TOORAK
James Dickson became a successful and wealthy man, making his money as a land and commission agent and general auctioneer. His firm, Dickson and Duncan, appears to have been responsible for much of the land subdivision and sales in Brisbane during the mid-late 1860s, along with the firm of A Martin, who was his earlier business partner.
In 1865 James purchased about 10 acres of land grant in the Parish of Toombul[i], fronting the Brisbane River. The land is elevated and James had a house built for his expanding family on the crest of Hamilton Hill. Starting with a single storey structure begun in 1865 the property eventually became a two storeyed sandstone residence with a single storeyed brick and corrugated iron wing attached to the rear and richly decorated interiors. A castellated square tower rises above the roofline which apparently commands 360 degree views of Brisbane and surrounds.
Various sources maintain Toorak was named after a property in Melbourne, also called Toorak House, which had been designed and built by a relative, James Jackson, a successful merchant and soap manufacturer, in 1849. Comparison of the two properties shows distinct similarities in their design features. James Jackson had died by the time James Dickson arrived in Melbourne, so it is unlikely that he had ever been inside the property, but it would have provided an aspirational focus for an ambitious young man.
Toorak house at Hamilton in Brisbane seems to still be in private ownership today, standing on about 2 acres of land or so. There are marble lions at each side of the commanding main entrance. It is said that Sir James bought these in 1889-1892 when travelling extensively with four of his daughters and a son-in-law in Europe, and shipped them home.
The house is listed on heritage register of the Queensland Government and you can read about its design features and history here.
[i] Which includes the suburbs of Hamilton, Nudgee, Nundah, Pinkenba, Clayfield, and Albion
James Dickson became a successful and wealthy man, making his money as a land and commission agent and general auctioneer. His firm, Dickson and Duncan, appears to have been responsible for much of the land subdivision and sales in Brisbane during the mid-late 1860s, along with the firm of A Martin, who was his earlier business partner.
In 1865 James purchased about 10 acres of land grant in the Parish of Toombul[i], fronting the Brisbane River. The land is elevated and James had a house built for his expanding family on the crest of Hamilton Hill. Starting with a single storey structure begun in 1865 the property eventually became a two storeyed sandstone residence with a single storeyed brick and corrugated iron wing attached to the rear and richly decorated interiors. A castellated square tower rises above the roofline which apparently commands 360 degree views of Brisbane and surrounds.
Various sources maintain Toorak was named after a property in Melbourne, also called Toorak House, which had been designed and built by a relative, James Jackson, a successful merchant and soap manufacturer, in 1849. Comparison of the two properties shows distinct similarities in their design features. James Jackson had died by the time James Dickson arrived in Melbourne, so it is unlikely that he had ever been inside the property, but it would have provided an aspirational focus for an ambitious young man.
Toorak house at Hamilton in Brisbane seems to still be in private ownership today, standing on about 2 acres of land or so. There are marble lions at each side of the commanding main entrance. It is said that Sir James bought these in 1889-1892 when travelling extensively with four of his daughters and a son-in-law in Europe, and shipped them home.
The house is listed on heritage register of the Queensland Government and you can read about its design features and history here.
[i] Which includes the suburbs of Hamilton, Nudgee, Nundah, Pinkenba, Clayfield, and Albion