Bartley’s Folly: Nehemiah Bartley and the house on the hill

What was Bartley's Folly? And who was Nehemiah Bartley, the eccentric early Brisbane resident who built it?

Since 1925, Brisbane residents have enjoyed the glorious views afforded by Bartley’s Hill in Ascot. But do you know how the hill got its name? It goes back to an unusual house, and the even more unusual man behind it. Let's find out more about Bartley’s Folly. 

The house on the hill: building Bartley’s Folly 

In 1858, Bartley married Sarah Sophia Barton – sister of Edmund Barton, who would become Australia’s first Prime Minister – and 2 years later unveiled a grand house built for her at the highest point of Hamilton Hill (present day Ascot). 

Little is known about the construction and interior design of the house, but pictures from State Library collections show an unconventional three-level structure with two large decks flanking three sides of the central storey. The Brisbane Courier described it as having ‘a faint resemblance to some rambling mediaeval castle.’ 

A passing mention in a 1922 reminiscence of early Brisbane describes the house as having ‘rooms running into each other, with doors here and there, causing the oft repeated remark: “Another of Bartley’s follies.” Hence, the name originated.’ 

Despite an enviable location with unrivalled views of Brisbane, the location was still mostly bushland, and ‘the resort of vagabonds and dubious characters’. The unsubstantiated but popular story goes that Bartley’s wife declined to move in because of fears for her safety. 

Whatever the reason, Nehemiah and Sarah reportedly soon decamped to a town house in George Street. Newspaper reports suggest Nehemiah's brother James lived at the Hamilton property for some time afterwards. It was demolished shortly after 1914.

To whom it may concern 

Originally referred to as “Bartley’s Tower”, before long the house became known colloquially as “Bartley’s Folly”, much to the chagrin of the man himself. Responding to a throwaway mention in an unrelated newspaper report, Bartley wrote to the The Brisbane Courier regarding this 'frequently recurring grievance', pointing out – as he would on subsequent occasions – that he in fact profited from the venture, purchasing the land at £2 an acre and later selling portions for £60 to £70 an acre.  

'No doubt it was great folly of me,' he wrote, 'to make 1000 per cent per annum on my money.' 

Bartley was in fact a prolific writer of letters to the editor (covering such pressing matters as the temperature of the Town Hall and the correct exact height of Brisbane hills), so much so that the Courier took the extraordinary step in 1879 of publishing a note directly to him, writing – in response to what seems to be a complaint about cows pushing a fence open – that ‘we must decline to publish your letter, the subject being of no public interest.’ 

An 1890 court report in The Telegraph evidently misnamed Bartley’s wife Sarah as “Lily”, and in response to an apparent letter of complaint by Bartley, the newspaper published a note stating ‘The 20,000 readers of the Telegraph are very little concerned as to what Mrs. Bartley’s name is, or as to the other details you write about.’ 

At age 64, while in Sydney to drum up support for his second book, Bartley complained about internal pain, which he believed was the result of ‘deleterious baking powder’ in some scones he had eaten. Soon after, on 10 July 1894, he died of ‘failure of the heart’s action’. The book was published after his death, released in 1896 as Australian Pioneers and Reminiscences.  

Both Bartley’s books – held in State Library collections – contain invaluable insights into Queensland and Australian life at the time, and the aspirations and challenges of Brisbane colonial settlement.  

Bartley’s Folly was not part of the physical landscape for long but it remained an indelible memory for many Brisbane residents, and Bartley’s Hill remains a popular place to observe Brisbane’s expanse today.