A man who attempted to break into a secure car park next to a residential building in Wolseley St, Clayfield in October 2022 was arrested by authorities, thanks to a resident who immediately reported the incident.
The resident took careful note of the man’s appearance and movements, and quickly notified police with a clear description. Police then arrived at Wolseley St, where they located and arrested a man matching the description provided.
The man, who allegedly possessed house-breaking implements, was charged with attempted enter premises and commit indictable offence, possession of house breaking materials and possession of tainted property. He will next appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on 15 November 2022.
Photo credit: Kindel Media/Pexels
Based on Queensland Police Service’s Online Crime Map, unlawful entry is among the leading types of offence in Clayfield.
During the last quarter (13 September – 12 December 2022), there were a total of 48 cases of Unlawful Entry, which mostly took place between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
What to Do When You Witness A Crime
Photo credit: Anna Shvets/Pexels
Queensland Police advises members of the public to write down what they see as soon as possible and keep a record of the date and time of their observations as this can be important if they are required to give a statement to the police.
If you see a crime being committed, follow these steps:
When safe to do so, contact police
Keep calm and give your name, address and telephone number
Report what is happening and where
Stay on the phone
If you can safely do so, keep watching and continue to report what is happening.
It is important to try to build a complete picture of the person from head to toe, paying particular note of the features, such as the gender and age bracket, body frame and size, haircut and colour, clothing, and any distinguishing features such as scars, tattoos, or glasses.
For more than a century, St Agatha’s Catholic Church has had a strong spiritual, social and cultural impact in the Clayfield community, marking its special ties to the expansion of the Catholic faith in Brisbane.
During World War I, Clayfield locals expressed to Brisbane Archibishop James Duhig their need to establish a Catholic Church in the area despite the presence of other churches in Wooloowin, Nundah, and Hamilton.
The influential archbishop proceeded to buy three acres of sloping land along Oriel Road in 1917 from Mr J B Charlton, with the intention of building a mass centre and a school. Mr Ernest Taylor won the tender for the project to build the church, which kickstarted in 1918. The archbishop blessed the foundation stone on the site and by September of that same year, the place of worship, which had a wooden structure, was also blessed and opened to the devoted Catholic community.
Archbishop Duhig chose the name St Agatha’s after the patron saint of the sixth-century church attached to the Irish College in Rome, where he received his education. He tasked Father Richard Walsh to celebrate a regular Sunday mass, and sometimes weekday morning worships, at this church.
By 1924, St Agatha’s Catholic Church received major building improvements as funded by the Clayfield community, where some of the more elite residents of Brisbane lived. Among its important donors were Hennessy and Hennessy and Mrs T.C. Beirne.
1925: New Building for St Agatha’s Catholic Church under Father O’Connell
Rev. Father Francis O’Connell was officially the first parish priest of St Agatha’s, who arrived in Clayfield in 1921. He was instrumental in the construction of the new Romanesque-style polychromatic brick church, which cost £10,000 and was designed by architect Jack P. Donoghue or J.P. Donoghue.
At the opening of the new church, Father O’Connell exclaimed that he was certain Mr Donohue will long be remembered for his work after seeing the beautiful church, especially among the builders of the future. The building, with its striking design, has become an iconic visual presence on Oriel Road.
The site of the new church was in the quiet, elevated portion of Oriel Road next to Stanley Hall. Father O’Connell lived in a presbytery built before the church building was completed.
The old wooden church was transformed into a school with Father O’Connell, along with Archbishop Duhig, convincing the Presentation Sisters to come to Clayfield and run the institution, which would eventually become St Rita’s College. The school officially opened in January 1925 with 120 students. By the next year, the student population doubled but the institution was big enough to accommodate 500 kids.
Father O’Connell served as a parish priest until his sudden death in 1939 at 49 years old.
St Agatha’s Catholic Church’s Other Notable Priests
Apart from Father O’Connell, St Agatha’s Catholic Church welcomed around six more parish priests in its 100 years, each serving the Clayfield community for more than a decade.
