Upper Beaconsfield Who's Who
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Distinguished and Famous people from Upper Beaconsfield
🏡 William Brisbane
William Brisbane helped shape the hilltop settlement that became Upper Beaconsfield. In 1876 he acquired land on the ridge, subdivided it and retained a large allotment for Beaconsfield House, named in honour of British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfield. Locals knew the substantial guesthouse as the Big House; its dining room could accommodate more than a hundred people. On 1 October 1878 Brisbane opened a post office there and became its first postmaster, receiving an annual allowance of six pounds. Guest accommodation, land sales and postal services were closely entwined in the beginnings of the township.
🏨 Grace Somner
Grace Somner and Arthur Hay Somner operated Beaconsfield House from 1881 until early 1888, placing them at the centre of the young hill settlement's visitor trade. Grace's earlier life had involved journeys between Britain, New Zealand and Australia, illness and work caring for others. She and Arthur had also tried running a hotel in St Kilda before taking on the Upper Beaconsfield property. The guesthouse served more than travellers: local residents came to dine there, too. Its surviving history offers a glimpse of the people who supplied meals, beds and conversation when the township was still developing.
