“Toronto” is one of the last surviving examples of the beautiful Gothic Architecture of the late 1800s and one of the oldest timber houses in Ipswich. Situated at 30 Quarry Street, the land on which the cottage now stands was first purchased by Elizabeth Lloyd for the equivalent of $95 on the 6th of April 1863, and shortly after a large timber house was erected. This house was an amazing structure with an attic and balcony, verandah, shingled roof, external pine boards, coach house and beautiful scalloped timber gables. After the house was complete it was given the name “Devonshire Cottage” which was painted beside the front entrance to the house. Although the owner of the house was Elizabeth Lloyd she was never said to have lived in it but instead rented it to a Dr. Mossop from 1870 – 1874 after which it was sold to William Tamlyn with several other adjoining allotments.
William Tamlyn brought the property as an investment so he continued to rent out the house until 1882 when it was sold once more to James Alexander Jackes. It is at this point that the house was no longer known as “Devonshire Cottage” but was renamed “Toronto” by Mr Jackes’ in memory of his birthplace. As well as the name, James Jackes also made several other changes to the house during the years of his ownership, which included the replacement of the shinlged roof with an iron one in 1906, the installation of reticulated water supply in 1909 and the subdivision of the property into two allotments in 1911. It was not until 1914 that Josephine Rowlands purchased “Toronto” and became the first person to own and reside in this magnificent house, staying for 36 years before she sold the house in 1940 to a Mr and Mrs McKelvie.
The McKelvies made a number of repairs and changes to the house during their ownership including the removal of the walk in pantry, the installation of an overmantle above the fireplace, and the installation of an iron roof to replace the laundry’s thatched roof. In 1965 they sold the house to Mr and Mrs Medlin who owned the property until 1970 when it was sold again to the Follett family.
Don and Val Follet undertook a major restoration project while researching the history of the house; discovering many amazing things about Toronto’s past. During their ownership they restumped and rewired the house, closed in the rear verandah, removed the eastern bathroom, refloored the front balcony, restored the wood floors, laid carpet, rebuilt the old coachhouse, and repainted the whole house in its original dusty pink colour of 1863. Toronto has been sold several times since the Follets restoration project was complete including a sale in 2007 and 2008. It is currently for sale for quite a bit more than its original $95.
Toronto (or Devonshire Cottage), 30 Quarry Street – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich
Interesting facts:
When the Follet’s were removing the cedar attic doors they came across a wad of the Melbourne Argus newspaper wedged between the hinges, the date could still be read as 1863, which helped them to date the house.
The lamp post situated at the front of the house is circa 1880 from a wing of the Ipswich Hospital that was demolished in 1970.
Windows on the built in verandah are those from the demolished Johnson’s Lolly Factory.
The fireplace overmantle was taken from a house that was situated behind the old Ipswich Fire Brigade and has since been demolished.
The house originally had 5 rooms, it is believed a wall may have been removed to make one larger room on the ground floor
Information taken from “Toronto” by Tanya Jen, “The Ipswich Heritage study” and several Queensland Times newspaper articles including: “Victorian Gem shone up for new era”, “Grand homes history etched in finer details”, “Toronto keeps gothic style”