Wynberg

Named after the South African town, this grand residence was built in the 1880’s and acquired by a stonemason G.C Willcocks who had been to South Africa to seek his fortune in diamond mining. Instead he found his forte was engineering and returned on contract to build railways and the imposing tuff retaining wall around All Hallows school. He also transformed Wynberg into the stately house it is today.

Shortly before his death in 1916 Duhig was approached by real estate guru and arts patron Archbishop Duhig and afterwards the sale was resisted by Willcocks' anti-catholic widow. Eventually in 1925 he bought it and took up residence in 1927.

Once ensconced he would open his house for an hour each morning so anyone could wander in and talk with him, regardless of their community standing. It was also a popular after school activity with children to visit the archbishop, and if his purple biretta could be seen on the back of his chair he was in residence. Since then the house continues to be home to Brisbane Archbishops including at present, Mark Coleridge .