extended by purchasing neighbouring land and also decreased by selling land and by 1907, the property consisted of 650 acres surrounding Wolston House.
In 1907, the Wolston property and Wolston House were sold to Grindles Inc. and housed the Grindle Family. The Grindle family made Wolston House the heart of their dairy company and supplied Brisbane with dairy products. The Grindles renovated Wolston House to homogenize the building and standardise the different building styles of the different parts of the house, particularly in the roof, covering the shingle roof with corrugated iron, and also the verandah posts, which were rearranged to equal distances.
By the 1950s, the property was in decline and was residence to three Grindle family brothers who were elderly and unable to maintain the buildings or run the estate.
In 1956, the house and property, now consisting of only 117 acres of poor freehold land, were sold to Robert Hurley. The Hurley family moved in and established their own dairy business while improving the property.
In 1960, the Wolston property was resumed by the Department of Agriculture and Stock, who acquired the land in order to set up a tick research centre. The Department tore down the property outbuildings, previously used for the farm, and had planned to tear down the 108 year old Wolston House itself, but requests from the Women's Historical Society, the Historical Society, and the National Trust of Queensland to save the house caused the department to reconsider. The Queensland arm of the National Trust of Australia was formed specifically in order to rescue and conserve Wolston House.
In 1965, Wolston House was the first property to be placed into guardianship of the National Trust of Queensland. It had been continuously occupied until that time, though it was becoming run-down.
In 1992, Wolston house was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register. Architect Karl Langer and Sir Raphael Cilento, president of the National Trust from 1966-1971, were at the forefront of the process to acquire and conserve the house. Their vision of conservation resulted in a timber extension of the house, built at a later period than the original, being torn down, but the remaining buildings were repaired.References (online)World War II: Wolston House, Wacol - National Trust of Queensland - [accessed 11 August 2023]Wolston House - Queensland Heritage Register - Queensland Government - [accessed 11 August 2023]VISIT TO WOLSTON HOUSE - Griffith University - [accessed 11 August 2023]STEPHEN SIMPSON - Dr Margaret Shield - Griffith University -Wolston Farmhouse - Wacol - National Trust Queensland - [accessed 11 August 2023]
Connections
Buildings & StructuresWolston HouseGovernment & Non-Government OrganisationsNational Trust of Australia (Queensland)People & FamiliesMrs WassCurated CollectionsWhat's the Story?Taxonomy20th Century | 1970s | 1978
Subjects
SubjectsInteriorsAntiquesBedroom furnitureBedsArchitecture - Rooms and SpacesBedroomsFashionWomen's fashionWomen's hairstylesHomewares and FurnishingsBeds – doublePeopleWomen
Queensland Times Collection
Queensland Times CollectionThe Queensland Times CollectionJanuary 1978 - Queensland Times
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Reference IDQT-1978-01-28-0026Asset TypeImage - JpegImages, Maps and Artefacts (Trove mapping field)imageColour or Black & White ImageBlack & WhitePhysical DescriptionNegativeCopyright NoticeThis work was created after 1st January 1955. It is protected by the Copyright Act 1968. Copyright duration is for the life of the creator plus 70 years.
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The creator retains ownership of the copyright of this work. The creator has granted Picture Ipswich a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use and reproduce this work.
Under the Fair Dealing exception of the Copyright Act 1968, you can use this work for research or study, criticism or review, and parody or satire. Moral rights remain and the work MUST be correctly attributed to its creator (photographer, studio, author, etc.) with acknowledgement of Picture Ipswich as the source of the work.
You CANNOT use this work for any other purpose (including redistribution on social media platforms) without seeking permission first.
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Copyright
This work is protected under the Copyright Act 1968
This work was created after 1st January 1955. It is protected by the Copyright Act 1968. Copyright duration is for the life of the creator plus 70 years.
The creator retains ownership of the copyright of this work. The creator has granted Picture Ipswich a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use and reproduce this work.
Under the Fair Dealing exception of the Copyright Act 1968, you can use this work for research or study, criticism or review, and parody or satire. Moral rights remain and the work MUST be correctly attributed to its creator (photographer, studio, author, etc.) with acknowledgement of Picture Ipswich as the source of the work.
You CANNOT use this work for any other purpose (including redistribution on social media platforms) without seeking permission first.
For more information, or if you require a higher resolution copy of this work, please contact Picture Ipswich.
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Mrs Wass touring a bedroom inside Wolston House, Wacol, Queensland, January 1978. Picture Ipswich, accessed 24/10/2026, https://www.pictureipswich.com.au/nodes/view/26883