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267 Main Street, Kangaroo Point is a Brisbane landmark.
Silverwells is one of Brisbane’s oldest residential homes. Sitting high above the river at Kangaroo Point its handsome facade – a reflection of a Georgian or Regency-era manor – has gained it many an admirer over the years.
None so much as its present owner Peter Stephenson, who has bought the landmark property, not once, but twice in his lifetime.
Thw view from the back deck of the property.
Mr Stephenson most recently bought the property about ten years ago.
“Prior to that I owned it for six years,” he said. “There was a gap in between when I sold it to a man called Mike Kavali [a developer], who incorporated it with 1 Scott Street, which allowed him to extend Silverwells,” he said.
The property has been kept in Victorian era style at the front.
The property has a long, if not slightly hazy history. It was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, yet no one is certain of when exactly it was built.
According to historical records, the land was secured by a Sydney merchant, Joseph Thompson, in 1861 on which he built two townhouses as part a wider portfolio of property investments.
Built in the 1800s, the exact date of construction is unknown.
Upon Mr Thompson’s death in 1902, the properties passed to William Mann Thompson, who subdivided the land on which they stood and the two townhouses were given separate titles.
The northern house has remained generally owner-occupied, while the southern one was rented from the 1930s to the 1950s, with some of Brisbane’s more successful business, legal and political figures among its tenants.
A modern extension was added in 2008 before it was sold to the previous onwer once more..
Despite its heritage listing, a renovation of Silverwells was allowed to go ahead in 2008 on the provision that it did not impact its streetscape or riverscape.
“I believe the National Trust and local council take the view that if you don’t let people upgrade and modernise to a degree, a place will just go to wrack and ruin,” Mr Stephenson said.
The renovations in this instance included the addition of a contemporary kitchen at the rear of the house, as well as a balcony and swimming pool.
It has exceptional views of the river.
Mr Stephenson said that once he saw what had been achieved with the conversion, it was simply too good a house not to buy back, so he secured Silverwells for a second time.
“It’s like living in two different houses. We actually renovated the front section to be compatible with the Victorian era and it has some characterful things in there. For instance, three rooms still have the fireplaces in them, which I think is really sweet,” he said.
The property’s facade is believed to be late Georgian era and is a well known sight along the river.
Other period features include crystal ball chandeliers, kauri pine floorboards and carved fanlights above French doors.
The home also has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a home office and study, multiple formal and casual lounge, living and dining areas, the option for private guest accommodation with its own separate entrance, as well as a coveted four-car basement garage with additional storage.
A pool was installed as part of the renovation.
Mr Stephenson said his favourite place in the house is the front room, leading out onto the garden. “This is another unique feature of the house as there aren’t many places around that have a garden,” he said.
A farming accident which restricted Mr Stephenson’s mobility has now led him to put Silverwells on the market once again.
One of the bedrooms in the renovated part of the house.
“I can’t manage the steps, truth be told, but the house is marvellous. It is an enjoyable place and its position is just wonderful. There’s bikeways and walkways, and the new green bridge, which will be hidden from us by the trees but which will be almost on our doorstep. And events such as Riverfire are just amazing, because they put a barge on the river in front of the house and let the fireworks off from there, so we have a front-row seat. There’s no doubting I will miss it.”