Kensington, 66 Constitution Road, Windsor

Kensington, as the house was named, was one of the first houses in Constitution Road, which during the late 1880s was known as Southerden (or Southernden) Road. At this time, the locality was known as O’Connell Town, in honour of Sir Maurice O’Connell who lived at nearby Rosemount from the 1860s. Rosemount was one of the fine residences on large estates built in the area by several of Brisbane’s wealthier residents. Other fine homes in this locality included Oakwal, built in 1864 for Justice James Cockle. After the 1880s, these large estates began to be subdivided and sold for residential development. Kensington is located on land which was once a parcel of 16 acres on Eildon Hill owned by Reverend George Wight, who established a Congregational preaching station on his property in the 1860s. This land was subdivided into residential lots from 1885. Windsor became a separate Shire in 1887, including the surrounding suburbs of Wilston, Lutwyche and Wooloowin as well as the localities known as O’Connell Town and Swan Hill.