George Brockwell Gill Self-Guided Tour

The legacy of a prominent Ipswich Architect

City Design

Dorrington

88 Chermside Road, East Ipswich. Constructed in 1891 for William Henry Haigh, his wife Elizabeth (nee Cribb) and their four children. Dorrington's grounds included a tennis court, orchard and gardens.

Ipswich Girls' Grammar School

82 Chermside Road, Ipswich. Ipswich Girls' Grammar School opened on 1 February 1892. Brockwell Gill designed the main building, caretaker's cottage, 3 additional wings to the main school and early ancillary buildings.

Rockton

4 Rockton Street, Newtown. The first section of Rockton was built in 1855 for William and Sabina Craies. The cottage was extended within a year. A breezeway was constructed between the two wings c.1900 and a tower was built, possibly designed by Brockwell Gill.

Fairy Knoll

2 Robertson Road, Eastern Heights. Built for Thomas Hancock Jr and his wife, Louisa. Thomas died before Fairy Knoll was completed, but Louisa lived there until her death in 1947. A Maternal & Child Welfare Home operated from this site from 1952 to 1986.

Bowerlea

2 South Street, Ipswich. Built in 1929 for Florence Beatrice Fox and her daughter Eleanor (Nell). Bowerlea is a timber variation of a Californian Bungalow.

The Ipswich Club

14 Gray Street, Ipswich. The Ipswich Club was built c.1916 for J. P. Bottomley. He was a butcher and pastoralist who served on the Purga Shire Council and Ipswich City Council.

Congregational Sunday School

86 East Street, Ipswich. The flood of 1893 submerged the first Sunday School so this Congregational Sunday School, was built on higher ground and opened in 1895.

61 Roderick Street, Ipswich

Thought to have been built at the turn of the 20th Century, this was the home of the Goleby family.

Bowerbank

69 Ellenborough Street, Ipswich. Built in 1914 for William and Florence Fox. The name Bowerbank is based on the maiden name of Mrs. Fox, who was the daughter of former Ipswich Mayor, Maurice Bowers.

St Paul's Young Men's Club

Cnr Limestone Street and d'Arcy Doyle Place, Ipswich. Built in 1911 as a hall for St. Paul's Young Men's Society, it was also used as a soldiers' recreation hall. The building was purchased by Ipswich City Council in 1939.

Soldiers' Memorial Hall

63 Nicholas Street, Ipswich. The foundation stone was laid by General Birdwood on 4th May 1920. The Soldiers' Memorial Hall was officially opened on 26th November 1921 by the Queensland Governor Sir Matthew Nathan.

Technical College

88 Limestone Street, Ipswich. A public meeting of Ipswich citizens in May 1897 agreed to construct a Technical College as a celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The College was opened by the Governor, Lord Lamington on 4 June 1901.

City View Hotel

277 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The City View Hotel opened on 6 November 1907. Brockwell Gill produced a skillful solution to the difficult triangular site by locating an octagonal two-storey tower to disguise the sharp corner.

Hotel Metropole

253 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Built on the site of the Harp of Erin hotel. The Hotel Metropole opened on 4 October 1906 with Leticia Fairley as licensee.

Old Flour Mill

231-235 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Built in 1902, the mill, owned by Francis Kates could turn out 35 to 40 tons of flour a week. The city's first radio station 4IP was established in the upper floors.

Cribb & Foote Motor Garage

144 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Cribb and Foote bought the building in 1913 from the Ipswich Motor Bus Company. They expanded the building and made more room for the garage. The newly designed Motor Garage was re-opened in 1928.

Queensland Times Building

126 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Designed by architect and former Ipswich Mayor, Samuel Shenton, assisted by Brockwell Gill. The Queensland Times building originally had an upper verandah with iron lace but was remodelled in 1939 and again in the 1980s.

Bostock Chambers

169 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Bostock Chambers was constructed in 1915 for E. Bostock & Sons, prominent surveyors and auctioneers.

St Paul's Rectory

124 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The present rectory is the 'new' rectory that was constructed between 1895 and 1896. The first rector to live in St Paul's Rectory was Arthur Bartlett.

London Pharmacy

114 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The London Pharmacy was established in early 1907 as part of the Cribb and Foote empire. The premises next to the Post Office was opened on 11 February 1909, with a veterinary hospital at the rear.

Arrochar

3 Waghorn Street, Woodend. Known as the twin to the Ipswich Club (another Gill design) in Gray Street. Arrochar was built around 1912 for accountant and town clerk, Albion Hayne, and his wife Margaret.

Brynhyfryd

High Street, Blackstone. Built in 1891 for Lewis Thomas who was known locally as the 'Coal King'. Brynhyfryd was purchased by Rylance Collieries in 1934, along with the coal rights. It was partially dismantled and over the years became dangerous and was completely demolished in the early 1960s.

Woodlands of Marburg

174 Seminary Road, Marburg. Constructed in 1889-1891 for Thomas Lorimer Smith. In the late 1880s Samuel Shenton was commissioned to design the two-storeyed brick residence. Brockwell Gill was employed in Shenton's office from 1886 and he took over the practice in 1889. It is understood that Woodlands was designed by Brockwell Gill.

