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.
1880 – 1900
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.
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.
Animals on the Loose in Highgate Hill
In Highgate Hill a little over a hundred years ago there was a real risk to life and limb from loose animals.
Tennis
The first night tennis tournament in Brisbane took place in Highgate Hill in 1924
The Dornoch Terrace Bridge
The original bridge on Dornoch Terrace passing over Boundary Street was built in the 1880s. The current bridge was the first stage of a river crossing that was never built.
Highgate Hill Reservoir 1889
Problems with water reticulation in Highgate Hill were solved by the building of a reservoir in 1889. It was gravity fed from Gold Creek dam which had the world’s first concrete stepped spillway.
The Hazelwood Estate, Highgate Hill 1885
In the 1880s, the large original properties on Highgate Hill started to be broken up for suburban housing.
Highgate Hill and Its History 