From Sunday school to stunning home: The Abbey in Brisbane hits the market

Looking at The Abbey from the street, the neighbouring gabled buildings appear inseparable. That’s because they once were.

The Abbey at 223 Bonney Avenue in Brisbane was built in 1924 as the Sunday School hall for the church next door at No. 221 – an 1889 building that was once the United Methodist Free Church. Though both have since been converted into private homes, The Abbey has always been the smaller, quieter half of the pair.

One reminder of The Abbey’s past remains: a church pulpit. Local histories suggest it may have been relocated from the neighbouring chapel, adding an intriguing layer to the building’s past.

For the vendor, romance author Jennifer St George, the pull was less about the building’s past and more about how it felt the moment she stepped through the door.

“I was drawn to The Abbey because it felt unlike any other building I’d seen,” she says. “The bright, open spaces and vaulted ceilings create a great sense of light and make it an inspiring place to live and work. It’s a home that naturally encourages creativity.”

As someone who spends her days writing stories, St George found herself living inside a building that had already accumulated plenty of its own.

“I’ve always appreciated heritage buildings,” she says. “Owning it has been about respecting that heritage while enjoying a home that feels both unique and very liveable. It’s been a privilege to be part of its story.”

For St George, it felt less like buying a house and more like taking on a legacy.

“I loved the idea of being the next custodian of a building with such an interesting past and helping preserve its heritage for the future,” she says.

Unlike some restoration projects, The Abbey had already undergone its major transformation before St George bought it. Aside from fresh paint and new carpet, there was little she wanted to change.

“The bones of the building and its design were already so well considered that it really didn’t need anything beyond that,” she says.

Its past as a Sunday-school hall hasn’t stopped The Abbey from feeling right at home among Brisbane’s restored Queenslanders. Its weatherboard exterior, VJ-lined interiors, soaring ceilings and breezy, light-filled rooms all speak the same architectural language – just with a very different origin story.

“It has many of the qualities people love about Queenslanders, but on a completely different scale,” St George says. “The vaulted ceilings and open spaces give it a real sense of volume that’s hard to find in a traditional home. Despite that, it still feels warm and comfortable to live in, with the added character and history that make it truly special.”

That extra volume also changed the way the family used the home. It became a place where everyone could spread out to work or study without losing a sense of togetherness.

“It is a wonderful place to work from home because the scale of the building meant everyone had space to spread out and focus,” St George says. “That sense of separation and openness at the same time is something you don’t really get in a conventional home.”

For all its scale, however, one of her favourite memories is surprisingly simple.

“One of my favourite memories is watching the kids play marbles on the mezzanine when they were little,” she says. “Seeing them so small in such a vast, open space really captured what makes The Abbey a home. It gave them room to play freely and let their imaginations run wild.”

Years later, it’s the everyday moments that continue to stay with her.

“It’s often the smaller details that I’ve come to appreciate most,” St George says. “The way the light changes throughout the day and the quiet moments when you notice the scale and character of the space.”

Now, after many years at The Abbey, St George believes it’s time for somebody else to add their own chapter to its story.

“It’s been a building that’s inspired me,” she says. “Now it feels like the right time for someone else to enjoy everything it has to offer and become the next custodian of this beautiful property.

Offers From $1.85m

223 Bonney Avenue, Clayfield QLD 4011

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