Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen’s family home listed for the first time in a century

If you’ve ever wanted to step into a living, breathing time machine, here’s your chance.

For the first time since 1890, a home at 3 Mark Street in the inner-northern Brisbane suburb of New Farm is on the market.

The historic Queenslander, named “Whroonga”, has spent 135 years in the hands of one family. No flips, no quick sales, just one continuous story stretching back to colonial Brisbane.

But wait, there’s more.

Whroonga was the childhood home of Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen, who became a federal senator from 1981 to 1993, and married Queensland’s longest serving premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen died at the age of 97, on December 20, 2017.

Known affectionately as “Lady Flo”, she was as famous for her pumpkin scones as her political career.

“It is very easy to open a packet of old Saos and put a bit of cheese on them, but I go to a little trouble,” she famously told The Sydney Morning Herald in 1980.

Florence spent her youth in the house alongside her sister, Margaret Gilmour, forming New Farm’s very own Gilmore Girls duo.

A photo of the two sisters on Florence’s wedding day in 1952 – taken on the front steps of the house – still survives.

Margaret was a local historian, New Farm personality, and proud resident of the home, ensuring Whroonga remained in the family until she was 101 years old.

The house itself is like a slice of preserved history. Original pressed-metal ceilings? Check. Beautiful old timber joinery? Still there.
Every room whispers stories from a century ago, with its high ceilings and a wraparound verandah reflecting its Queenslander design origins.

There’s been no renovation flips, no modern grey-and-white makeovers. Just pure, untouched character.

A beautiful red poinciana (known as a flame tree) that has shaded generations under its canopy frames the front of the property,

Set on an 810-square-metre block with an exceptional 20-metre frontage, just a couple of streets back from the Brisbane River, this is one of those rare homes that truly feels like it belongs to another era.

What’s most remarkable isn’t just the architecture, it’s the sense of continuity. This home has seen everything from Brisbane’s post-settlement days to political power plays.

It’s been passed from one generation to the next, each adding their own chapter to its story, but never rewriting the whole book.

For the first time in a century, a new owner will decide the next chapter for this historic home. 3 Mark Street, New Farm, goes to auction on Saturday.

This story first appeared on View.com.au. Read the original here