By Gerard Benjamin
This book, launched by the former Governor of Queensland, Ms Penelope Wensley AC earlier this year, is a collection of stories, architectural notes and historical anecdotes of 20 local homes.
The New Farm locality was once a semi-rural retreat for a few well-heeled families on well-chosen sites. Gradually, the large estates gave way to gentleman’s villas and workers’ cottages. Many of those original homes – whether modest or grand – have not survived, but luckily, an impressive variety of houses from earlier eras still remains.
While this snapshot of more than 20 local homes notes achitectural details, the main focus is upon people – those who built the houses, the architects who designed them, and the successive residents and families who occupied and adapted them.