Kingston Beach Golf Club (KBGC) is celebrating 100 years of operation in 2022.

One of the key projects for our centenary is restoring the original cottage, also previously known as the Lucas - Toogood cottage. The cottage actually pre-dates the use of the adjacent land as a golf course; it's history has been an integral part of the KBGC story - becoming the first KBGC club house in 1923.

We'd like to thank Ann Ricketts, a researcher with the Sandy Bay Historical Society, for providing us with so many details and images.

Club members, visitors and interested parties are invited to support the restoration by donating cash, goods or services.

Donations over $200 or equivalent have the option to be acknowledged in perpetuity with a list of donor names to be displayed on signage near the cottage when completed. Through the club's fundraising partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation, donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. So please show your support by donating today! Contact Tony from our Renovation Team if you're interested in donating goods or services (0412 715 222).

Cottage history

The original Land Grant on which the cottage stands belonged to John Folley/Folly/Foley. He was on his land in 1819 according to the Land and Stock Muster, Van Diemen’s Land 1819 List 9:2.

John Folley was a marine private/stonemason/bricklayer/land holder/farmer. He built the magazine standing to this day at Dawes Point Sydney and many other Government buildings in Sydney and Norfolk Island between 1791 and 1800 as a stonemason. 

We believe the the Browns River Cottage is much older than first thought and that John Folley Senior may have built the sandstone chimney that still stands. There were two, one either side of the cottage. 

There is a definite record of the cottage being there in 1840 in the will of John Folley Junior who inherited the cottage and land from his father John Folley Senior.  

The earliest photo of the Cottage found so far, dates from 1880 and is in the collection a “Tasmanian Album 1880” at the State Library of South Australia.

John Folley Junior inherited the farm and cottage from his father and he left it to his three step daughters. One of them, Ann Kelly bought out her two sisters. Ann Kelly in turn left the farm to her three granddaughters in the 1890’s. One of them, Ida Chittem bought out the interests of her two sisters and became the sole owner. Ida sold the farm to Alex Reeves.

The land and the cottage stayed in the Folley family until Ida Chittem sold the farm to Alex Reeves in 1901. Alex Reeves promptly leased the farm to his brother-in-law, Alfred Bond. That arrangement continued until 1915 when Alfred Bond bought the farm and cottage from Alex Reeves. By 1923 Alfred Bond had sold the farm to the Kingston Beach Golf Club, the cottage included. The cottage was renovated and part of it became the first KBGC club rooms.