[1] Box had arrived in Brisbane in 1862 to establish a Queensland branch of his father's mercantile firm, and lived at Baroona until 1885.

William Melbourne Watts, Land Commissioner, purchased the house in 1899 and sold it to Emily and Cornelius Geaney in 1919.

Geaney was the City Mutual Life Insurance Company manager and his family retained the property until 1951 when Dr and Mrs Hill became the owners.

[1] The building was extensively modified by successive owners including the addition of rooms, brick render, eastern verandahs, fretwork gable, northern porch and a modern kitchen.

The building sits on a level hilltop site and has verandahs to the east and southeast, and to portions of the north and south elevations.

The south verandah has timber arches with lattice infill and opens off a hall with a corrugated iron barrel vault roof which is lined with tongue and groove boards.

[1] The grounds include a lawn tennis court to the north, mature trees to the west and south and a stone embankment to the northeast.

[1] The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.