[1] Tor, a single storey timber residence, was constructed in 1904 for Mrs Frederick Hurrell Holberton.

The residence was designed by Toowoomba architect, William Hodgen, Mrs Holberton's nephew and built by John Sweeney.

[1] The Deed of Grant for the land on which Tor was to be built was issued to Lucy Harriet Fletcher on 19 November 1860.

Sophia Holberton held title to the remaining two acres, which passed to Edwin Chisholm Bernays in 1916, following her death.

[1] While construction was proceeding, Hodgen had continued negotiations with his Aunt regarding many aspects of the house including, colour schemes and wall paper, as well as her requests for changes in window placements, verandah posts and mantles.

At one point in a letter on 1 July 1904, Hodgen requests that his Aunt "...leave this to me to choose the best design I can for the money...".

Their dispute may have been resolved as she paid full fees for his services in December that year (5% on the contract sum of £1020.18.0).

The foundations of the chimneys and hearths, carried up to the underscore of the metal plates, were constructed using blue stone set with lime mortar.

[1] Frederick Hurrell Holberton died less than three years after the construction of Tor, however, title for the property had passed to Sophia in May 1902.

[1] Internally, Tor contains a centrally located hall with rooms opening off from both the western and eastern sides.

Similar to other rooms in the house, the hall has a pressed metal ceiling and extant cedar joinery.

The room has a bay window and an ornate pressed metal ceiling, with a recess located in the south-eastern corner.

[1] The kitchen, located in the south-western wing of the residence, was created when two smaller rooms were combined to become one large area in the late 1960s.

[1] Externally, Tor is located on top of a small elevation and is surrounded by a well-established garden containing mature boundary plantings.

Extant stable buildings forming part of the original layout of the property are rare and add to Tor's significance.

[1] Extant architectural plans and documentation for domestic buildings from the early twentieth century are rare and add to the significance of the place.

Tor is significant as an example of well-to-do domestic building from the early twentieth century, reflecting the wealth and status of a public servant and his wife in Toowoomba, a major regional centre in Queensland.

An elegant residence set on an elevation in a large garden with boundary plantings, tennis court and a sweeping carriage-drive, Tor has a high level of aesthetic significance.

Tor holds strong social significance for Toowoomba residents and is highly valued by the community.

[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.