JOHN O'NEILL BRENAN - His reminiscences in the Library of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland
Information kindly sent to our group by John F Bray, President of Bardon Community Group

John O'Neill Brenan wrote his "Rough Reminiscences of Toowong" in 1917 when he was aged 60, a resident of Toowong for almost 44 years. He was responding to the interest of FWS Cumbrae Stewart then Registrar of the University of Queensland, a foundation member of the Historical Society of Queensland and a keen historian.

Brenan's reminiscences may be compared with JB Fewings memoirs of Toowong written in 1892 and edited by Helen Gregory as "Arcadian Simplicity", pub. Boolarong 1990.

Brenan was born on 27 March 1856. He came to Queensland to be appointed a Junior Clerk in the Government Savings Bank on 17 June 1872 with a salary of 81 pounds pa.

He boarded at Toowong with Mrs FW Carr until he married Gertrude Georgina (Ina) a daughter of his mentor William Leworthy Goode Drew and they built a house in Sylvan Road where they spent the rest of their lives.

WLG Drew formerly a Royal Navy paymaster came to NSW in 1856 and to Queensland in 1862 as Under Secretary to the Treasury, from 1877 Auditor General, from 1883 also Chairman of the Immigration Board and from 1889 Chairman of the Civil Service Board until his death in 1898.

After junior appointments to the Stamp Duties Office and with the Curator of Intestate Estates Brenan became Chief Clerk of the Immigration Office on 1 December 1884 on 400 pounds pa and Immigration Agent (head of department) on 30 August 1893. He occupied this position until his retirement in 1927.

Immigrants to the Moreton Bay district from 1848 were hosued in the former military barracks (now occupied by the Old Treadsury Building) from 1866 adjacent to the Old Commisariat Store in William Street in the later Department of Agriculture and Stock Building which still remains and from 1888 at Yungaba, Kangaroo Point.

In 1880 McIlwraith Government entered into a mail contract with the British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd to bring mail, and migrants from London, via the Suez Canal calling at Cooktown, Townsville, Rockhampton, terminating at Brisbane.

Between 1881 and 1891 the population of Queensland increased by 84% some half of which by immigration. Brenan was associated with the administration of that programme, from 1890 the supervision of the recruitment of Pacific Island Labourers and from 1902 to 1906 their repatriation to their native islands.

As immigration declinded during the 1890s depression, Yungaba provided a temporary refuge for the destitute and homeless and Brenan became officer in Charge of the Government Labour Bureau form 3 August 1893.

From 1900 Yungaba was an isolation hospital. In 1901 a reception centre for troops returning from the South African War and an office for the Protector of Aborigines, then from 1904 to 1906 accommodation for Pacific Island Labourers.

From June 1915 Yungaba was converted to No.6 Australian General Hospital and remained in army control to 1919. Until September 1920 Brenan as Immigration Officer and his staff were accommodated in the city. From 1920 to 1917 immigration expanded modestly and for example in the last year of Brenans service (1926) the intake was 3667 including 2840 nominated immigrants, 732 farm lads, 91 domestics, 1 agricultural settler and 3 miscellaneous.

With the oversight of all these diverse and complex responsibilities over many eyars, Brenan was a competent civil servant.

John O'Neill Brenan was a keen athlete in his youth; a hunter, field naturalist and birdwatcher in later days. He is mentioned by Alec Chisholm in his contributions to the Queensland Naturalist in 1922 entitled "Bird Seeking in Queensland". He was therefore recognised as a skilled birdwatcher.

His death was recorded by the Courier Mail on 14 March 1940 as a life of achievement, unobtrusive but efficient.

His reminicenses of Toowong carry the mark of the public servant. They lack the warmth and enthusiasm of JB Fewings, but they are accurate and a valuable contribution to the history of the area.

A Few Rough Reminiscences of Early Toowong

My acquaintance with what are now the suburbs Toowong, Taringa and Indooroopilly began on the 15th June, 1872. On that day i set out from town for Milton - the name Toowong was then only applied to a narrow strip running downt the gully between Sir Alfred Cowley's place, embracing Easton Gray, extending down the present Toowong Sports' Ground, across the Moggill Road, and down the flat as far as the creek running out near Dr Jackson's place. Across that creek (Dr Jackson's place) was Lang Farm, then the property fo the Cribb family, nominally it was owned by Robert Cribb. This creek was then fringed with a pretty strip of vine scrub.

The name Toowong was taken from the call (or aboriginal name) of the Flinders Cuckoo, or Australian Koel - Endynami Flindersi - which in those days made the locality just referred to its habitat from about the middle of September to February or March, and was to be found there in numbers. It is remarkable that even now where settlement has not wiped out the necessary tree shelter - for instance at Sir Alfred Cowley's place - the bird may still be seen or heard there during the period of its stay in Southern Queensland. The male bird only utters the "name" call.

Excepting this narrow strip, it was all Milton, even out as far as "Witton Manor", which, as you know, is on the bend of the River above the Indooroopilly Railway Bridge, though Taringa was spoken of as West Milton. The name Indooroopilly was only used when referring to Long Pocket, including the later-named St Lucia and Ironsides.

