The Blakeney family owned two substantial houses in Highgate Hill located on huge blocks of land. Unfortunately neither have survived but memories of the family linger on as street names.
Time period
Children on the Loose
How much society norms regarding the rearing of children have changed is brought home by these stories from not that long ago.
The Forlorn Death of Mary Emmett
Queensland's abortion laws sometimes led to tragic outcomes as was the case with Mary Emmett, whose body was found rudely dumped on a Brisbane street.
Of Tobacconists, Brewers and Other Things
A house in Franklin Street, Highgate Hill, has connections to France, the gold rush in Victoria, an early Brisbane tobacconist, a Brisbane brewery and philanthropic women. Find out about a remnant of the long forgotten brewery.
Gloucester Street Railway Station
For about 90 years, Highgate hill had its own railway station at Gloucester Street but it was out of the way and never heavily patronised.
Douglas Price – Tragic Modernist
Douglas Price was a controversial figure in early 20th century Brisbane. He met a tragic early death.
Toonarbin
Stately Toonarbin built in the 1860s is one of the district's oldest houses and predates the creation of Dornoch Terrace on which it now stands.
The Enigmatic Ebenezer Thorne
Ebenezer Thorne was a newspaper man, politician and property developer who constantly generated controversy in the colony of Queensland. However he left the best until last.
Inigo Jones Long Range Weather Forecaster
Inigo Jones, at one time a resident of Highgate Hill, was famous around Australia as a long range weather forecaster.
Roosters in the High Court of Australia,
In a classic case of how disputes between neighbours can escalate, in 1930 a problem with crowing roosters ended up in the High Court of Australia.
