1A Milford Street

Ipswich QLD 4305

The house is symmetrically arranged with cedar French doors opening onto the verandah which extends around the sides of the house. A stunning concave roof is supported by simple posts on plain plinths.
Nine fireplaces light and warm the large rooms including six bedrooms, formal lounge and dining separated by large cedar bi-folds and office area. Extensive use of cedar joinery throughout is simple and classically inspired in accordance with the Georgian style.
A separate fully self contained unit has been added ideal for an au pair and adjoins a very private lap pool.
The simple elegance of the oversized entry is unique and sets the standard for the long expansive hallways leading to the large rooms through cedar doors. An extensive restoration over three decades has culminated in a prominent, historical property combining intrinsic Edwardian charm with todays modern convenience being offered for the first time in 17 years.

Centrally located to the CBD, transport and schools. A rare 1850s sandstone, Georgian villa available for immediate purchase.

Features:
9 fireplaces
6 bedrooms in total
3 bathrooms
Formal lounge and dining
Office or meeting room
Billiards room
Separate kitchen
Cellar
Fully self contained unit
4 car accommodation
Inground pool
Ducted air conditioning
30 panel discrete solar
Fully fenced
Walk to CBD

The history:
Claremont is a single story, Georgian style house with verandahs which addresses the Bremer River on the north. It is built to a U shaped plan. The style is reminiscent of earlier houses in Sydney and Tasmania and is rare in Queensland.

The house is symmetrically arranged with French doors opening onto the verandah, which extends around the sides of the house. There is a stone paved verandah at the rear. The verandah roof has been reconstructed to its original form of a concave profile roof supported by simple posts on plain plinths.

It is constructed of local sandstone, possibly from Woogaroo quarry with brick walls internally. The form of construction is rare, incorporating timber tie beams at lintel level through the stone work. The framing for the original double hipped roof including the box gutter and some battening for slates, remains under the current roof which is single hipped and is clad with corrugated iron.

Decorative detail to the interior, such as the classical motifs on the cornices of the drawing and dining rooms, is simple and classically inspired in accordance with the Georgian style. There are nine chimneys and some original marble fireplaces and grates survive as does some door and window joinery.

There is a brick lined, stone flagged storage cellar beneath the former bathroom on the western side of the house. The original half spiral access stair survives, but much of the floor framing in the room is reconstructed. The kitchen also retains a stone flagged floor.

The gardens of Claremont hold a high cultural heritage significance through their history and use associated with the house, and their contribution of a highly attractive, appropriate house setting and the presentation of Claremont to the townscape. Eg: planting of flowering trees by the Duchess of Kent in 1992, and Lady Mansfield in 1967 . The gardens retain some elements of the original planting and a number of fine or unusual specimens including Ulmus parvifolia, golden bamboo, early varieties of hibiscus and an early locally propagated variety of bougainvillea.

The view of the river survives.

John Panton and the building of Claremont.
John Panton was born in Scotland in 1815. He was the son of the first Postmaster General of New South Wales who had arrived in Australia in 1822 with his family. In 1842 Panton married Isabella North. With his brother-in-law, he was a partner in the Sydney mercantile firm of Betts & Panton, which crashed in 1841. In 1851, Panton arrived in Ipswich and established himself successfully as a general merchant. In 1852 the area of land that had been the site of the convict station was subdivided and sold to five different owners. Almost immediately, Panton began to acquire the land and by the following year held blocks 1-5 and 11-15 of Section 36. His interest is understandable, because for a merchant the site was extremely well placed. Before the coming of the railway, the Bremer was a major trade route and the key to the success of Ipswich as a trading centre. The land is at the head of navigation of the river, close to The Pool, an area which permitted steamships to turn and which was also close to the wharves. Panton built a jetty there and in 1855 he built a two story stone warehouse to hold merchandise for his store to the north west of the present house. There were also stables.

In 1857, Panton added a stone villa designed by William Wakeling to the site and named it Claremont. William Wakeling was in partnership with Thomas Casey as Wakeling and Casey Builders from 1856-1857 and Wakeling practiced as an architect in Ipswich from 1858. The name Claremont was used for homes previously and subsequently occupied by Panton. The work was carried out by brick-building contractor Alfred Lewis, who had also built Pantons warehouse. While the house was being constructed, the Pantons lived at their business premises in Brisbane Street.

John Panton serve