Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 2 September 2011
Brisbane’s inner suburbs have some of the best examples of this state’s unique timber architecture. But for such a sought-after style of house there’s almost no consensus on what we should and shouldn’t call a “Queenslander”. Real estate agents know that adding the term to an advert can spike the enquiry levels. Builders are working the word into their descriptions in fairly imaginative ways (one applies the name to brick homes with timber-gabled facades – really?)
Maybe if it’s built north of the Tweed any house can legitimately share the title. But today we thought we’d ask you to share your thoughts: what makes a Queenslander a Queenslander? Surely there’s 4 key elements: it’s elevated from the ground, has a hardwood frame and softwood linings, the main materials are timber and tin, and it has a verandah.
Looking back into our history there were plenty of practical reasons for elevating the homes: to keep residents cool in summer, to allow easy construction on sloping land, to avoid floods, and to keep the timber away from termites. Under the house used to be a place for playing out of the sun, hanging the washing and a bed for the dog (or even a not-so-welcome relative). In “modern” times we saw this as an opportunity for extra space for media rooms, studies and garages. Are these still Queenslanders?
During our early years there were plenty of variations on timber home designs. Those built from 1859 to 1901 are often called Colonials (for our time as a colony). Bungalow is the common term for the next generation of styles that were usually more elaborate and included gabled, asymmetrical facades. In the 1920’s we adopted elements of the Californian Bungalows – even way back then we were taking design cues from the USA. You’ll also hear them called “inter-war Queenslanders” and there’s a huge range of designs built through this era. Those with an eye for detail can often date a home from its verandah posts, balustrades and windows (see below). How simple was life when to keep up with the Joneses you just needed a bullnose tin sunhood?!
Not surprisingly the Great Depression saw more simplicity and conservatism in design and by 1933 bricks were considered a modern option. Fibro was first manufactured in Queensland in 1936 and its easy-care maintenance meant it quickly became a popular cladding material. We’re still ripping the toxic stuff out of homes today.
If you’d like a very thorough read on the topic try “Brisbane House Styles 1880 to 1940” by Judy Gale Rechner (1998). Maybe every real estate agent should have a copy so we can get the terminology right! There’s no doubt we’re proud of our Queenslanders and their rich history – whatever the name means to you.
courtesy: "Brisbane House Styles" Rechner, 1998
Please share your definition of “Queenslanders”.
Tags: Brisbane history, Brisbane houses, Brisbane real estate agents, real estate advertising, training for Brisbane real estate agents
Posted in architecture and renovation, real estate marketing, trends in Brisbane property | 2 Comments »
Posted by admin on 1 December 2009
This is one for the historians! On this day (December the 1st 1955) a terrible set of events unfolded on one of Brisbane’s most famous streets, Wickham Terrace Spring Hill, which is renowned for its doctors and hospitals.
Karl Kast was the perpetrator, a patient who felt that he had been wrongfully diagnosed by several doctors on Wickham Terrace all of whom could not find anything wrong with him. Karl claimed that he had severe back pain after falling into a ditch and believed he should receive a pension for the rest of his life.
With the help of X-rays none of the doctors could substatiate Karl’s claims. As a result Karl by now had utter contempt for the doctors and in a fit of rage threatend to kill all doctors who had challenged his claim!
These threats were ultimately carried out to some regard and led to Karl shooting dead two medical professionals and injuring a third before eventually taking his own life out the front of Barlow Chambers.
Brisbane is celebrating it’s 150th birthday so we hope you enjoy our quick series of posts about Brisbane history.
Wickham Terrace today... a much quieter scene!
Tags: Brisbane history, Wickham Terrace Spring Hill
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Posted by admin on 27 November 2009
You could be forgiven for thinking that you have stepped back in time at the Spring Hill Baths (14 Torrington St, Spring Hill).
The baths are unique to this part of the world in terms of history and facilities. Not only is the pool heated (making it more attractive in the harsh Brisbane winter!), the facilities have also retained many of its original characteristics from when it was first opened in 1886 by mayor James Hipwood.
The facility today is the only surviving covered baths in Australia and offers patrons both a nostalgic charm like no other, as well as a healthy workout.
Spring Hill Baths circa 1910. Courtesy State Library
Tags: Brisbane history, James Hipwood, Spring Hill Baths, Torrington Street Spring Hill
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Posted by admin on 3 November 2009
pic courtesy State Library
Congratulations to the Centenary pool for hitting a half century. The pool originally opened in 1959 to mark 100 years of local government in Brisbane. The complex will celebrate its golden anniversary with a family fun day on 8th November and proceeds will go to the Cancer Council Queensland. The centre is based at 400 Gregory Terrace Spring Hill and if you require further information please call 3821 7665.
Tags: Brisbane history, Centenary Pool Spring Hill, Gregory Terrace Spring Hill
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Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 16 October 2009
A colourful light display on the William Jolly Bridge each night is a nice little way of commemorating our city and state’s 150th birthdays. The images projected are all different – this one’s called “Meccano”.
And don’t get me wrong, this temporary project is creative, I love to celebrate community milestones and I do think we should share some civic pride. But at a reported cost of $1.5million is this really the economic time to be doing this?
I got my rates notice in the mail today, and there’s a request for a $15 donation so we can fix the magnificent City Hall. It’s restoration is a huge project that’s so far had little government support. Council are on their knees to residents to help pay for it.
Yet the state government can cough up $1m toward pretty pictures on the bridge for a few months. Council also found some loose change for the project.