1940-1968: Rev Monsignor John English became the parish priest after Father Frank’s death and was behind the additions to the church building, such as the large domed sanctuary and sacristy, the altar boys’ room, and the side chapels. He was popular with the community but was known to be forthright with his observations and dislikes.
1968-1989: After Monsignor John English died, Rev Father Vincent Rowan assumed as parish priest and had a challenging time implementing massive changes in the Catholic Church as ordered by the Second Vatican Council. During his time, Father Rowan oversaw the construction of a new school building replacing the wooden structure and formed the Parish Pastoral Council and Clayfield Care. He retired from his duties after suffering a stroke.
1989-1998: Father Bernard Wilson initiated a number of programs for St Agatha’s Catholic Church, extending beyond the children’s education. He established eucharistic and music ministries, as well as formed the Financial Council. He organised a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but was unable to join the actual trip due to an accident. During his time, renovations and upgrades were done to the aging church building.
1998-2015: Very Rev Dr Adrian Farrelly wasn’t named the parish priest but the administrator of St Agatha’s Catholic Church. He was revered for his sermons and believed that St Agatha’s must remain a strong community.
2015-2018: Fr Anthony Mellor was the administrator in several other churches before his assignment in Clayfield. He was in Ashgrove, Bardon, Birkdale, Hendra, Herston, Newmarket, Red Hill, Rosalie and Victoria Point. He also helped in The Gap parish.
The current parish priest is Fr Biju Thomas who took on his duties in 2020.
Starting from the Federation Era in the early 20th century, many of Brisbane’s prominent upper-middle-class families chose to build their finest, forever homes in Clayfield. Here’s a closer look at four heritage houses on Norman Parade that have been deemed historically significant to the development of Clayfield, as we know it today.
Bunburra
Charles Henry Day commissioned Eaton and Bates to design this ornate Federation-era house in 1902 when he purchased the land formerly owned by the Pettigrew family.
Mr Day was a wealthy commercial traveller who wanted a villa residence in the Eagle Junction area. He named the house Bunburra.
A few years later, Mr Day sold Bunburra to Katherine Peel and her husband Robert Sydney Frederick Peel. They were active in the organisation running the Clayfield Flower Show.
Photo Credit: National Library of Australia
The family lived in Bunburra until 1917. Since then, the stylish house has had several owners who retained its rare detailing and beautiful stained glass windows through the years.
As of 2021, Bunburra, on 18 Norman Parade, was valued at $1.3 million when it was sold to a new family.
Next door to Bunburra, on 22 Norman Parade, is another Federation-style house built for the family of Thomas Johnston, a contractor, around the same year as its neighbour. Generations of the Johnston family owned this property until the 1950s.
Photo Credit: National Library of Australia
The house was also named Moyola, as mentioned in the socials of the Brisbane Courier in 1913. Today, this house is estimated to be valued at $1.9 to $2.7 million.
Warehouse property manager Josiah Henry Peel had this residence built in 1906 on 26 Norman Parade. He and his wife named this house the Lycullin.
The Peels raised one son and three daughters in Lycullin, which became the scene for many social gatherings, as the Peels were among the prominent members of the Brisbane social set then.
Photo Credit: National Library of Australia
Mr Peel was well-known in the leather and grindery trade, where he was active for over 50 years. He was also one of the founders of the Commercial Travellers Association and a member of the illustrious Tattersalls’ Club. Originally from London, he was a keen gardener and avid motorist.
Lycullin was last sold to new owners in 2020 for $1.290 million.
Kilcreggan
Constructed around 1897, this Federation-style house on 51 Norman Parade, which was also known as Kilcreggan, was owned by David Graham Macfie who was the managing director of the Australian Mines Agency.
Later on, notable personalities like John Leahy and Frank McDonnell called Kilcreggan their home as well.
Mr Leahy was the Speaker of the House from 1907-1902. He also held prominent positions a the Queensland Meat Export Agency Co, the Australian Estates and Mortgage Company, and the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce.
Mr McDonnell founded McDonnell and East, a well-known department store in the CBD. He and his wife lived in Kilcreggan until his death in 1929.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Today, Kilcreggan is known as The Residence, a retirement home.
