Milton Heritage Trail

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I have walked through Milton many times to visit book shops, stop for an aromatic coffee and drop by the retail shops and businesses in the area. I can't believe that I hadn't realised that Milton has its own Heritage Trail with a variety of points of interest to admire, remember and learn about along the way.

The Trail is very walkable and contains 17 points of interest beginning from Park Road, moving along Coronation Drive to Cribb Street.

I took the walk on a quiet Sunday morning and here's what I found.



Savior Faire
My starting point was at the landmark, 20 Park Road – a precinct known as Savior Faire. Savoir Faire was established by Brisbane entrepreneur James Penny in 1988 - the year when Brisbane hosted Expo 88.

The chic Savior Faire is Brisbane's original outdoor café strip with internationally inspired restaurants, delightful cafes and bars such as La Dolce Vita meaning the sweet life. With a mix of Italian and French flair, it is home to Brisbane's own replica of that Parisian icon, the Eiffel Tower. Get your French fix without leaving home.



Milton House
Moving up the sloping street, I took a left hand turn into McDougall street and found the stately, Milton House at number 52. Milton House was built in from 1852 to 1853 for retired Queen Street chemist Ambrose Eldridge. It was the first substantial house in Milton after settlement in the Milton area by Europeans began in the 1840s. Milton took its name from John Milton, the English poet.

Painted in heritage colours off cream and racing car green, it includes a second storey verandah and gives a sense of the grandeur it must have enjoyed in the day. While no longer a residential home, Milton House has retained its tennis courts and outdoor tennis viewing shed.





Salvation Army Rescue Home
Back on Park Road, I came to the Salvation Army Rescue Home (opposite what is now the Red Cross building) to provide "affordable shelter" to support vulnerable women "who had been unfortunate in their lives" in the 1880s. The two storey cottage which was a safe haven to sex workers and addicts has gone.



Cook Terrace
Brisbane Builder Joseph Blain Cook constructed the building as a two-storeyed brick row of six houses in 1888-1889. He built the first house in late 1888 whilst the remainder of the row was completed in 1889. Cook Terrace, on busy Coronation Drive overlooks the Brisbane River.

Cook Terrace is also known as Gloralgar Flats and Milton Terrace and was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.



XXXX Brewery
The landmark, heritage, XXXX Brewery was created in 1878, by brothers, named Nicholas Fitzgerald and Edward Fitzgerald, It was the first brewery in Queensland to produce lager style beer. Look out for "Mr Fourex" the cartoon type character and mascot for the brew which was created in 1924,



Other sites along the trail include:

- Smith's Shop
- John Oxley
- Milton and Flood
- Coronation Motel
- John Hicks Ltd
- Cribb Street terrace houses
- Milton Sanitary Disposal Depot
- Milton Tramways Workshop
- Milton's Industry
- Lang Park and Christ Church Anglican Church
- World War II air raid shelter
- Bishopbourne

Meandering through the was a great opportunity to learn and experience the suburbs recent and not so recent past. I didn't realise how much history there was to uncover and experience in Milton.



Milton is located 2 kms from the Brisbane CBD. If you decide to take the , street parking (metred during weekdays) is available and Park Road neighbours the Milton train station. The trail is free and open any time. Too easy. Whether you are hosting visitors to Brisbane or wish to be a tourist in your own town, I suggest striding through the to walk in the suburbs past while enjoying its offerings today.

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