Beth-Eden is a heritage-listed

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

at 85 Bank Road, Graceville,

City of Brisbane The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other main ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It was designed by

Richard Gailey Richard Gailey, Sr. (22 April 1834 – 24 April 1924) was an Irish-born Australian architect. Gailey was born in Donegal, Ireland and emigrated to Australia in 1864, becoming an influential and prolific architect in colonial-era Brisbane. He ...

and built from 1888 to 1910s. It is also known as Rakeevan and Verney. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

Beth-Eden is a two-storeyed rendered brick house with a weatherboard stables/coach-house, overlooking the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the G ...

. Originally called "Verney", Beth-Eden was erected in 1888 for newspaper proprietor

Charles Hardie Buzacott Charles Hardie Buzacott (1 August 1835 – 19 July 1918) was an Australian journalist, publisher and politician. Early life Buzacott was born in Torrington, Devonshire, England, son of James Buzacott and his wife Ann, ''née'' Hitchcock. He m ...

. The architect was Richard Gailey, who in 1884 had designed the Courier Building for Buzacott. In 1895, John Ferguson (

Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly This is a list of members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, the state parliament of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivis ...

), a

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of ...

parliamentarian and a major shareholder in the

Mount Morgan Mine Mount Morgan Mine was a copper, gold and silver mine in Queensland, Australia. Mining began at Mount Morgan in 1882 and continued until 1981. Over its lifespan, the mine yielded approximately of gold, of silver and of copper. The mine was ...

company, purchased the property, which became the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. A H Chambers. Mr. Chambers was the manager of the

Union Bank of Australia The Union Bank of Australia was an Australian bank in operation from 1837 to 1951. It was established in London in October 1837 with a subscribed capital of £500,000. The foundation of the bank had followed a visit to England by Van Diemen's Land ...

and changed the name of the house to "Rakeevan", after his family home in Ireland. In 1903, Ferguson's other daughter and her husband,

Joshua Thomas Bell Joshua Thomas Bell (13 March 1863 – 10 March 1911) was an Australian barrister and politician. Bell was the son of Sir Joshua Peter Bell, and his wife Margaret Miller, née Dorsey and was born in Ipswich, Queensland. Bell was educated at Br ...

MLA, took up residence. Bell, from

Jimbour Station Jimbour is a heritage-listed homestead on one of the earliest stations established on the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia, It is important in demonstrating the pattern of early European exploration and pastoral settlement in Queenslan ...

, held various portfolios and also served as speaker of the Legislative Assembly. In November 1919, the Fergusons loaned Rakeevan for 3 years to the

Australian Red Cross The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cros ...

to use as a convalescent home for soldiers returned from World War I. The Ferguson daughters established extensive tropical gardens in the grounds and in 1921 Rakeevan hosted the inaugural Sherwood Shire Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Society Show. Most of the gardens have been destroyed by subsequent development. Rakeevan was lent by Mrs. Bell as a military convalescent home during and after the First World War, following which it stood empty until purchased in the late 1920s by Gulf pastoralist James Stanislaus Kirby. Politician Dr

Felix Dittmer Felix Cyril Sigismund Dittmer (27 June 1904 – 29 August 1977)

was the next owner, and in 1957 he sold the property to the Glad Tidings Tabernacle. The property was renamed Beth-Eden and officially opened as a retirement home in 1958. The house was modified and associated accommodation and service buildings were constructed. It can now accommodate 61 residents in both one and two-bedroom units. The only remaining original outbuilding is the stables/coach-house to the southwest of the house.

Description

Beth-Eden is a two-storeyed rendered brick house with a weatherboard stables/coach-house overlooking the

Chelmer Reach The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Gov ...

of the Brisbane River. It is surrounded by single-storeyed brick buildings associated with the nursing home. The corrugated iron hipped roof has projecting

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aest ...

s, two of which surmount

bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. Types Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or ...

s on the northern and western elevations. The bays intercept the double height verandahs which feature on all four elevations. The roof has decorative render to the

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are t ...

stacks,

eaves The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural sty ...

and gables. The verandahs have decorative cast iron balustrading and

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s, with

brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or ' ...

and valance on the lower verandah. The northern and eastern verandahs are roofed by a corrugated iron skillion

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of Acrylic fiber, acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tig ...

, and sections of western and southern verandahs have been enclosed. The eastern verandah has been partially glazed, and a service building connects to the main building via a walkway. The building has classical mouldings and a pedimented arched

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many c ...

over the main entrance. The entrance contains black and white marble tiles and decorative sandblasted glass door surrounds and fanlight, on which is written "VERNEY". The entrance hall contains a carved timber staircase with a large sandblasted glass window at the landing level. Decorative plaster mouldings feature around archways and light fittings. Ground floor public rooms, originally drawing and dining rooms, have marble fireplaces and timber panelling with folding timber doors between. Both floors have been altered with the first floor being used for accommodation and the ground floor for servicing. The building has double hung sash windows, fanlights above internal doors and an elevator has been installed in the entrance hall. The original stables/coach-house is located to the southwest of the main building and now serves as a garage. This weatherboard building has a corrugated iron gabled roof with decorative timber bargeboards and a central hay loft. The building has single skin vertically jointed internal walls and large openings have been cut into the northern facade.

Heritage listing

Beth-Eden was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Beth-Eden demonstrates an uncommon aspect of Queensland's cultural heritage, containing a now rare late 19th century timber stables/coach-house. Beth-Eden is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial, ornate, two-storeyed, 1880s masonry house, overlooking the Brisbane River. Beth-Eden is important in exhibiting a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular the quality of the interior design, materials and craftsmanship. Beth-Eden has a special association with prominent 19th century newspaper proprietor C H Buzacott and with important Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, being an example of his domestic work. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. Beth-Eden demonstrates an uncommon aspect of Queensland's cultural heritage, containing a now rare late 19th century timber stables/coach-house. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. Beth-Eden is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial, ornate, two-storeyed, 1880s masonry house, overlooking the Brisbane River. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. Beth-Eden is important in exhibiting a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular the quality of the interior design, materials and craftsmanship. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. Beth-Eden has a special association with prominent 19th century newspaper proprietor C H Buzacott and with important Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, being an example of his domestic work.

References

Attribution

External links