Behind the Toombul Shopping Centre, one can find what used to be the site of the Zion Hill mission, a small hilly area where fellowship and worship in a small, wooden house eventually gave birth to the Clayfield Baptist Church.
Zion Hill was regarded as the German Station in the 1860s. From slab huts to conduct their worship and work, the German missionaries built a small house where they had bible classes, meetings, and worships in English and German.
The Clayfield Baptist Church was established by German settlers who wanted to grow Christianity and expand its missionary work in the colony. Before it was known as the Clayfield Baptist Church, the church was called the Hendra Baptist Church.
Fifteen years after its establishment, the chapel was moved to Alexandra Rd, where the present Clayfield Baptist Church has thrived, fulfilling its mission for more than 170 years.
Friedrich Theodor Franz, Owner of the Clayfield Land
Alexandra Rd in Clayfield was a farm owned by Friedrich Theodor Franz, also known as Karl or Charles Theodor Franz, who was originally from Pomerania in Central Europe and was a tailor by trade. He was still a bachelor when he joined Zion Hill, where he met and married Caroline Schneider, the widow of Moritz Schneider.
Mr Franz acquired substantial properties in that part of North Brisbane and built a house along Best St in Hendra in the 1850s. He named the house Heimat, the German word for “home.”
The house still stands on the location but has been converted into four flats.
Mr Franz eventually donated Alexandra Rd to the Clayfield Baptist Church. This small chapel would serve the community for many years until the community had to build a new church as its members increased.
He died in 1891 and was recognised for his civic work. Clayfield’s Franz Road was named after him.
In 1891, a new building was built next to the old chapel. Designed by architect A. Robertson, the building was a Pointed Gothic structure with coloured glass windows.
The old building was retained as a classroom for Sunday school services. In 1966, however, the original wooden chapel was dismantled and replaced with a brick building.
The church incurred debts due to the construction of the new building. Unperturbed, the outreach ministry didn’t stop soliciting support and many responded. Attendance, as well as baptisms, increased.
The First World War was a difficult time for many members of the church, Many people lost loved ones and friends. Presents and other tokens were sent by the church to those on the frontlines.
In the 1920s, there were over 125 kids attending Sunday school but attendance gradually declined for the next 15 years. Membership also eventually trickled down to under 40 individuals.
During the Second World war, a proposal was raised to sell the land but this wasn’t pursued. Two decades later, membership increased to the present norm of about 70 individuals. Extensions to the building were built.
By the 1980s, the Pointed Gothic building had become unsafe due to storm damage and pest control issues. It was demolished and replaced with the brick building that stands there today.
Adelaide Street East, home to many historical properties owned by some of Brisbane’s wealthiest families, is one of Clayfield’s most desirable addresses. Here are four heritage-listed mansions on Adelaide St East that reflect Clayfield’s storied past.
138 Adelaide St East: Casa Mara
Casa Mara was constructed in 1930 for Mrs Martha Greenfield, who married Brisbane doctor Vivian Hector Leigh-Barlow. She purchased the land on Adelaide St East in 1923. As with many homes in the Clayfield, Ascot, and Hamilton area, Casa Mara was a beautiful structure often featured in society pages, home magazines and architectural journals.
This house was designed as a Spanish Mission bungalow, with a stucco finish and a Spanish tiled roof. Outside, Casa Mara’s gardens had plenty of succulents and Cypress pines. Inside, the house featured an ornate dome ceiling, tessellated porch, twisted columns, and unique details “planned and finished in the Spanish period,” per its auction advertisement when it was put up for sale in 1933.
Casa Mara attracted large crowds and packs of sightseers when it went on the auction but the sale was not completed until the death of Mr Leigh-Barlow in 1936. Mr and Mrs Stanley Curnow acquired the property until it was sold to Mr Harold Paton in 1941, and then again in the 1950s to its current owners.
Evelyn Mary Bernays bought the land on 140 Adelaide St East in 1898 after her marriage to architect and engineer Charles Edwin Bernays. Mr Bernays may have likely designed the house that completed construction in 1900.
