Dovercourt, a stunning 1864 colonial homestead in Toowong, is set to get a multi-million dollar makeover from its new owner.
Kirtsty Faichen has filed a development application (DA A005718313) to conduct operational work on the heritage site. The new owner is also seeking to reconfigure and subdivided the land, spanning 7,036 square metres, for additional building work and home improvements.
In the development application, Ms Faichen detailed the intention to retain 4,000 square metres of Dovercourt as a family home and to pour multi-million dollars into restoring the colonial house.
Dovercourt once belonged to the Bigge family for over 90 years. Ms Faichen, who is a lawyer and a heritage site campaigner, bought the property in 2020.
She and her family knew this would be a keeper when they discovered a trapdoor in a hidden cellar in the kitchen. Even today, the house still has its original dumbwaiter and massive folding doors dividing the dining room and kitchen.
The lawyer said she will invest in getting this restoration right by refurbishing the unusable rooms and improving the plumbing and electrical matters of the old house.
In doing the restorations, Ms Faichen said that she has gotten access to some of the photos of the house from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The lawyer will also work with a heritage landscape architect to protect the trees and shrubs around the property.
As for the additional five houses to be built on the property, Ms Faichen said it will be in character and will have similar features as the colonial house.
She has produced a book about Dovercourt, which will be showcased to her new neighbours in Toowong during a planned open house, where she will tell them about her plans for the development. On 30 June 2021, a public notification has also been issued where locals may submit their inputs on the upcoming project.
Architect William Henry Ellerker designed and built the Dover Court Cottage as his own home. Mr Ellerker is known for designing heaps of properties in Brisbane, including the Teneriffe House and the commercial sites in Queen Street. In the late 1890s, the Bigge family moved into Dovercourt to become their family home for three generations.