Dorrington

88 Chermside Road, East Ipswich. Constructed in 1891 for William Henry Haigh, his wife Elizabeth (nee Cribb) and their four children.  Dorrington's  grounds included a tennis court, orchard and gardens.

Ipswich Girls' Grammar School

82 Chermside Road, Ipswich.  Ipswich Girls' Grammar School  opened on 1 February 1892. Brockwell Gill designed the main building, caretaker's cottage, 3 additional wings to the main school and early ancillary buildings.

Rockton

4 Rockton Street, Newtown. The first section of  Rockton  was built in 1855 for William and Sabina Craies. The cottage was extended within a year. A breezeway was constructed between the two wings c.1900 and a tower was built, possibly designed by Brockwell Gill.

Fairy Knoll

2 Robertson Road, Eastern Heights. Built for Thomas Hancock Jr and his wife, Louisa. Thomas died before  Fairy Knoll  was completed, but Louisa lived there until her death in 1947. A Maternal & Child Welfare Home operated from this site from 1952 to 1986.

Bowerlea

2 South Street, Ipswich. Built in 1929 for Florence Beatrice Fox and her daughter Eleanor (Nell).  Bowerlea  is a timber variation of a Californian Bungalow.

The Ipswich Club

14 Gray Street, Ipswich.  The Ipswich Club  was built c.1916 for J. P. Bottomley. He was a butcher and pastoralist who served on the Purga Shire Council and Ipswich City Council.

Congregational Sunday School

86 East Street, Ipswich. The flood of 1893 submerged the first Sunday School so this  Congregational Sunday School,  was built on higher ground and opened in 1895.

61 Roderick Street, Ipswich

Thought to have been built at the turn of the 20th Century, this was the home of the Goleby family.

Bowerbank

69 Ellenborough Street, Ipswich. Built in 1914 for William and Florence Fox. The name  Bowerbank  is based on the maiden name of Mrs. Fox, who was the daughter of former Ipswich Mayor, Maurice Bowers.

St Paul's Young Men's Club

Cnr Limestone Street and d'Arcy Doyle Place, Ipswich. Built in 1911 as a hall for  St. Paul's Young Men's  Society, it was also used as a soldiers' recreation hall. The building was purchased by Ipswich City Council in 1939.

Soldiers' Memorial Hall

63 Nicholas Street, Ipswich. The foundation stone was laid by General Birdwood on 4th May 1920. The  Soldiers' Memorial Hall  was officially opened on 26th November 1921 by the Queensland Governor Sir Matthew Nathan.

Technical College

88 Limestone Street, Ipswich. A public meeting of Ipswich citizens in May 1897 agreed to construct a  Technical College  as a celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The College was opened by the Governor, Lord Lamington on 4 June 1901.

City View Hotel

277 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The  City View Hotel  opened on 6 November 1907. Brockwell Gill produced a skillful solution to the difficult triangular site by locating an octagonal two-storey tower to disguise the sharp corner.

Hotel Metropole

253 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Built on the site of the Harp of Erin hotel. The  Hotel Metropole  opened on 4 October 1906 with Leticia Fairley as licensee.

Old Flour Mill

231-235 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Built in 1902, the  mill , owned by Francis Kates could turn out 35 to 40 tons of flour a week. The city's first radio station 4IP was established in the upper floors.

Cribb & Foote Motor Garage

144 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Cribb and Foote bought the building in 1913 from the Ipswich Motor Bus Company. They expanded the building and made more room for the garage. The newly designed  Motor Garage  was re-opened in 1928.

Queensland Times Building

126 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. Designed by architect and former Ipswich Mayor, Samuel Shenton, assisted by Brockwell Gill. The  Queensland Times building  originally had an upper verandah with iron lace but was remodelled in 1939 and again in the 1980s.

Bostock Chambers

169 Brisbane Street, Ipswich.  Bostock Chambers  was constructed in 1915 for E. Bostock & Sons, prominent surveyors and auctioneers.

St Paul's Rectory

124 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The present rectory is the 'new' rectory that was constructed between 1895 and 1896. The first rector to live in  St Paul's Rectory  was Arthur Bartlett.

London Pharmacy

114 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. The  London Pharmacy  was established in early 1907 as part of the Cribb and Foote empire. The premises next to the Post Office was opened on 11 February 1909, with a veterinary hospital at the rear.

Arrochar

3 Waghorn Street, Woodend. Known as the twin to the  Ipswich Club  (another Gill design) in Gray Street. Arrochar was built around 1912 for accountant and town clerk, Albion Hayne, and his wife Margaret.

Brynhyfryd

High Street, Blackstone. Built in 1891 for Lewis Thomas who was known locally as the 'Coal King'.  Brynhyfryd  was purchased by Rylance Collieries in 1934, along with the coal rights. It was partially dismantled and over the years became dangerous and was completely demolished in the early 1960s.

Woodlands of Marburg

174 Seminary Road, Marburg. Constructed in 1889-1891 for Thomas Lorimer Smith. In the late 1880s Samuel Shenton was commissioned to design the two-storeyed brick residence. Brockwell Gill was employed in Shenton's office from 1886 and he took over the practice in 1889. It is understood that  Woodlands  was designed by Brockwell Gill.