In the late 1870s, fears of a Russian invasion led to increased spending on defence. On a hot February afternoon in 1879, volunteers were running all over Highgate Hill firing at each other and letting off their cannons in a military exercise. A crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.
Highgate Hill History
The Mistresses’ House
A distinctive old house on Dornoch Terrace was built by a man, estranged from his family, for his new companion but it was taken from her after his death by the Supreme Court.
The Blakeneys of Highgate Hill
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.
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.
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
Torbreck
Since the early 1960s, the Torbreck apartment building on Highgate Hill has been a Brisbane landmark. It stands on the site of a colonial era house of the same name.
A Highgate Hill Con Man
A con man is caught out selling a widow a Highgate Hill grocery business with fake stock.
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.
Lest We Forget – Highgate Hill
Moving personal stories of the impact of war on our little suburb of Highgate Hill give us a glimpse of what the nation went through in those difficult years.
