 1847 - 1927 (79 years)
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| Name |
Andrew Joseph Thynne |
| Title |
Col. |
| Born |
30 Oct 1847 |
County Claire, Ireland  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
1 Mar 1927 |
Brisbane, Qld |
| Buried |
1 Mar 1927 |
South Brisbane General Cemetery, Brisbane |
| History |
29 Oct 1931 |
Thoonbah, Brisbane |
BRISBANE'S HISTORIC HOMES.
LXXX. - Thoonbah.
By F. E. LORD.
IT is but a peep between its sheltering trees that one obtains of this old dwelling from Blakeney-street, South Brisbane. The original portion, running parallel with the latter street, was built for the late Hon. A. J. Thynne about 58 years ago. But as he only intended this as a temporary residence he did not buy land round it of much extent, although he could have done so at the time and even later. He did, however, purchase two allotments in Julia-street, which runs at the back of Thoonbah, and which adjoined part of his original purchase. These allotments formed a paddock for his horses and a cow for many years. Then, not long before his death, which took place within recent years, he purchased the allotment, with a cottage on it, at the corner of Julia street and Hampstead road the latter bounds Thoonbah on its western side and at the back of the old wooden stable building. As stated above, Mr. Thynne only intended his cottage home to be a temporary home; his purpose was to build one of greater dimensions and more imposing architecture on a large area of land that he owned on the Bulimba Heights, and he went to tbe expense of having a road made up to it and had the plans drawn out for his fine home. But through losses sustained in the 1893 floods, and the bank failures of that time, he was unable to fulfil his purpose. So he added to his South Brisbane cottage home, and in later years he had the Bulimba property cut up and sold. Hence we have now a Thynne-road over in that part. THE principal addition that Mr. Thynne made to his home in Blakeney street was that portion on the eastern side. This projects with its veranda from the veranda of the original part; and a wing containing a new kitchen and two maids' rooms was added, and the interior of the older portion of the house altered at the same time. The newer portion is attached to the former by a wide, high-ceilinged hall extending right through the building. In the newer part of the house was the drawing room, a room of fine proportions, with a wide bow window opening on to the projecting veranda in front. Behind this room were one large and two smaller bedrooms. Across the hall, in the older part of the house, were the dining-room, three more bed rooms, two pantries, and the bath room. Some extra rooms were also built on the western veranda, one being used for a sewing-room. The kitchen was spacious and airy. Some little time after the additions had been made to Thoonbah, when Blakeney-street and Hampstead-road were being levelled, Mr. Thynne had the stone wall, with its quite imposing pillars, built round these two sides of his property. The whole of the exterior of Thoonbah is of wood, the outer walls being composed mostly of those now rare wide pine boards, and the rest of weatherboards; but the addi- tion on the eastern side is plaster- lined, and it contains two marble mantelpieces. That in the original living-room of the older part is of cedar. A wide space of ground, containing lawns and flower-beds, on the eastern side of Thoonbah, stretches from Bakeney street to the fence dividing this part of the property from that fronting Julia street at the back. A brick laundry stands a little to the rear of the house, and immediately opposite the back of the older part, across a square of yard, is the old stable building, with its loft and door, through which the feed for the animals was thrown down in days gone by. The stone wall on the west- ern side of the Thoonbah grounds is topped by one of wood, and together they form the outer wall of the large bushhouse. Between this and Blak- eney-street is another fairly wide space of garden. A set of cement covored steps, with pillars at the top corresponding in shape to those at the gateway and at intervals in the stone wall, lead up to a paving of red tiles; then come a set of wooden steps, which take one up to the veranda. In this home of the Thynnes were born all of their 11 children, except two. MR. THYNNE came from the Emerald Isle, being born in County Clare, and came to Australia with his parents in 1864, when quite a lad. The proper pronunciation of his name is ''Thin." His old firm of lawyers, of which he was the senior partner, Thynne and Macartney, is still known under that name, although none of his sons followed their father's profession. Major-General Spencer Browne speaks of him as "one of the old school of lawyers," and says that he "did much to train up Queens- landers to their duty in the matter of defence." In the old Defence Force the late Hon. A. J. Thynne rose to the rank of Colonel. Speaking of him in the 10th Parliament, Mr. Bernays, in his book, "Sixty Years of Politics in Queensland," calls him "that brainy, industrious lawyer, Thynne." He was Minister for Justice in the M'Ilwraith Administration, 1888-90. Mrs. Thynne was a Brisbane girl, her father, Mr. William Cairncross, having come to Queensland when it was proclaimed a free colony, and bought land at the first land sale held, his block being at one of the corners of Queen and Albert streets. Then later he owned the old Colmslie Estate on the Bulimba reach of the river. It was from Mrs. Thynne and her sister that the Government later on purchased Colmslie for the purpose of using it as a quarantine station. When living here as a girl "Mrs. Thynne saw much of the blacks, and was always attached to them, as ber father was. So it was natural for her to have gained a knowledge of their language, and it was she who gave to her South Brisbane home the pretty name of Thoonbah, being much in favour of the aboriginal words being used as names. The meaning of Thoonbah, I have been told, is "West Wind," or "High Hill," or both, In different dialects. It was at the home that she had named and in which she had reared her large family that Mrs. Thynne passed away some years ago. She was of a bright disposition, with a keen sense of humour, I was told by one of her old friends; so with her husband's breezy Irish disposition they were a cheery pair. "How much lies in laughter, the cipher key, wherewith we decipher the whole man!" Mr. Thynne continued to live on at Thoonbah after his wife's death with those of his family who did not marry, and there he died a few years after his second marriage. His widow lives at Thoonbah now, and its interior has been slightly altered; but it is still an attractive home, breathing of "days that are gone," with its secluding trees infront, its old stone wall, and its large garden spaces on each side.
