The history of the property on which is situated Iona College, Lindum, Brisbane
Many items re history of Iona can be seen at archives on College website
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1864 March 4: Original property (of which Iona hill-side property is now a part) granted by Governor George Bowen (by Deed of Grant No. 7922) to Lewis Adolphus Bernays (...Bernays Road, Lindum...) and Robert Douglas. This original property was 80 acres
1899 October 23: Original property sold in two halves of 40 acres each to John Marsland and Luke Wagstaff Marsland
1906 June 29: One half of 40 acres (Iona hill-side property) sold to Charles Marsh, cousin of of the Brock's. Brocks lived in the farmhouse at corner of Sandy Camp Road and North Road. Jim Brock lived at North Rd, Lindum, Dick lived at Wellington Point, and Willie lived in Crawford Rd Lindum.
Jim's house was sold for removal in early 1980's
Charles Marsh was uncle of
Ina Skillen (daughter of Jim Brock) who
lived on the corner of Bogner St & Wynnum Road, Tingalpa. (Ina died Feb 2,
2013, at age of 87)
Charles Marsh was father of Mary Keyte (cousin of Fr John Wotherspoon
o.m.i., an Iona foundation student) formely living at 95 Alkoomie St., Wynnum North, ph: 33966471.
Charles Marsh grew grapes on the Iona property. His brother Jack was one of
Wynnum's first councilors
1912 August 16: The 40 acres was sold to William Werner
1916 June 6: The 40 acres was sold to Thomas Gibbs (also known as John Thomas Harrison)
1921 February 11: The 40 acres was sold to Isaac Whitsed and Stephen Taylor
1949 July 29: The 40 acres was sold to
Willfred & Francis Atthow
February 2006 updates from Ann Westlake, Wynnun, daughter
of Ina Skillen - thank you!:
the date is too late, when I was doing research in the Oxley library in
Brisbane, the only info that they had on Lindum area was a photo of the 2 Atthow
children, the dress was long dress, neck to ankle for the girl, and the boy,
long frilly sleeves and short pants, very much very early 1900's
1949 September 12: The 40 acres was sold to
Frederick Theodore Gibbs
Ann:
Freddie Gibbs had the dairy on the hill for many years, my Mum said he was there
from around 1936, when she was only a child, he had a funny little truck
1949 December 23: The 40 acres was sold to
William Samuel Barwick (..Barwick St...)
Ann:
the story on this fellow is : he was the bank manager who acquired the farm for
himself !! ( farms had a way of getting into financial dificulty)
1951 April 24: The 40 acres was sold to
Gertrude Ruth Millet
Ann: she was Freddie Gibbs's Mother who
bought the farm back again for her son
I952, March 24th: Qld
Education Dept purchased 8 acres for the establishment of Lindum State
Primary School
c.f. Lindum State School Title Deeds: Department of Works - BCC 163709
1954 December 16: The remaining 32 acres was sold to
Albert (Bub) Stephen & Florence May Townsend, who moved from their home at
95 Alkoomie St, Wynnun to provide a place for their daughter Jan to ride her
beloved horses. Townsand's Alkoomie St house not long after became the home of Mary
Keyte, daughter of
previous Iona owner Charles Marsh!
Ann: Townsands
also bought another 15 acres further down North
Road from Mrs Bunker, some of which land Iona College purchased at a later date, and the rest was
sold and divided up for housing
1957 March 21: The 32 acres was sold to
Archbishop Duhig.
Ann:
Before they
sold the Iona land, the Townsends cut large trees down off the hill and sent
them to Bunny's sawmill in Wynnum Central. These trees were the last timbers to
be fully milled at Bunny's.
Albert Townsend built his North Road home with these timbers. The home is still
there today
Mr & Mrs Townsend's daughter Jan Bartholomew and family became staunch Iona
supporters, their sons attending Iona
Ann:
Jim Brock's
great grandson, Darrell ( our son) also went to Iona,
we're great supporters also.
Mr Townsend passed away December 13,
2005 aged 96
Other sources of info besides council records
and Keyte & Townsend families:
* Mrs Eileen Portas, Surfers Paradise parish, nee Caterson, former owner of
house opposite Lindum State School, the same house in which the family of Fr
Bill Ousely o.m.i. lived for many years. Fr Bill was the first student enrolled
at Iona
* Eileen Portas' sister Mrs Grace Treasure, lived opposite Nazareth House
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June
9, 2013: Many thanks to Ann Westlake for the following items which
have many connections with the history of the Iona property:
Brock
family history Ina
Skillen - Eulogy