Architecture and Buildings, Published 28 May 2026
Long before it became a private hospital, “Beerwah” was one of Brisbane’s grand homes. Built in the late 1870s on Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill by prominent builder and politician John Petrie, the…
Long before it became a private hospital, “Beerwah” was one of Brisbane’s grand homes. Built in the late 1870s on Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill by prominent builder and politician John Petrie, the residence was named after Mount Beerwah, which Andrew and John Petrie were reputedly among the first Europeans to climb.
Standing opposite the Exhibition grounds near the Old Museum, Beerwah became a well-known landmark of colonial Brisbane. Following John Petrie’s death in 1892, the property passed through several owners and uses over the following decades.
By the 1930s, the mansion had been converted into a boarding house and private hotel. During World War II, the United States Navy leased the building, using its 50 rooms to accommodate 76 enlisted servicemen stationed in Brisbane.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Beerwah underwent a major Art Deco-style renovation and reopened as the Beerwah Private Hospital. For many Brisbane families, the hospital became closely tied to memories of births and family milestones during the post-war years.
Like many historic Brisbane buildings, Beerwah ultimately fell victim to redevelopment. After the hospital closed in the 1980s, the once-grand mansion was demolished and replaced by commercial development.
Today, nothing remains of Beerwah, but its story reflects Brisbane’s changing history - from colonial mansion to wartime accommodation, private hospital, and finally another lost landmark of old Spring Hill.
With sincere thanks to Anthony Ewing for suggesting this article.
A note on our visuals: To help tell this story, we’ve used computer‑generated illustrations based on public‑domain archives. These images are created solely for educational, non‑commercial sharing of history.
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