Miegunyah
Bowen Hills
Updated: Oct 28, 2025
A near to perfectly preserved half-acre of house (circa 1886) and land as it was in the last part of Queen Victoria’s reign, Miegunyah has, since it was built, played a prominent role in Brisbane’s history.
Its original owners, Herbert and Leila Perry were a successful businessman and vivacious society hostess – he, the heir to his father’s successful hardware business and owner of Perry House, at six storeys the tallest building in Brisbane of its time and today the gracious apartment hotel Royal Albert Hotel - and she, a social pages regular due to her Literary Balls and Tray Parties.
After their deaths in 1922 the house had several owners until World War II when it was taken over by as a camp for the men from a Special Unit Z who entered Singapore Harbour in a modest fishing trawler and blew up 39,000 tonne of Japanese naval vessels then celebrated their success back at Miegunyah.
Today, the house and its fascinating contents - including a wine chest that faithfully accompanied its owner Colonel Grey to the Battle of Waterloo - can be inspected and afternoon tea "a la Leila Perry" taken on Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday on the wide verandah.