Tresco was then originally named Moorlane until Caroline Woodley acquired the property in 1911. Three years later, Ms Woodle sold the property to Frank and Louisa Coxon, who then sold the house to Albert P Greenfield, an optician. It is believed that the Greenfields named the property Tresco. Their family remains the homeowner, passing Tresco from one generation to the next.
Tresco is a Federation-era home that was entered into Brisbane’s heritage listing for its links to Mr Bernays and Mr Greenfield, two very important people in Clayfield. The property has not been on the market since 1998 when it sold for $1.45 million.
John Spence Irvine had Mardan constructed from 1908, upon his marriage to Clara. He was a religious Baptist who managed the Foy and Gibson drapery firm in Fortitude Valley. In 1912, James Peter Peterson bought Mardan from the Irvines when he retired from Longreach Shire Council to Brisbane. He was also known as one of the best-known pastoralists in Queensland.
Mr Peterson was married to Sarah Fagg, a well-known philanthropist who received an MBE from the British monarch for her philanthropy.
The couple had a son named Roy. Following Mr Peterson’s death in 1936, Sarah and then Roy stayed at Mardan until it was sold in 1953 to Carl Wallace Bishop.
Mardan, another Federation-era home, is featured with wide verandahs with some ornate timberwork, a steeply pitched corrugated iron roof, and a landscaped garden with palm trees. It has been heritage-listed for its links to the Petersons and as an example of a subdivision of larger urban allotments within Clayfield.
In October 2021, Mardan was sold for $4.4 million. It was worth $775,000 when its previous owners bought the property in 1997.
The grand timber home was designed by prominent Queensland architect, Robin S. Dods, for former soldier turned merchant John W.H. Grout and his wife Winnifred.
Rangemoor encapsulated the signature characteristics of Mr Dods’ designs such as the dominant roof form, side entrance porch, generous verandahs, and restrained timber detailing. He embellished the house with Spanish and Moorish features as a nod to Mr Grout’s role as the Vice-Consul for Spain.
After Mr Grout’s death in 1921, Dr Charles August Thelander and his wife Helene bought Rangemoor. Dr Thelander was a prominent obstetrician and paediatrician.
He was also a controversial figure in Brisbane as the Royal Commission Chairman who made a negative assessment of Sister Elizabeth Kenny’s treatment of poliomyelitis. Sister Elizabeth was another popular figure in Brisbane, whose approach to polio was actually adopted worldwide.
The Thelanders owned Rangemoor for at least three decades after the doctor’s death in 1959. The family did some renovations and upgrades to the house in all those years but many of Mr Dods’ original designs remained. The acres of land were also subdivided and sold whilst the Thelanders retained the old home.
Along Junction Road stands a shop and former residence, one of the early 20th-century commercial buildings that demonstrate the development of commercial and retail services in Clayfield.
Originally, the land on Junction Road was owned by William Pettigrew, a 19th-century alderman and a former mayor of Brisbane. Prior to his life as a public servant, he was also a surveyor who managed a sawmill business, thus he was familiar with the quality and profitability of timber.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
When the railways opened, Clayfield attracted more residents as well as businesses. In the 1860s, his property on Junction Rd was sold and subdivided for residential and railway developments.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 1920, the Hough family constructed a store with a residence along this site on Junction Road, which was close to the Sandgate railway station. Two years later, Henry and Lilias Greenham acquired the building from the Houghs. The Greenhams ran a grocery store but did not live on the property.
When Mr Greenham died in 1951, the site was sold to a new owner. By then the Postles had left Brisbane, except for Albert (the leftmost person in the photo), who established AV Postle Real Estate, which remains active to this day.
Photo Credit: NLA/Trove
After the Postles, the shop and residence became Lukey’s Groceries with a framing shop, owned by Ted and Bertha Lukey. They had a son who grew up in the area, went to the Eagle Junction School, and served in the war.
The shop and residence was also the home to the first outlet of Margaret Woodcarft Cheesecake. In the ’60s, the site was a barbershop operated by Trevor Mellit. In the ’70s, the shop and residence became an antique store managed by Kerry Murphy.
