Post Code: 4065 Distance to CBD: 6 km
Bardon is a residential suburb in Brisbane situated at the foothills of Mount Coot-tha. The area has high ridges separated by steep gullies. Simpson Road and Mcgregor Terrace are some of the major streets that follow the contour of the ridges. Ithaca Creek flows through the suburb to join the Enoggera Creek.
The suburb has small neighborhood convenience stores and most of the shops and restaurants are found along the Mcgregor Terrace. Housing in the suburb is a mixture of small modern single-detached houses, old workers’ cottages and the stately Queenslander houses.
The schools in the suburb include St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School located on The Drive, Brandon State School on Simpson Rd, Rainworth State School on Boundary Rd. and Ithaca Creek State School on Lugg St.
The name of the suburb is derived from the name of the house which was built by Joshua Jeays in 1863. The name of the house is derived from Bardon Hill in Leicestershire, England, Jeays birthplace. The area used to be a camping site of the indigenous people where they hunted and gathered food. There are also some indications that they used the place for religious purposes.
The area was surveyed in 1862 and was followed by a land sale. There were only three buyers, Joshua Jeays who became the alderman of the Municipality of Brisbane from 1859 to 1864, Francis Lyon and Edward Wyndham Tufnell, who became the first bishop of the Anglican Church in Brisbane.
Another prominent person that lived in Bardon is Sir Charles Lilley, Jeays son-in-law and an editor of Moreton Bay Courier and Premiere of Queensland from 1868 to 1870. He played a significant role for the passage of the Education Act of 1875 which provided free education.
Urbanization came when the large estates where subdivided into residential estates and public transport were introduced, first by horse-drawn coaches in 1879 and electric tramline in 1898. Further subdivisions were done, first in 1887 in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year, then in 1915 and 1926.
Brandon’s Famous Landmark:
o Brandon House
The house played an important role in the suburb’s history aside from being the source of the suburb’s name. It also exemplifies the Victorian Gothic architecture. Much of the original features of the house are retained though it underwent series of renovations.
The two-storied stone house was constructed by Joseph Jeays, a builder and architect, who died before the construction of the building was completed.
The property stayed with the Jeays and Lilley families up to 1911. It was then sold to Arthur Exley. The estate was subdivided and the area where the Bardon House stood was acquired by James Duhig for the Roman Catholic Church in 1925. The Bardon House was converted into a church with the original mantelpiece and table of the house used as an altar.
In 1938, Bardon House became a school, which is now known as St Joseph Catholic Primary School. The building was renovated to accommodate a classroom. By the end of that year a separate school building was constructed within the site
In 1963, a new church, the St. Magdelene’s Church was constructed within the same area and Bardon House was used as a hall.