Rhossilli at a Glance:
- Style. Late-Victorian brick villa with an Italianate portico and cast-iron lace.
- Story. Shifted from dairy homestead to mayor’s house, flats and nursing home before its rescue.
- Restoration. A 2005-08 overhaul won a Ron Brown Heritage Gold Award.
- Protection. Listed on the Ipswich Local Heritage Register; demolition now barred.
📊 By the Numbers
- Address. Rhossilli stands at 4 Glebe Road, Newtown.
- Holding. Original farm covered 200 acres of grazing land.
- Block. Today the house sits on 2 862 m² of ridge-top ground.
- Rooms. An 1887 lease listed 11 main rooms.
- Fireplaces. Inside are 5 brick fireplaces, one signed “E. Greenway 1888.”
- Height. Formal rooms keep their 12-ft ceilings.
- Verandahs. Cast-iron lace wraps 2 storey verandahs.
- Portico. A single grand entry portico anchors the façade.
- 1993 sale. Property changed hands for $320 000.
- 2005 buy-in. Ron & Liz Jumelet paid $700 000 for the derelict house.
- Restoration. Work spanned 3 years before completion.
- Awards. The project earned 1 Gold Award in the 2008 Ron Brown Heritage Awards.
- Visitors. About 800 people toured the house on the 2018 Great Houses open day.
Why does this old brick house still sit on the ridge where Brisbane Rd—the original coach route to Brisbane—meets Glebe Road, a side lane cut through church “glebe” land?
For more than 140 years traffic has closed in around it, yet Rhossilli stands fast, a solid brick anchor and living memory post for the neighbourhood.
Many locals ask: Was it a farm home? A mayor’s party spot? Cheap flats? A hospital? The answer is all of them.
Inside, a fireplace signed 1888 nails its age. A forgotten obituary points to builder Samuel Shenton, though no one can prove it.
By 2005 the place was crumbling—until Ron and Liz Jumelet stepped in, fixing iron lace, roof and rooms.
Every beam, stair and stone still tells part of Ipswich’s story.
Read on and let Rhossilli show you what it has seen.
Explore more Ipswich iconic homes:
📜 Origins & History
Back in 1970 when Rhossilli was a Nursing Home. (source: Picture Ipswich)
Highlight
The land began as a 200-acre farm held by early justice Pollett Cardew, then grew into a busy dairy under post-master Richard Gill before the brick villa appeared in the late 1880s.
- Cardew. Mid-1850s records show a Rhossili farm run by Justice P. Cardew.
- Gill. Post-master Richard Gill expanded the land into a 200-acre dairy in the 1860s.
- Lease. An 1887 advert offered an 11-room house and farm for rent, marking the site’s rise in value.
- Name. The estate first appeared in print as “Rhossilli” in that 1887 notice.
- Hill-site. The block sits on high ground 1 km from town, chosen for dry soil and cooling breezes.
🏗️ Architecture & Design
Highlight
The two-storey brick villa mixes Italianate style, cast-iron lace and a grand portico. Evidence points to local builder-architect Samuel Shenton, though no plan is signed.
- Material. Solid brick walls were rare in timber-rich Ipswich.
- Style. Italianate lines, wide verandahs and a classical portico stress balance.
- Lace. “Lashings” of cast-iron filigree frame both verandah levels.
- Rooms. By 1887 the house held 11 main rooms plus service areas.
- Portico. Few Ipswich homes of the era match its grand entry.
- Designer. Shenton’s 1893 obituary lists a Gill villa, likely Rhossilli.
⏳ Through the Years
Highlight
Ownership passed from Cardew to Gill, then to mayor Summerville, solicitor Simpson, nursing operators and finally the Jumelet family, each phase reshaping daily life in the house.
- Summerville. Mayor W. H. Summerville bought the home in 1904 and renamed it Caerleon.
- Simpson. In 1919 solicitor Henry G. Simpson restored the Rhossilli name.
- Flats. The 1950s saw conversion into self-contained apartments.
- Nursing. From 1960 the house served as a convalescent home.
- Hostel. It later housed a support hostel until 2005.
- Family. Ron and Liz Jumelet bought the property in 2005 and returned it to family use.
🛠️ Renovations & Restorations
Highlight
Changes ranged from gas lighting in 1904 to major heritage works after 2005, which stripped modern partitions and revived lost iron lace.
- 1904. Summerville added gas lights and likely new plumbing.
- 1950s. Fibro walls and extra kitchens created multiple flats.
- 1960s. Wards, ramps and fire exits met health rules.
- 2005 buy. The Jumelets paid $700 000 for the derelict house.
- Works. Pearce Architects led verandah rebuilds, new roof and iron lace recasts.
- Award. The project won a 2008 Gold in the Ron Brown Heritage Awards.
🌟 Why it Matters / Heritage Importance
Highlight
Rhossilli is valued for its rare brick fabric, long civic links and role as a case study in adaptive reuse, securing local heritage protection.
- Listing. Local heritage status blocks demolition and guides changes.
- Rarity. Few large brick Victorian villas survive in Ipswich.
- Civic ties. The house links to post-master Gill, mayor Summerville and lawyer Simpson.
- Reuse. Shifts from home to hospital and back show flexible design.
- Showcase. Over 800 people toured the house in the 2018 Great Houses program.
- Model. Heritage officers cite the restoration as a best practice example.
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Sources
- “Rhossilli (Caerleon) – Heritage Summary.” Picture Ipswich.
- Great Houses of Ipswich set to dazzle in 2018. Discover Ipswich.
- Historical Marker, Rhossilli. Picture Ipswich.
- Event – Great Houses of Ipswich. State Library Queensland.
- Item No. 23-1092-0007 – Ipswich Heritage Study 1991 Inventory. Picture Ipswich.