The building became a restaurant in the 1980s until Queensland Rail acquired the property. In 2012, the site was sold for $650,000 to its new private owners.
In 2015, the shop and residence became the Wooden Horse Restaurant & Bar owned by siblings Dane and Morgan Hoey. The establishment is known for its brick oven pizza and has continued to operate post-pandemic.
The site was entered into Brisbane’s Local Heritage Places in 2005 for demonstrating the evolution of commercial services in Clayfield. The building is also cited for its use of early 20th-century traditional timber and corrugated iron roofing.
Rain and flooding across many suburbs of Brisbane did not quite dampen the Clayfield property market, which showed a 28 per cent median house price growth in the 12-month period ending Q1 2022, amidst strong demand and renewed interstate and overseas buying activity.
Clayfield’s median house price continues to trend upwards, reflecting a 28 per cent growth for the period of April 2021 to March 2022. According to Property Market Updates, Clayfield’s median house price is now at $1.6 million, up from $1.25 million in the previous 12-month period.
For this period, 156 properties were successfully closed within an average of 34 days on market. Three-bedroom homes sold the fastest at less than a month average time on market.
A mansion on Union Street with over six rooms closed a record-breaking deal for a high price of $8.4 million. The buyer is said to be from overseas but the border’s reopening is bringing cashed-up expats back home who are ready to invest in the property market.
Alongside these affluent buyers, however, are a lot of frustrated buyers who have missed out on opportunities to snag their dream homes in the Clayfield property market, amidst stiff competition.
Clayfield Unit Price Growth
The unit market in Clayfield has also been tracking upwards, with an 8.44 per cent increase observed from April 2021 to March 2022. The median unit price is at a comfortable $424,000. This is still quite affordable for first-home buyers looking to buy into a prestige suburb.
About 293 units were sold during this period at an average of 39 days on market, per figures from Property Market Updates. The majority of the buyers hunted and closed deals for two-bedroom units in desirable Clayfield streets, which means that the properties will grow in value over time.
About Clayfield
Clayfield is one of Brisbane’s well-connected suburbs, with access to train stations, the nearby Airport Link and Inner City Bypass. Located just six kilometres northeast of the CBD, Clayfield is one of Brisbane’s most prestigious suburbs.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
The locale is dominated by heaps of post-war homes, Queenslanders and the more modern brick and tile properties alongside tree-lined streets. Because the suburb has many parks and good private schools, Clayfield is very attractive to young families who want to set their roots in Brisbane for the long term.
Another wonderful feature of Clayfield is its close proximity to other suburbs like Ascot or Nundah, where lifestyle precincts for dining, shopping, and recreation are quite accessible.
“I live in Bonney Av, very close to the rail station. The suburb is peaceful and enjoyable. I love its proximity to the City as I study engineering at UTS. I work in South Brisbane, which takes me less than 30 mins to get to work. I find people friendly and welcoming. Love Nundah cafes & the local library.”
Phil
“Clayfield is a great suburb to live in and it is very handy to everything. There is a mix of housing and it ranges from several pockets of very expensive houses through to older style quite affordable units. I would highly recommend Clayfield as a great suburb to live in.”
St Rita’s College, an independent Catholic secondary school for girls, was established by the Presentation Sisters in 1926. Do you know where the school got its name from, and where and how it began?
The story goes that St. Rita’s College was named after Sister Rita, a member of their order. Others say the school was named after the saint of hopeless causes, St Rita of Cascia. Apparently, the Presentation Sisters were in a bit of a predicament as they had quite a debt to clear just to establish the school in Clayfield.
The Early Days
St Rita’s College was established in a prominent Clayfield residence known as Stanley Hall.Stanley Hall was originally built for Herbert Hunter in 1888 but it became the property of Edward Blume and his family from 1911 to 1926.
Mother Alice Ursula Kennedy and Mother Mary Patrick Madden negotiated with Mr Blume, whose family was planning to move out of Stanley Hall, for the five-acre property. The sisters secured a bank loan worth £22,000 with Mr Fred Martin, the brother of Sister Rita Martin, as the guarantor.
