
George and Mary Wilson had this home built by stone mason William Hancock and carpenter/joiner Samuel Shenton in 1864, where they lived with their large family of 9 children. Beaumont was a fine Colonial residence of wide verandahs, decorative carved cedar staircases and wide rooms with black and white marble fireplaces.
George Wilson was, according to his grandchildren’s recollections, a very tall and erect man who usually wore a silk frock coat and top hat. He can be seen in this photo (which I think might have been taken fairly soon after the home's completion) with members of his family. One of his granddaughters described the home many years later.
“In front of the house was a wide gravel drive and behind the lattice** on the right, was a passageway to the kitchen and the backyard was filled with bougainvillea. The drawing room took up one side of the ground floor and a dance was held every Friday night. Grandfather Wilson came home from his store every day for lunch and he lay down on the hall floor, sleeping for about an hour while the respectful household tiptoed around him.”
** The lattice must have been added after this photo. It appears in another image in a comment below.
Newspaper article stating the foundations of this house were being laid:
trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/123607207?searchTerm=c...
Original of this photo held by the State Library of Queensland