Woodlands is situated on part of the 30 acres of land originally purchased in 1868 by James Clarke and known as Clarke's Farm.
From at least 1882 Clarke and a William Reinhold prospected for gold on the property.
In 1883, the land, together with a small house and outbuildings, was sold to William Widdop, although Clarke and Reinhold continued their activities.
In the same year, Professor John Henry Pepper leased the property for himself and his family.
Pepper, an analytical chemist, also had an interest in other branches of the sciences, particularly the application of electricity.
He had arrived in Brisbane in 1881 after gaining a name in his native England and abroad as an educator and populariser of science and for introducing evening classes to the London Polytechnic.
He gave lectures and staged entertaining demonstrations including the famous illusion named Pepper's ghost.
In Brisbane, he gave early demonstrations of electric light and of the gramophone as well as setting up courses in science at schools and introducing chemistry classes at the School of Arts.
He also opened a laboratory in Queen Street as a consulting analytical chemist.
He is credited with the first formal teaching of chemistry in Queensland.

Following an agreement made in 1883 with Widdop, who agreed to sell the property to Pepper if no payable gold was found, Pepper erected a house on the property, which is now known as "Woodlands".
In 1886 this agreement became the subject of a legal dispute that was settled in favour of Pepper, who then purchased the land.
In 1889 he sold the property to Charles Plant and returned to England.

Plant, who had extensive gold mining interests in north Queensland, including the Venus Battery, used the property to stay at when in Brisbane until he retired there in 1897/8 for the benefit of his children's education.
About this time he erected a grand house for himself, adjacent to Pepper's house, which he named "Ferndale" and erected a decorative wrought iron fence along Woodland Street that enclosed both houses.

Pepper's former house was rented out until 1922, when the land was subdivided in anticipation of the marriage of Plant's elder daughter, Hilda.
The house and land were placed in the name of her fiance, John MacDonald Grant, who had been in military service at Gallipoli and in France with Eric and Reg Plant, two of Hilda's brothers.

In the same year, Plant made a similar provision for his other daughter, Oenone, transferring land between the former Pepper house and Ferndale to her future husband, John Finlay.
This land was not built on however, and was used until the 1950s as an extension to the garden of the Grant's home, which they called Glen Urquhart.
In 1933 a new room in the current, Art Deco style was added to the south east corner of the house by architects Addison and MacDonald.

In 1932 Charles Plant died and in 1936 the land on which Ferndale stood was subdivided and the house was demolished.
It had featured handsome carved cedar joinery and a ballroom surmounted by a lantern decorated with leadlight panels.
These panels and some decorative joinery were then incorporated into the Grant home.

Hilda Grant died in 1943 after prolonged ill health.
She had been deeply involved with the Australian Red Cross in both World Wars, being President of the Ashgrove Branch in World War II and Convenor of the Ithaca Branch of the Australian Comforts Fund.
She was also commissioner for Girl Guides in the 1930s.
John Grant lived until the age of 94, dying in 1977.
Although he was trained as an engineer, becoming Chief Assistant Engineer for Brisbane Tramways, he retained his military associations after World War I. In 1938 he was appointed to command and raise the 61st Battalion of the Queensland Cameron Highlanders, which he did with notable success.
They were later to play a significant role in the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942.
Grant was also inaugural president of the Ashgrove RSL.
During his presidency between 1932–35, committee meetings were held at his home.
Woodland Street remains the official Ashgrove marshal
Woodlands is situated on part of the 30 acres of land originally purchased in 1868 by James Clarke and known as Clarke's Farm. From at least 1882 Clarke and a William Reinhold prospected for gold on the property. In 1883, the land, together with a small house and outbuildings, was sold to William Widdop, although Clarke and Reinhold continued their activities. In the same year, Professor John Henry Pepper leased the property for himself and his family. Pepper, an analytical chemist, also had an interest in other branches of the sciences, particularly the application of electricity. He had arrived in Brisbane in 1881 after gaining a name in his native England and abroad as an educator and populariser of science and for introducing evening classes to the London Polytechnic. He gave lectures and staged entertaining demonstrations including the famous illusion named Pepper's ghost. In Brisbane, he gave early demonstrations of electric light and of the gramophone as well as setting up courses in science at schools and introducing chemistry classes at the School of Arts. He also opened a laboratory in Queen Street as a consulting analytical chemist. He is credited with the first formal teaching of chemistry in Queensland.
Following an agreement made in 1883 with Widdop, who agreed to sell the property to Pepper if no payable gold was found, Pepper erected a house on the property, which is now known as "Woodlands". In 1886 this agreement became the subject of a legal dispute that was settled in favour of Pepper, who then purchased the land. In 1889 he sold the property to Charles Plant and returned to England.
Plant, who had extensive gold mining interests in north Queensland, including the Venus Battery, used the property to stay at when in Brisbane until he retired there in 1897/8 for the benefit of his children's education. About this time he erected a grand house for himself, adjacent to Pepper's house, which he named "Ferndale" and erected a decorative wrought iron fence along Woodland Street that enclosed both houses.
Pepper's former house was rented out until 1922, when the land was subdivided in anticipation of the marriage of Plant's elder daughter, Hilda. The house and land were placed in the name of her fiance, John MacDonald Grant, who had been in military service at Gallipoli and in France with Eric and Reg Plant, two of Hilda's brothers.
In the same year, Plant made a similar provision for his other daughter, Oenone, transferring land between the former Pepper house and Ferndale to her future husband, John Finlay. This land was not built on however, and was used until the 1950s as an extension to the garden of the Grant's home, which they called Glen Urquhart. In 1933 a new room in the current, Art Deco style was added to the south east corner of the house by architects Addison and MacDonald.
In 1932 Charles Plant died and in 1936 the land on which Ferndale stood was subdivided and the house was demolished. It had featured handsome carved cedar joinery and a ballroom surmounted by a lantern decorated with leadlight panels. These panels and some decorative joinery were then incorporated into the Grant home.
Hilda Grant died in 1943 after prolonged ill health. She had been deeply involved with the Australian Red Cross in both World Wars, being President of the Ashgrove Branch in World War II and Convenor of the Ithaca Branch of the Australian Comforts Fund. She was also commissioner for Girl Guides in the 1930s. John Grant lived until the age of 94, dying in 1977. Although he was trained as an engineer, becoming Chief Assistant Engineer for Brisbane Tramways, he retained his military associations after World War I. In 1938 he was appointed to command and raise the 61st Battalion of the Queensland Cameron Highlanders, which he did with notable success. They were later to play a significant role in the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942. Grant was also inaugural president of the Ashgrove RSL. During his presidency between 1932–35, committee meetings were held at his home. Woodland Street remains the official Ashgrove marshal
Woodlands, Ashgrove