Stanley Hall was an answered prayer for the Presentation Sisters who were still living at the presbytery of St. Agatha’s parish school a few meters away. Despite their debt, the sisters managed to make interior changes at Stanley Hall to prepare the site for primary school students.
The first classroom welcomed students in a humble heritage room with only 14 kids between six to 15 years old. The school still lacked amenities on account of the cash-strapped sisters.
In 1927, the Department of Public Instruction granted St Rita’s College approval as a Queensland secondary school. But the Great Depression followed thus no additional facilities were built due to lack of funding. According to the Convent Annals, the Presentation Sisters were considering selling Stanley Hall and downsizing.
However, in spite of the bad state of the economy at that time, the school community thrived and secured years of new enrollees with the opening of the kindergarten department.
From Post-War Struggles to High Academic Standards
In 1938, the Kennedy Centre was built, which was named after Mother Alice, who was also the first principal of St Rita’s. The school also offered boarders and day boarding for its secondary students.
During World War II in 1941, the sisters and the boarders had to be evacuated to a convent in Murgon miles away from Clayfield. Upon the reopening of St Rita’s in 1943, subjects like Science, Music, Art, and Drama were introduced and have remained a major part of the school’s curriculum.
By the 1950s, St Rita’s was flourishing as a school offering high academic standards and a noteworthy music and drama department where the creative students were encouraged to pursue their dreams. In the 1960s, the school added the Sacred Heart Centre with more classrooms as well as the art physics centre.
Progressing With School Improvements
In the 1970s, the school scrapped the boarding facilities and built the Nano Nagle Centre with four science laboratories. It was named after the Irish pioneering founder of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the 1700s.
The centre underwent a massive renovation in 2011 with the addition of more science laboratories, Information Technology network and support centre, function rooms, modern teaching rooms, a state-of-the-art resource centre, and a panoramic view of the northern bay suburbs.
The laboratory sections of the Nano Nagle Centre were renamed the Sister Elvera Sesta Science Centre, a former principal who was a science degree holder from the University of Queensland
Photo Credit: StRitaCollege/Facebook
Subsequent rebuilds of St Rita’s College also took place for the next five decades to include the following:
Trinity Centre, where the school auditorium is found, alongside the Film and TV green room, drama rooms, and music rooms
Presentation Center, where hospitality, business, and design classrooms are housed
Acqua Rose Centre, an aesthetically impressive building with a heated pool and glass windows
Eirene Centre, with its multi-purpose hall, art classrooms, and the gym
Photo Credit: M3 Architecture
St Rita’s College at Present
Today, the original Stanley Hall building serves as the school administration area. St Rita’s College maintains its reputation as highly-regarded as a Catholic independent girls school for Years 5 to 12 girls with more than 1,000 enrolments a year.
St Rita has proudly produced thousands of well-educated women who were encouraged to achieve their full potential. Some of the school’s most distinguished alums are Julieanne Alroe, the CEO of Brisbane Airport, Chair of Infrastructure Australia, Eloise Amberger, an Olympian for Synchronised Swimming, Abbie Chatfield, a social media celebrity, Sophie Conway, Australian Rules Footballer with Brisbane Lions, Kate McCarthy, a sportsperson with Queensland Cricket and Brisbane Lions, and Georgia Prestwidge of the Brisbane Heat Cricket Team.
Harris Farm Markets, established in Clayfield in the 1980s, is Australia’s biggest retailer of fruits and vegetables. Know more about its history and how Harris Farm Markets recently went full circle.
When David and Cathy Harris, the family behind Harris Farm Markets, decided to focus on their business’ expansion in NSW in 1991, locals Carlo and Susan Lorenti bought their Clayfield business.
Carlo had long been regarded as the Mango King of Queensland, a moniker he earned because of his penchant for buying the first batches of mango harvests and using them to fund charities like Life Education or Redkite.
Harris Farm Markets holds a special place in his heart because of more than just the produce. He met his wife at Harris Farm Markets in Ashfield, Sydney several decades ago.
Originally from Calabria in Italy, Carlo arrived in Sydney with this family in the 1970s at the age of 12. His work at Harris Farm Markets Ashfield gave him the opportunity to oversee some of the business’ other outlets, including Clayfield. He and David have always maintained a great relationship as business colleagues and good friends.
