Nundah, Queensland: Difference between revisions

A prominent local citizen who contributed significantly to the development of the village of German Station was [[George Bridges (Nundah pioneer)|George Bridges]] (1820–1898). George and his young family immigrated from [[Wilstead]], [[Bedfordshire]], England to Queensland in 1852 aboard the "Marie Somes". In 1855, he acquired {{convert|64|acre|ha}} of land north of Buckland Road and east of Sandgate Road for farming. However, as [[Sandgate, Queensland|Sandgate]] became an increasingly popular holiday destination, the increasing volume of coach traffic along Sandgate Road encouraged him to open a hotel in 1866,<ref>{{cite news|date=16 June 1922|title=Old Brisbane Inns.|volume=XCIII,|page=15|newspaper=[[The Week]]|issue=2,425|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192979367|via=National Library of Australia|accessdate=4 December 2021}}</ref> which became a popular stop being roughly halfway between [[Brisbane]] and Sandgate. The first hotel was called the Kedron Hotel but the third and longest-running hotel was known as the Kedron Brook Hotel and was located alongside Sandgate Road (now Bage Street, named after [[Freda Bage]], first principal of [[The Women's College, University of Queensland]]<ref>{{cite news|date=13 December 1938|title=NEW STREET NAMES.|page=3|newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]]|publisher=National Library of Australia|location=Brisbane|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38726445|url-status=live|access-date=26 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308040651/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38726445|archive-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>) on the SW corner of his property. Emboldened by the success of his hotel ventures, George Bridges looked for other commercial opportunities. He observed that Sandgate Road at that time did a dog-leg around the SW corner of his property (along Buckland Road) which forced traffic to travel up and over Donkin's Hill. So he created a short-cut across the SW corner of his property that avoided the hill, which was much appreciated by the travellers, allowing George Bridges to sell off parcels of land along this new unofficial piece of Sandgate Road to commercial enterprises, which serviced both the travellers and the local farming community. This unofficial short-cut grew into the Nundah Village shopping street that exists today and eventually became the official route of Sandgate Road. Around 1872, George and his wife Mary retired to [[Burpengary]] and began to progressively sell off the land of their German Station property as the village developed.

A call for tenders for a non-denominational chapel in German Station was advertised in July 1855 .<ref>{{cite news|date=7 July 1855|title=Classified Advertising|volume=X|page=3|newspaper=[[The Moreton Bay Courier]]|issue=473|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3715461|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=3 December 2021|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203073405/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3715461|url-status=live}}</ref> The chapel was open for Christian services on Thursday 6 December 1855.<ref>{{cite news|date=1 December 1855|title=Classified Advertising|volume=X|page=3|newspaper=[[The Moreton Bay Courier]]|issue=562|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3709340|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=3 December 2021|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203073404/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3709340|url-status=live}}</ref> About February 1859 the chapel was acquired by the Baptists; the Wesleyans had first right of refusal but did not purchase it.<ref>{{cite news|date=12 February 1859|title=THE ROSTER AT IPSWICH.|volume=XIII|page=3|newspaper=[[The Moreton Bay Courier]]|issue=728|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3721952|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=29 November 2021|archive-date=2 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202014908/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3721952|url-status=live}}</ref> The Baptists held their opening services on Sunday 20 February 1859.<ref>{{cite news|date=16 February 1859|title=Classified Advertising|volume=XIII,|page=3|newspaper=[[The Moreton Bay Courier]]|issue=726|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3720736|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> In 1874 it was relocated to [[Hendra, Queensland|Hendra]] to become the Baptist Church there, as many Baptists in Nundah had moved to the Hendra area.<ref>{{cite news|date=13 April 1891|title=HENDRA BAPTIST CHURCH.|volume=XLVII,|page=5|newspaper=[[The Brisbane Courier]]|issue=10,372|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3524736|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 December 2021|archive-date=2 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202014914/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3524736|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1900, Laura Tufnell, the widow of [[Edward Tufnell]] (a former [[Anglican Bishop of Brisbane]]), donated money to establish an orphanage in her husband's name. The funds were used to purchase {{Convert|4.5|acre}} of land at 230 Buckland Road ({{Coord|-27.4027|153.0526|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Tufnell Home (former orphanage)}}).<ref>{{cite news|date=13 June 1900|title=Anglican Synod.|page=3 (SECOND EDITION)|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Brisbane)|The Telegraph]]|issue=8,600|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article173517585|access-date=|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=2 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202014956/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/173517585|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=12 June 1901|title=THE EVENING PROCEEDINGS.|volume=LVII,|page=6|newspaper=[[The Brisbane Courier]]|issue=13,546|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19095377|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=2 December 2021}}</ref> Tufnell Home was established by the [[Anglican Diocese of Brisbane]] and operated by the [[Sister of the Sacred Advent|Sisters of the Sacred Advent]]. It opened on 6 February 1901 and closed in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tufnell Home (1901 - 1993)|url=https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/qld/QE00172|url-status=live|access-date=2 December 2021|website=[[National Redress Scheme]]|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920210518/https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/qld/QE00172}}</ref>