Perspectives on the land and home of a Nundah Anzac cottage: a community contribution

Discover the history behind the first Nundah Anzac cottage using the resources of State Library of Queensland, Brisbane City Archives, and Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying.

A Nundah Anzac cottage

On 9 March 1919, the Minister for Lands, Mr Coyne, gathered with members of the Toombul Council, volunteer workers and others in the community to open an Anzac cottage. It was the first in the Toombul Shire and was presented to Mrs Theresa Margaret McCarthy in Nundah. She and her 2 surviving children, aged 3 and 6, were the recipients of a home following the death of her husband, John, in September 1918 just weeks before World War I ended.

Community cottage building

The community recognised that a young widow with dependent children, unable to work, needed help. She deserved a secure home because of the sacrifice of her husband, and breadwinner, in war. James Youatt, a prominent local teacher, organised the land on the corner of Robinson Road and Surrey Street. The Golden Casket lottery raised money to purchase building supplies. A committee was formed to provide voluntary labour to build the cottage over weekends. Local women ensured the workers were fed. The laundry facilities included a copper - a set-in boiler, a special gift by a few residents. A check of Trove historical newspapers advanced search using the words Nundah and ‘Anzac cottage’ in ‘all these words’ provides 51 hits tracing the progress of this community contribution.

The Anzac cottage

Mrs McCarthy was expected to pay 1/6 rent a week for the house. It was named Baden Powell Cottage and was of a similar design to many Anzac cottages.

The land

The era of Anzac cottages belonged to the period of World War I and its aftermath. Many of these cottages have since been demolished. In order to appreciate the context of these houses in time as well as the changes in our land use and housing, it is necessary to be aware of not only State Library resources mentioned, but also of maps and advice from the Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying, and from Brisbane City Archives.

The current block of the first Toombul Anzac cottage (see above) was originally part of Portion 141 in the Parish of Toombul and this block was created via an 1863 survey. The area of Portion 141 was 11 acres 0 roods 30 perches. The first freehold title was issued in 1863 to Henry Moss. Ownership of the block was transferred through a number of people until it was owned by George Phillips and John Henry Flower in 1881. In 1882, George and John arranged for Portion 141 to be subdivided into a large number of small blocks that were sold off through time. The block in question had a property description of Sub 1 of Section 6 of Portion 141 in the Parish of Toombul and an area of 30.2 perches. The first freehold title was issued in 1916 over this block. (Information from Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying).

State Library’s real estate map of the Park Hill Estate shows the block of land on sale. Good soil, beautiful views and proximity to the Nundah railway station were strong selling points.

The house 

Brisbane City Council holds detail plans and the accompanying survey field books, created for sewerage purposes, which show the footprint of houses and any buildings within the grounds at specific dates.

In the case of the 1960 detailed plan of the Anzac cottage, marked on the map above, we can see there is a tank (tk) at the side of the house and the position of the steps and veranda. The parallel dotted lines in the centre of the road indicate only the centre of the road was sealed. The shoulders would have been gravel.

The extract from the ‘Register of Anzac Cottages’ shows that Mrs McCarthy occupied the home from 1 January 1919 until her death 2 December 1965. The cottage was sold in 1966 and two brick maisonettes were built privately. (Information from Brisbane City Archives).

The construction of Anzac cottages occurred over a relatively short period. It showed the willingness of a community to come together to help a widow and her family, but it was also a stage in the varied acquisition and use of land over time. In order to understand more about the history of the land and homes, it demonstrates the need to use and move among the records of the Museum of Lands Mapping and Surveying, Brisbane City Archives and State Library of Queensland.

Find out more… 

Brisbane City Archives 
Research the history of your house 
Enquiries: archives@brisbane.qld.gov.au 

Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying Department of Resources 
Historical maps topic guide 
Enquiries: online enquiry form 

State Library of Queensland 
House histories 
Enquiries: Ask a librarian 

Blogs

• Anzac Cottage No.1: Lost in the Woods

• Digitised@SLQ: Appreciation certificates for building an Anzac cottage