Going back to my first journey to the neighbourhood - descending the hill from North Quay brought one to Bennett's Bridge. This crossed a creek (long since filled up) which bounded part of EJ Bennett's property, hence the name given to the bridge. Mr Bennett's house has been demolished, and the Tramway Company, I think, owns the land, many of the trees still stand there, amonth them one of the very few English oaks growing about Brisbane.

Crossing the bridge, you were upon the Moggill Road, now mostly referred to as the River Road, and entered the suburb of Milton. Immediately to the right was the residence of the late John Cribb, accountant to the Bank of New South Wales. The old house stood upon the site of the present twostoried building in the middle of a large area, the proepryt fronting the Moggill Road on the East side, Cribb Street on the South and partly Little Cribb Street the Milton Road on the West. There were a couple of cottages between Little Cribb Street, and the Distillery, which was I think, owned by one of the Forsyth family, and the Inspector was AI Douglas. The word "distillery" has been deleted, but "Milton" remians, and the place is now occupied as a dwellinghouse.

Next one came to Milton House, still intact, but now surrounded by many residences, etc. The property, then owned by the late JF McDougall, of Rosalie Station, was bounded by Cribb Street, on the north, by Park Road on the South, on the east and west by Moggill and Milton Roads. At the time I speak of it, it was occupied by the late Mr AW Manning, formerly Under Colonial Secretary.

There was a fine Lagoon running diagonally across the property and frequently black swans and an odd pelican or two made it a place of call.

Looking across the Milton Road, there was Bishopsbourne, and several small houses fronting the road next to where the Castlemaine Brewery was built later on. Further back again was "Fernberg", originally built by the late Hon JC Heussler, but then occupied by the Fremier, the late Sir AH Palmer, while adjacent were "Bardon", where Mr Harlin, Head Master of Bribane Grammar School lived, and ... (unable to read).

Resuming the drive along the Moggill Road, after passing Milton Houses, were a few smaller houses with high pitched roofs (one was occupied by the late David Tait, Snr) they were owned by a Mr ...... and some of them still remain. Then a small brick cottage on the town side of the creek, occupied by a Mr Adsett. Crosing the bridge stood "Dunmore", the residence of the late Robert Cribb. Built mostly of cedar, and with an old fashioned tiled roof, it remained until the death of the owner, when it was pulled down, leaving a few old pine trees to mark the spot. "Dunmore" was a large property and went back to Milton Road. Its name, I take it, was a compliment to Dr John Dunmore Long, through whom the Cribbs came to Queensland when it was Moreton Bay. Lang Farm, previously mentioned, was another little token of respect to the Dr, who was responsible for bringing some of the very best immigrants that ever came to Queensland. Following on, was "Moorland Villa" owned and resided in by the late John Markwell; the house was on the site of the present residences of Mr W and Dr J ON Mayne, adn their sister. The River Road boundary was, as it is today, but the property extended back along the "Dunmore" fence to the Milton Road, fronting the latter to the corner of Croydon Street, thence to the boundary of the new Toowong Park.

"Moorland Villa" covered a large area, it embraced the whole of Auchenflower and Mr W Davies property.

Next on the River Road was a small two-storied wooden house, originally built by a Mr Markwell, the eldest son of the late John Markwell. He was a young newly-married man, who was thrown from his horse on the River Road and killed shortly before the time of which I am speaking. Going over what waas then suitably named the "Crooked Bridge" at the corner of Patrick Lane, one came to "Ravenfield", the residence of the late HW Radford, and back on the hill was "Clayton", now resided in by Mrs JB Dixon, but then occupied by J Hamilton Scott, of Fenwick and Scott.

I think the oldest houses in the neighbourhood then, in the order given, were "Dunmore", "Moorland Villa", "Clayton", and "Ravenfield" - "Clayton" is the only survivor, it has been added to, but the original part, and the slab kitchen are sitll sound and in use. The house was, I believe, built by the late Mr Patrick, a retired Police Inspector, and old friend of JB Dixon's and when he (Patrick) lived there, he ran the establishment as a Bachelor's Quarters, the occupants being JB Dixon, A Drury, JB Fewings, and James Atkinson. The latter, a surveyor of Ipswich, may still be alive, the rest have passed away.

Next to "Ravenfield" came the late WLG Drew's residence "Minto", (now Mrs Beardmore's "Cromar"), and the main part of it is intact. The property (bounded by the Cemetery Road) ran back to the Toowong Park. The latter, at that time, had a house upon it on the hill at the back of "Clayton". Anyone looking down the southern slope will see where grape vines were cultivated there. When first I knew it, a Mr Moreton Douglas resided there.

Once more, I must take you back onto the Moggill Road. On the hill, to the right, close to Mrs William Landsborough's present residence was a cottage occupied by a Mr Cotham, then the next building in sight was "Middenbury", owned and resided in by the Rogers family, of whom the only direct representative alive, Lewis Rogers, was recently severely wounded at Poziers. "Middenbury", enlarged and improved is now the residence of the Messrs. O'Shea.