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Weetwood is a heritage-listed villa at 427 Tor Street, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by architect James Marks and built from 1888 onwards. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. == History == Weetwood, a residence at 427 Tor Street, Toowoomba, is a brick house built in 1888 for Richard William Scholefield.〔 The allotments on which this residence is situated were originally a part of the land purchased in 1862 as Portion 176, parish Drayton, County of Aubigny (160 acres), by James Taylor, politician and Mayor of Toowoomba in 1890; Thomas George Robinson, stock and land salesman and first Australian-born Mayor of Toowoomba in 1865; and James Watts Grimes, a local auctioneer.〔 During 1873, the title to Portion 176 was transferred to George Beresford King before it was again sold four years later. Thomas George Robinson was once more registered as a joint owner of the land along with James Williams and Gustavus Hamilton. On 28 March 1883, Robinson died, and the following year Hamilton died, soon after which Williams subdivided the land for sale. Subdivisions 11 to 14 comprising 6 acres were sold to Richard William Scholefield for £200 and registered in his name in December 1884. Scholefield was born in England in 1844, the son of William Scholefield and Charlotte Hay. He arrived in Australia in 1862 and went to Westbrook Station Station for "colonial experience". Between 1868 and 1873 he managed "Avington Downs" and "Alice Downs" on the Barcoo until they were sold. Francis Thomas Gregory, who moved to Queensland in 1862 and subsequently served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Council and as Commissioner of Crown Lands in Toowoomba, then offered Scholefield the job of managing Westbrook Station. He remained there until 1878 when Westbrook was sold and then entered into a partnership with Gregory in a stock and station firm located in Russell Street, Toowoomba.〔 In Toowoomba, Scholefield quickly acquired a prominent profile. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was a distinguished member of various local clubs, including the Downs Club and the Toowoomba Turf Club. His land in Tor Street adjoined the racecourse (now known as Clifford Park Racecourse), and between 1878 and 1890 Scholefield held four positions with the Turf Club, which instituted the Weetwood Handicap to honour his work. This race is still held annually in March. Scholefield was also a committee member of the Toowoomba Hospital and the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland.〔 In the 4 years after acquiring the land on which Weetwood now stands, Scholefield was continually stumping and burning off but it remained unimproved until 1888 when tenders were called for the construction of Weetwood. Scholefield kept meticulous records pertaining to the house, which was designed by James Marks and built by Robert Godsall. Both Marks and Godsall had previously worked together on the construction of St Patrick's Cathedral in Toowoomba and were well known in the area for their work. Marks was one of Toowoomba's most prolific and experienced late-19th century architects and his most significant buildings include the Royal Bank of Queensland building, the Imperial Hotel, and St Stephen's Presbyterian Church.〔 Of the several grand private residences in Toowoomba designed by Marks, Weetwood remains one of his best. It was constructed to exacting standards, with Marks advising contractors to ''"take care that no paint or other stains are left on the floors or walls"'' and that ''"any damage done ... by the contractors or the man in his employment will have to be made good at his (the contractors) own cost"''. This exactness was as much a reflection of Marks's professional application as it was an indication that Weetwood was intended to be the perfect home for Scholefield, his wife, Eva Louisa Scholefield, and their three children who were all born at Weetwood. No expense was spared, with the house costing a total of just under £2350 to build and Scholefield having 21 cases of fine furniture for his new house shipped from London on board the Taroba during 1888.〔 Construction ran smoothly during the latter half of 1888 and Scholefield recorded that he ''"commenced to reside"'' at Weetwood on 1 January 1889. The house was named after his father's home in Leeds, England, and the premises included a lawn tennis court and stables described by Scholefield's daughter as ''"beautifully built with tongue and grooved hardwood timber, and () ... of three horse stalls, a large buggy shed for two buggies, a harness room, a feed room, and a man's room"''. On the 6 acres of land the Scholefields also maintained a paddock for horses and cows as well as a fowl yard. The large garden included a variety of fruit trees and vegetables, which was attended to by a full-time gardener, George Smith, who was with the family for 20 years.〔 Following Scholefield's death in March 1902, his wife continued to reside there until her death in 1939. However, it was not until July 1945 that title to the property was registered in the joint names of Hector Kitchener McPhie and Victor Alexander Carpendale McPhie. Two years later Hector Kitchener McPhie became the sole owner of the estate and in 1948 transferred subdivisions 11 and 12, which left Weetwood standing on the present parcel of 2 acres.〔 In 1952, title to Weetwood was transferred to Campbell Stuart Jiear and since that time has passed to 2 further owners. The house has been well preserved and its grounds well maintained, with the recent addition of an in-ground swimming pool, shed and new boundary fencing. The horse stables, however, are no longer in existence.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Weetwood, Toowoomba」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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