Historic Newstead House reopens in Brisbane after extensive renovations

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A jewel in Brisbane's historical crown has reopened to the public. Built in 1846, Newstead House has undergone extensive renovations, restoring it to its former glory.

Transcript

00:00A historical treasure trove in the heart of Brisbane.

00:06The River City's oldest house has reopened its doors.

00:10Brisbane's got its house back, Newstead House is back.

00:13The Grand Queenslander has been closed for renovation since 2021 at a cost of more than

00:19$6.5 million to the taxpayer.

00:22From the big details to the small, the restoration process was a labour of love.

00:28Difficulty with suppliers, difficulty with workers, and my personal favourite, everything

00:34was ready to go and we found termites.

00:38Built in 1846, Newstead House has had a series of eccentric occupants.

00:44It was purchased by Brisbane City Council in the 1900s and transformed into a museum.

00:50It does give us a little bit of the history and I always think it's far better if you

00:55see something and can feel it.

00:58Giving the public a glimpse into the state's settler history.

01:01I used to come here as a kid, I remember coming here on school excursions and it's just beautiful,

01:07the sun's out and a nice family day.

01:09It was great to see it back open and Brisbane unfortunately has destroyed a lot of its history

01:14so it's good to get out and actually see some of the European history that's left.

01:18But the house hides a troublesome past.

01:21Traditional owners were driven off the land in the 1840s.

01:26Once known for its extravagant parties for the rich and powerful in the 1800s, Newstead

01:32House has a much more conservative reputation now, but there are still homages to its colourful

01:37history.

01:39When you walk through, you can feel the warmth and the life and it actually lends to the

01:43whole experience and you know this was a home.

01:47A slice of history for everyone.

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