Transcribed from 'The Queenslander' Thursday, 29th October 1931
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| Notes |
- THYNNE, ANDREW JOSEPH (1847-1927), politician,
son of Edward Thynne, was born in County Clare, Ireland, on 30 October 1847. He was educated at the Christian Brothers' school, Ennistymon, by a private tutor, and at Queen's College, Galway, where he won a classical scholarship. He came to Brisbane with his parents in 1864, but the family soon after removed to Ipswich. Thynne entered the Queensland civil service, resigned later to take up the study of law, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1873. He prospered in his profession and in 1882 was appointed a member of the Queensland legislative council. He was minister for justice in the second McIlwraith <0-dict-biogMc.html> (q.v.) ministry from June to Novembcr 1888 and held the same position when the ministry was reconstructed under Morehead <0-dict-biogMa-Mo.html> (q.v.) until August 1890. He was honorary minister in the McIlwraith-Nelson <0-dict-biogN-O.html> (q.v.) ministry from May to October 1893, and minister for justice in the succeeding Nelson ministry from October 1893 to October 1894, then postmaster-general until March 1897, and from March 1896 to March 1898 minister for agriculture. He took a particular interest in agriculture, and was largely responsible for the founding of the agricultural college at Gatton and for the state experimental farms. During this busy period of Thynne's life he also represented Queensland at the 1891 federal convention, at the colonial conference held in Canada in 1894, at the postal conference at Hobart in 1895, and at the Pacific Cable conference in 1895-6. He was associated with the foundation of the university of Queensland, became a member of the first senate in 1910, vice-chancellor in 1916, and chancellor in 1926. During the 1914-18 war he worked with immense energy as chairman of the recruiting committee, resigning this post to carry on a campaign for conscription. He had joined the Queensland volunteer defence force when a young man in 1867 and had attained the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. He was a first-rate rifle-shot, having twice won the Queen's prize, and more than once captained the Queensland rifle team. His other interests may be suggested by the fact that at various times he was president of the Queensland ambulance brigade, the boy scouts association, the chamber of agriculture, the law association, and was chairman of the board of technical education. He retained his seat in the legislative council until his death on 27 February 1927. He was married twice, (1) to Mary, daughter of William Cairncross, and (2) to Mrs L. G. Corrie, who survived him with three sons and four daughters of the first marriage.
Thynne, who had a lovable personality, was a well-educated man, a persuasive speaker, a sound lawyer and a good soldier. As a politician he did excellent work for the dairying industry in Queensland, endeavoured to reform the legislative council from within, and when the first effort was made to abolish it fought in defence of it with great ability. He was strongly patriotic, and never spared himself during a long life devoted to working for his adopted country, for which he had much affection.
The Brisbane Courier, 28 February 1927; The Daily Mail, Brisbane, 28 February 1927; C. A. Bernays, Queensland Politics during Sixty Years.
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| Person ID |
I229 |
Maleny Pioneers & Neighbouring Districts |
| Last Modified |
2 Jan 2011 |
| Family |
Mary Williamina Cairncross, b. 30 Apr 1848, Queensland , d. 13 Apr 1918, Brisbane, Qld (Age 69 years) |
| Married |
03 Jun 1869 |
St Stephen's Church, Brisbane, Queensland |
- THYNNE - CAIRNCROSS. - On the 3rd June, at St. Stephen's Church, Brisbane, by the Rev. P. M. G. Connolly, Andrew Joseph Thynne, fourth son of Edward Thynne, of Ballynagrave House, County Clare, Ireland, to Mary Williamina, second daughter of William Cairncross, of Brisbane.
transcribed from 'The Queenslander' Saturday, 19th June 1869
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| Children |
| | 1. Gerald Thynne, b. 22 Nov 1869, Brisbane, Qld , d. 3 Mar 1870, Brisbane, Qld (Age 0 years) |
| | 2. Alexander William Thynne, b. 1871, Qld , d. 1959, Qld (Age 88 years) |
| | 3. Mabel Mary Josephine Thynne, b. 1874, Brisbane, Qld , d. 1943, Brisbane, Qld (Age 69 years) |
| | 4. Katherine Bride Georgiana Thynne, b. 1875, Brisbane, Qld , d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 5. Edward Thomas Francis Thynne, b. 1877, Brisbane, Qld , d. 28 Dec 1958, Qld (Age 81 years) |
| | 6. Mary Patricia Thynne, b. 1879, Brisbane, Qld , d. 1957, Qld (Age 78 years) |
| | 7. Andrew James Thynne, b. 1881, Brisbane, Qld , d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 8. Elizabeth Geraldine Thynne, b. 1883, Brisbane, Qld , d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 9. Dorothy Alexa Thynne, b. 1890, Brisbane, Qld , d. Yes, date unknown |
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| Last Modified |
6 Jun 2010 |
| Family ID |
F59 |
Group Sheet |
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