One of the more interesting historic houses of New Farm still extant is situated on the north-east corner of Moray and Sydney Street. In 1888, the two allotments on this corner, formally part of the Kinellan Estate of Sir Robert Ramsay McKenzie, were combined into one title by Leopold Solomon Benjamin, a prominent businessman and financial manager of Benjamin Brothers Ltd, general merchants and importers. Here the architect John Jacob Cohen built a fine home for Benjamin.
The house was given the name “Inglenook”, and this location was conveniently near the river with easy access to the Valley and the City by means of the horse-drawn tram, the terminus of which was at the corner of Brunswick and Barker Streets.
Cohen was a forward-looking architect and included gables, exposed polychromatic brickwork on the verandah walls, and multipaned sash windows. The appearance is of the two story boom style of the 1880s. The financial crisis of the early 1890s saw the house sold, and it was occupied by various families until, in 1919, Henry William Byran bought it and renamed it “Allawah”. In 1925, Leslie Arthur Wilkinson bought the property and changed the name to “Risdon”, and kept the home until 1942.
Wartime Brisbane needed accommodation for the multitude of single girls whose service brought them to the city. In 1942, The Girls Friendly Society of the Anglican Church bought the house to be converted to a hostel for young service women.
After the war, it became opened to non-service women, particularly young ladies who had come to Brisbane to study. As times changed, the use to which the hostel was put has evolved. It is still owned by the Anglican Church and used as a hostel.
Further information is also available at the office of the Historical Society, next to the New Farm Library, open Thursdays from 2.00pm to 4 pm or by appointment.
It is lovely to see a photo of GFS House as I knew it in 1969 when I lived in the hostel with other trainee teachers.
I shared the top bay windowed room with 4 others; teachers from the Torres Strait were in the closed-in side verandah on the left – and about 20 other students filled the other upper rooms and verandahs.
I understood that the House had been the Governor’s Aide’s mansion prior to being used as a hostel.
Recent restoration works have opened up the verandahs and returned decorative details – it is looking wonderful.
19/11/23
Wonderful memories. I also shared that same room with others in 1965/66 while I was working for the Commonwealth Government and the student teachers were mainly in the downstairs areas. There were State Government girls, Commonwealth Government girls and student teachers and we were all very ‘clicky’. The irony was I went to Mt Gravatt C.A.E in the 70’s to become a teacher. I remember the front room with the piano and visitors were not allowed past that point. Matron Bellingham was very strict. Looking back I can’t help but feel sorry for het. Great to see the old building again. Mary Anderson (Greggery)
I also boarded at GFS House to attend Queensland Teachers Training College in Kelvin Grove in 1959. I was in the upper verandah area on the left side of the building which had 8 iron frame beds and all girls in that area were from Rockhampton, Maryborough and Bundaberg and were training to be Primary School Teachers or Domestic Science Teachers. Each girl had one small cupboard with a mirror to house their belongings. We had to ‘sign out and in’ for any leave to go to the movies or other outings. We were allowed one late night each week (10 o’clock). We could go to the corner shop a block away after dinner to buy an ice-cream or chocolate but had to be back by 8 0çlock. We had meals in the dining hall and Matron Dumbrell (otherwise known as The Dragon) chose one of the girls each mealtime to say grace. I suppose our parents were happy for us to be supervised in such a manner. We caught a tram to The Valley and then walked up the ? street to the Golf Course and then up past a Medical School Building and in the back of the Kelvin Grove Building (the plateau we called it). What a great learning curve it was as we had never been away from home before. We received 9 pounds a week so by the time we paid our board and bought bus tickets, we did not have much left over for other purchases. We did all our own washing and ironing and also had to collect our plates etc. after a meal and take to the kitchen and wash them and stack them away. What a great experience it was, and I am sure it was character building also. Great memories to have. 06/01/2025.