Introduction
Brisbane Road was locally known as Rose Hotel Road until 1933 when it was officially renamed after Matthew BRISBANE, a Scottish sea captain who was one of those murdered at Port Louis on 26 August 1833.
On 1 July 1844 Governor MOODY wrote to the Government Surveyor, Murrell Robinson ROBINSON, requesting that on receipt of the letter that he would “lay out, both sides of the line of road, which proceeds past Mr Hamblin’s allotment, to the ‘Heights’ at the back of the Town…you will direct your party to proceed at once to cut out these lines in a similar manner to the others they have already executed, and continue them in a direct line to a distance of fifteen chains beyond the brow of the hill. I have also to request that you will lay before me some ‘name’ for this street…” Murrell Robsinson ROBINSON named the new road Villiers Street after Edward VILLIERS, one of the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners. Villiers Street was also known colloquially as Flagstaff Hill, after the signal flag pole which stood at the top for communicating with Cape Pembroke Lighthouse, and as Rosemont Hill after the ROBSON family home at 6 Villiers Street.
Stanley in the 1870s with the flagstaff just visible at the top of Villiers Street
These files are not a complete representation of buildings past and present on Brisbane Road and Villiers Street and are not necessarily a complete history but are intended to give a timeline for some of those that have been researched to date and will be added to from time to time.
Brisbane Road
1 Brisbane Road previously 16 Drury Street or 1 Lower Row Star Hotel or Rose Hotel.pdf(919.58 KB)
1A Brisbane Road previously 15 Drury Street or 2 Lower Row.pdf(486.06 KB)
3 and 3A Brisbane Road previously 18 Pioneer Row or 1 Upper Row 30 Pensioners Cottage Allotments.pdf(555.69 KB)
Villiers Street
3 Villiers Street - Hill House.pdf(719.29 KB)
4 Villiers Street - Schoolmasters residence Hospital Emigrants Barracks.pdf(969.55 KB)
6 Villiers Street - Rosemont House Rowen House.pdf681.91 KB
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