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Historic homes face demolition

Two heritage listed Highgate Hill houses are set to be torn down on Monday after Brisbane City Council approved a five-storey unit complex. Nine News

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A demolisher could move into Highgate Hill early Monday morning and destroy two homes listed on Brisbane City Council’s heritage register.

One of the two homes in Highgate Hill’s Jones Street is Keddington Villa, which was built in 1882 and occupied in 1883.

Local historian Peter Marquis Kyle said the history of the curious U-shaped building warranted the home’s protection.

One of the Highgate Hill houses that could be demolished as early as Monday. Photo: Nine News Brisbane

“I have lived across the road from Keddington Villa since 1983,” Mr Marquis Kyle said.

“I have watched its mango trees being cut down, the Bougainvillea poisoned, the slow deterioration of the building.

“Now, as it is about to be demolished and replaced by a five-storey apartment block, I want people to understand and recall its history and its people.”

Keddington Villa was originally built for a senior Queensland public servant, Mr Marquis Kyle said.

“Albert Prewett was a senior public servant and secretary to the Queensland Railway Commissioner,” he said.

“Keddington Villa was built for Albert and his family soon afterwards.”

The Prewetts’ house was built of timber, set on stumps, roofed with corrugated iron, and surrounded by verandahs and, to that extent, was similar to its contemporaries.

“But its U-shaped plan was unusual, and so was the form of its main hipped roof,” he said.

The Prewett family lived in Keddington Villa until the late 1890s when Albert’s health deteriorated. He retired from the Railway Department in 1898 and moved to Southport where he died in 1907.

The two houses in recent years have fallen into disrepair.

Local councillor Helen Abrahams argued against the application to demolish the house in Brisbane City Council and a “temporary local planning instrument” was placed over the demolition.

 

However The West End Community Association and other local residents will protest from 7am as the demolishers have discussed moving on to the site from early Monday morning.

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