Miegunyah

We have previously met early Brisbane businessman William Perry, the founder of the huge Perry Bros hardware emporium. Perry lived at Folkestone, a hilltop residence at Bowen Hills. William Perry left his mark in this suburb too - Perry Park, where the family grazed their livestock, and Folkestone St are reminders of this entrepreneur. The house Folkestone no longer exists - after William Perry's death, the land was sold to the Catholic church, and on the site of the house Archbishop James Duhig built Our Lady of Victories church.

Perry was also a family man. On his estate at Bowen Hills around the year 1885, he had this residence, Miegunyah (pictured below in 1886), constructed for his sons Herbert and George .

(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #41591)

Some idea of the wealth of the family can be gleaned from the size and opulence of the house, and the carriage being held for their use at the front of the steps, attended by a driver and footman.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)

Miegunyah was purchased in 1967 by the Queensland Women's Historical Society, who not only saved it from demolition, but since since then have been able to carry out some restoration work; they now run it as a historical museum and it is open to the public.

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