St Johns Wood, Queensland - A House Crosses Enoggera Creek To Become A Hospital

A House Crosses Enoggera Creek To Become A Hospital

Dr Thomas Brooke-Kelly was one of the earliest residents of St Johns Wood from 1931 to 1934. He and his wife Lavina and only son Noel lived down the bottom of St Johns Avenue, not far from from the current pedestrian "banana" bridge. Dr Brooke-Kelly, a surgeon, had an ambition to have his own hospital. With the extension of the tram line from Oleander Drive to what was called The Terminus, near Ashgrove State School, he decided to shift his home in St Johns Wood to a block of land at 438 Waterworks Road, Ashgrove, and convert it into a hospital. He would add two bedrooms underneath. He employed the McKenzie Brothers, from Station Terrace Dutton Park, for a price of 600 pounds. The removal, in March 1934, became part of the folk law in the McKenzie family business. It was recalled as the most difficult job they ever did - down and across the Enogerra Creek bed, roads terrible, hill steep, house too large. It took one month and two days to move it. "It was facinating to watch...they lowered the house, in one piece, on to large timber slides, dragged the house to the creek bank and then slide and pulled it across the creek on substantial hardwood bearers.It was hard tough work and required a lot of muscle. Once across the creek the contractor raised the house on to a large wooden wheeled jinker." It became Brookwell Private Hospital at 438 Waterworks Road until 1937. Dr Brooke-Kelly moved many times in his career as a doctor and died, aged 93 in Clayfield. He is buried at Toowong Cemetery (with the Robinson family).