Oaklands: Wright Family Federation Queenslander from Ipswich’s Coal Boom

Oaklands is the showpiece in a rare 3 house listing called the Wright Family Houses. 3 neighbours treated as one heritage overlay.

It is a Federation Queenslander with a balanced front and a tall finial. The verandahs were enclosed with coloured glass that still catches the light.

Built for the Wright colliery family during Tivoli’s coal boom, the trio survives side by side. Oaklands leads. The other two echo it. That street scale is why the listing protects the group, not just one house.

Take a walk around Mt Crosby Rd.

Your starting point is Oaklands (c.1898). Go right and you’ll arrive at Wrightson (c.1903). Go left and you’ll arrive at 98 Mt Crosby Rd (c.1903). All part of the Wright Family Houses group heritage listing.

📜 Origins & History

• Main home. Oaklands was built as the principal residence of John and Elizabeth Wright on a rise above the Perseverance mine.
• Setting. The house sits on a high block beside Tivoli State School in a community shaped by coal.
• Group. Two companion houses stood either side of Oaklands, forming a close family enclave along Mount Crosby Road.
• Use. Oaklands functioned as the family’s main home and regular gathering place in the early years.
• Naming. Together the three properties are known as the Wright Family Houses.

• Character. The home signalled prosperity while remaining a timber Queenslander rather than a show mansion.

🏗️ Architecture & Design

• Type. All three are high‑set timber houses with near‑square plans and wide verandahs.
• Roofs. Main roofs are pyramid forms sheeted in corrugated iron with prominent brick stacks.
• Oaklands ironwork. Oaklands retains cast‑iron verandah balustrades and columns with ornate capitals.
• Hall plan. A central hallway leads to formal front rooms with bedrooms opening off the passage.
• Bay windows. Oaklands’ two front bedrooms project with bay windows to catch light and air.
• Joinery. French doors, sash windows and fanlights reflect quality craft.
• Ceilings. Room heights reach about 11–12 feet for cooler interiors.
• Grounds. Large lots with mature trees give the trio a strong garden presence.

• Topography. The blocks fall towards Sandy Creek at the rear.
• Façade. Oaklands faces the street with a central gable trimmed by ornate bargeboards and a tall finial.

⏳ Through the Years

• 1864. Josiah B. Sloman bought the 43‑acre parcel that later held the three house sites.
• 1873. John Wright leased part of that land and opened the Perseverance mine.

• 1890. Son Richard Wright died in a workplace accident at Eclipse.
• 1893. Flooding at the Eclipse Colliery claimed George and Thomas Wright in a major disaster.

Eclipse Collier Disaster (1893, Ipswich) memorial photo.

• 1894. Elizabeth Ann Wright bought the Tivoli lots that became 98 and 106.
• 1895–1897. Oaklands was planned and built during these years.
• January 1898. The Queenslander described Oaklands as “one of the nattiest villas in North Ipswich,” confirming the house stood by that date source
• 1899. Title for 100 Mount Crosby Road was registered in Elizabeth Wright’s name.
• c.1900–1903. The companion houses were finished and by 1903 three substantial homes were shown in the valuation register.
• 1903. Council records confirmed all three houses were owned by Elizabeth A. Wright.
• 10 Jul 1909. Isabella Wright married Percy A. Barbat in the drawing room at Oaklands.
• 1911. Title for 106 Mount Crosby Road passed to John Wright Jr.
• 8 Oct 1915. John Wright Sr died at Oaklands.
• 1920. Elizabeth Ann Wright died and the main house stood unoccupied for a time.
• 1922. Oaklands was transferred to Elizabeth Ann “Bessie” Barbet.
• 1924. 106 Mount Crosby Road was sold outside the family to Robert H. Hunter.
• 1926. Oaklands was sold to Benjamin Morgan, a trusted family associate.
• 1931. Title to 98 Mount Crosby Road passed to Catherine Wright.
• 1953. 98 Mount Crosby Road left Wright family ownership.
• 1969. A photograph showed Oaklands weathered yet intact among mature trees.
• 1970s. A substantial rear extension created a large dining room at Oaklands.
• 1980s. Wrightson received upgrades including pool and interior refurbishment.
• 1991. 98 Mount Crosby Road sold for about $36,000.
• 30 Jan 2004. The three properties were entered as a group in the Queensland Heritage Register.
• 2004. Wrightson gained a development approval for a childcare use and subdivision that later lapsed.
• 25 Jul 2015. Oaklands sold for about $650,000 after nearly a century with one family.
• 2023. Wrightson sold for around $1.035 million after sympathetic modernisation. It is also currently for sale (as of 11 Nov 2025 for a price guide of $1.35-1.45m) source
• 2025. The trio remains protected and lived in as a recognised heritage precinct.

🛠️ Renovations & Restorations

• Oaklands verandah. By 1919 the front verandah was partly enclosed with coloured sash windows.

• Oaklands addition. In the 1970s a large rear extension created a generous dining space.

• Oaklands fabric. Original marble fireplaces, VJ walls and other early elements remain alongside later kitchens and bathrooms.
• Oaklands garden. Early garden edging and mature fig trees still shape the setting.
• 98 verandah. The front verandah was removed mid‑century, while a side section with iron lace survives.
• 98 outbuilding. A small detached, hip‑roofed structure continues to stand beside the house.
• 106 stumps. Wrightson’s original timber stumps were replaced with concrete and the under‑house enclosed with battens.
• 106 outdoor. A rear covered patio and an in‑ground pool were added out of street view.
• 106 interior. The kitchen and bathrooms were modernised in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• 106 shed. A large garage and carport were built in the 2000s with minimal impact from the street.
• 106 detailing. Damaged verandah fretwork was replaced like‑for‑like to match original patterns.

🌟 Why it Matters / Heritage Importance

• History. The trio illustrates the rise of Ipswich’s coal economy and how success shaped domestic life.
• Type. They demonstrate the key traits of substantial late‑1800s Queenslander homes in a semi‑rural setting.
• Aesthetic. Together they create a strong heritage streetscape with repeating roof forms and gardens.
• Social. Locals connect the houses with Tivoli’s mining past and the neighbouring school.
• Rarity. Three adjacent homes built for one extended family are unusual in regional Queensland.
• Association. The place is directly linked to mine proprietor John Wright and his family story.
• Continuity. Their survival gives Ipswich a tangible link to a formative era of work and community.