Susan, from Sydney, was only 18 when she met her future husband and the father of her two boys, Julian and Jamie, at the Ashfield outlet where she also worked. After buying Harris Farm Markets from the Harris family, the Lorentis settled in Clayfield where their sons went to school some two kilometres away from their store.
The Lorentis renamed Harris Farm Markets into Clayfield Markets Fresh, which became known for good quality and the widest varieties of produce, specialty cheese, and grocery items at reasonable prices. The store also offered a selection of international food, including Spanish and Italian meats like jamon or prosciutto, gourmet dips, and designer chocolates or ice cream.
Photo Credit: Google Maps Photo Credit: ClayfieldMarkets/InstagramPhoto Credit: ClayfieldMarkets/Instagram
Coming Full Circle
Sometime in 2019, Harris Farms, through CEO Tristan Harris, one of the sons of David and Cathy, approached the Lorentis to discuss buying back the Clayfield site, the historic family home of Harris Farm Markets in Queensland, amidst the Harris family’s plans to expand in the region.
Carlo and Susan felt it was the right thing to do after 30 years of running Clayfield Markets Fresh. Carlo said that he did not want to pass on the business to an operator that wasn’t as passionate as Susan and him.
Photo Credit: Loving Nundah/Facebook
In a beautiful twist of fate, the pair came full circle and turned over the markets to the family that started their career and to a store where they first built their lives together.
Harris Farm Markets in Clayfield officially re-opened in November 2020 after a rebuild and the addition of more workers. Carlo and Susan are still part of the business as the managers.
Photo Credit: Peter Barton/Google Maps
Photo Credit: Ines Fernandez/Google Maps
Photo Credit: Photograng BNE/Google Maps
Harris Farm Markets Autumn 2022 Recipes
Meanwhile, autumn is the perfect time to enjoy a cooler picnic at Kalinga Park with the family and Harris Farm Markets has provided some amazing seasonal specifics for preparing delicious picnic food using ingredients like raspberries, Pink Lady Apples, broccolini, white grapes, pears, figs, avocados, mandarins, red grapefruit, truss tomatoes, citrus, and of course, loads of veggies.
Spice up breakfasts with a spoonful of baked sweet plums and the flavours of cinnamon and star anise in the morning. Or spoon them over yogurt for a quick and simple dessert. These versatile baked plums are a saviour to have in the fridge.
The Enderley Road heritage precinct in Clayfield has heritage homes that epitomise the alluring and enduring characteristics of well-designed houses from the 1890s to the 1930s. Did you know that the area was once a pineapple farm? Here’s a look back on how one of Clayfield’s best streets metamorphosed into the neighbourhood of choice of some of Brisbane’s most influential people over the years.
Development started in Enderley Road upon its purchase by Deed of Grant around the 1850s. Properties were subdivided and sold for farming pineapple and producing dairy, or as a semi-rural retreat for privileged families.
Photo Credit: Nundah & Districts Historical Society Inc.
Stanley Hall
One of the first grand houses to be built on Enderley Road was Stanley Hall in the 1880s for produce dealer John William Forth, who had 10 children with his wife Selina. The Forths, however, lived in the house for a short period only following the death of one of their daughters and Mr Forth.
Photo Credit: Queensland State Library
The mansion was turned over to Herbert Hunter, a family friend, pastoralist, grazier, and horse racing enthusiast. Stanley Hall appealed to him not only because of the house’s architecture but for its proximity to the racecourse at Eagle Farm. Mr Hunter did subsequent redevelopments to the house but he eventually sold the property to pastoralist and racehorse owner Edward Goddard Blume in 1910.
Mr Blume subdivided most of Stanley Hall, with 4.5 acres going to the Order of the Sisters of the Presentation. The sisters built the St. Rita’s Convent on the land in 1926. Nearly a decade later, the sisters expanded and built a school that has thrived until today.
Ralahyne on 40 Enderley Road was built in 1888 for Robert Gray, then the colonial secretary, by architect George HM Addison. Mr Gray, who became the Commissioner of Railways, lived in the house until his death in 1902.
The home changed owners several times following the death of the public figure until Henrietta Watson bought the house in the 1920s. Ralahyne remained with the Watson family until 1985, when it was bought by private owners.
The Lynton house on 58 Enderley Road, constructed in 1918 for Gilbert Lees, covered three-quarters of an acre of the Ralahyne property. This land was further subdivided into blocks of houses in the 1950s.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
Second Wave of Development
Aside from Stanley Hall and Ralahyne, three other properties stood out in Enderley Road in the early 1900s: Huntington, Fortland, and Stanwraith but only the latter remained in the modern times. Stanwraith, constructed in 1901 on 32 Enderley Road, was the home of architect Montague Talbot Stanley, the son-in-law of Sir Thomas McIlwraith, a former Queensland premier.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
By the 1920s, another wave of development washed over Enderley Road with Interwar houses like the Girrawheen, the Breffney, the Linstarfield, and its neighbouring houses.
The Breffney on 83 Enderley Road was owned by Mr and Mrs Hendry Drew. The Spanish Mission house was designed by prestigious Brisbane architects Hall and Prentice. It had a tennis court, a pool, a stucco garage, and heaps of tropical plantings.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
Girrawheen
Girrawheen on 71 Enderley Road was built in 1923 for insurance manager James Milne and his wife Edna. This property was subdivided from Mr Blume’s land that surrounded Stanley Hall. The Milne family lived in Girrawheen until the 1950s.
In 1956, Sir Walter Campbell, a distinguished lawyer who went on to become the Chief Justice of Queensland and the Governor of Queensland, lived in Girrawheen with his family for three decades. The house went through many alterations during this period but the redevelopments generally retained the character of the Interwar home.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
Linstarfield
The Linstarfield on 64 Enderley Road is a Federation-style timber villa built for mine owner PD Rylance, whose son, Mervyn Rylance, grew up to become a prominent Brisbane architect. A few years later, the house also became the home of another wealthy mine owner, HG Noble, an active figure in Brisbane’s business and society gatherings.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
Some alterations and demolition were done to the house through the years and into the modern period, whilst still maintaining its elegant and very recognisable architectural features.
Mr Noble’s wife, Agnes, purchased the neighbouring lots around Linstarfield that became vital to the heritage-listed precinct. During World War II, the grounds of the Linstarfield were used as a private air-raid shelter and were further subdivided as a family lot.
Beside the Linstarfield is a modern house on 72 Enderley Road. The home is technically not part of the heritage precinct though its development has to be regulated by the Heritage Code.
Also on the former Linstarfield lot is the home on 82 Enderley Road, a house with a terracotta tiled roof. It was built for Mr and Mrs James Ernest Stewart.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
The neighbouring house on 92 Alexandra Road is part of the heritage precinct because it contains part of the former Linstarfield wall and was erected in the 1920s. At least four more houses on Alexandra Road are part of the former Linstarfield wall and are also included in the heritage precinct listing.
Photo Credit: Local Heritage Places/BCC
Camara, Delcotta & Fetlar
Camara, Delcotta, and Fetlar were also built in the 1920s and are considered integral properties to the Enderley Road Heritage Precinct.
Camara, on 24 Enderley Road, is a timber house with a curved front verandah and was originally built for a draper, Cecil Bowerman. Delcotta, on 19 Craven Street (formerly 51 Enderley Road), is a stylish Tudor home designed by influential Brisbane architect EP Trewern for the dentist A. Ure McNaught and his wife. Fetlar, on 57 Enderley Road, was constructed in 1923 for wool expert Mr Richard Baxter. The house stands out as a California bungalow.
The Enderley Road Heritage Precinct was entered into the local heritage listing in 2011.
Today, Clayfield is a highly desirable suburb with generously sized properties in a neighbourhood that has an appealing family vibe and plenty of lifestyle amenities within easy reach. Local providores know people by name. Highly rated schools abound and areas like the Enderley Road Heritage Precinct provide a unique heritage appeal that gives people an enduring connection to the suburb’s roots.