If we’re serious about fixing City Hall, a focal piece of our city’s heritage, then how about we dump unnecessary costs like this for a couple of years?
Tags: Brisbane City Council, Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane history, William Jolly Bridge South Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane CBD, Inner Brisbane events, South Brisbane and South Bank | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 5 October 2009
Brisbane’s celebrating our 150th birthday so we continue our series of posts looking at Brisbane’s history with a property focus…
The mammoth Cathedral Place apartments in Fortitude Valley have one of the more unusual boundary fences you’ll ever see. And newcomers to Brisbane might not have heard the fascinating story of the missing cathedral.
Brisbane’s Catholic Archbishop in 1928 was an entrepreneurial chap named Sir James Duhig. Sort of an early 1900’s Campbell Newman, devising huge projects and rallying everyone around him to make them happen.
Duhig wanted to build a new Cathedral to replace St Stephens in Charlotte Street and the pic below shows what he had drawn up – it would then have been the largest Christian church in the southern hemisphere. A one hectare (2.5 acre) site was chosen and a lengthy fundraising campaign began.
Work progressed as funds came in but despite completing the perimeter walls and a small crypt the project lost momentum. Rumour persisted that local funds raised were sent to the Vatican where the Pope refused to return them. In truth the project just flopped, Duhig died in 1965 and in 1985 the site was finally sold to developers.
Cathedral Place was finally completed by Devine Ltd in 1999, 514 apartments with a huge central beach and tropical pool. Not a real cathedral but probably used by more people today than it might have been had history taken a different turn.
Brisbane's Cathedral that never was...
Tags: Brisbane history, Cathedral Place Apartments Brisbane, Charlotte Street Brisbane, Devine Ltd, Fortitude Valley Brisbane, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, Sir James Duhig
Posted in Brisbane CBD | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 14 September 2009
The current First Home Owners boost is only the latest in a very long line of government incentives to encourage home ownership. The Workers Dwelling Scheme commenced in Queensland in 1909, the government lending buyers two-thirds of the cost of building a house to a maximum 300 pounds. Repayments could be made over 20 years at a fixed 5%.
Brisbane soon had a higher home ownership rate than any capital city. Critics of today’s first home incentives argue they do nothing to help address the undersupply of housing we’re struggling with – maybe a look at our history would provide government with better ideas.
With over 23,000 homes built under the Scheme in its first 30 years it naturally had a big impact on the development of Brisbane’s suburbs. All the houses were built to a range of set designs. Have a sticky-beak at the brochure below promoting an “ideal home”. This one even had the toilet inside the house!
If Brisbane’s 150th birthday has caught your interest in our history get to a local bookshop and grab a copy of “Brisbane: 150 Stories. 1859-2009″. Published by Brisbane City Council it’s a great insight into events throughout our short history and was the source for this pic and info on the Workers Dwelling Scheme.
Tags: Brisbane history, Brisbane home ownership rate, Brisbane houses, First Home Owners Boost
Posted in Brisbane's sales market, architecture and renovation | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 8 September 2009
Sir Thomas Brisbane
Sir Thomas Brisbane actually, the man after whom our fair city is named. While we celebrate Brisbane City’s 150th birthday we thought you might be interested to know who he was.
Sir Thomas was Governor at the time John Oxley “discovered” Brisbane, becoming the first European to sail up-river from Moreton Bay. Oxley respectfully named the river after his boss Brisbane.
The emerging city was initally named “Edenglassie”, favoured by the Chief Justice after his own family estate in Scotland. But over time it was dropped for Brisbane Town.
Thank goodness – not sure I’d have wanted to be called an ‘Edenglassian’.
Sir Thomas sounds like a decent bloke. Also a Scot he was a soldier and astronomer, born in 1773 and became Governor in 1821. He took some impressive steps in encouraging property development in the colony. He sold off Crown land at 5s per acre, demanding that settlers improve their holdings by investing their own capital.
Brisbane reduced corporal punishment and stayed the execution of many condemned to death. Proving what a 19th century ’snag’ he really was he even took his wife’s maiden name as his own middle name!
There’s some good online biographies if you want to read more.
Tags: Brisbane history, Brisbane River, Sir Thomas Brisbane
Posted in just for fun! | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 27 August 2009
On the night of September 5, the William Jolly Bridge on Grey Street, South Brisbane will be bathed in a commemorative light display set to last until December this year. The display of colour will celebrate the Bridge’s heritage. The project, to commemorate the men who petitioned for the City’s independence, is part of ‘Brisbane 150′ celebrations.
This picture is of the official opening of the Bridge in 1932. Courtesy “The Brisbane River… a pictorial history”, a great documentary by Robert Longhurst and William Douglas.
Tags: Brisbane 150, Brisbane history, Brisbane River, William Jolly Bridge South Brisbane
Posted in South Brisbane and South Bank | 1 Comment »
Posted by admin on 25 August 2009
We often lose our perspective on the rapid growth of Brisbane over the past century. While the city’s been inhabited for 40,000 years or more, many of our suburbs are still new to housing and development. At least relative to our European and Asian cousins.
The pic below shows a view from Hill End (somewhere around Glenfield Street we’re guessing) across Brisbane River to the grassy open grounds of St Lucia. This was the 1930’s, just prior to that land being donated to Queensland University.
The generous benefactors were the enormously wealthy Mayne family (who had their own intriguing Brisbane history!) Today the University campus hosts some 40,000 students and staff.
This picture’s from “The Brisbane River… a pictorial history”, a great documentary by Robert Longhurst and William Douglas. Recommended for easy reading on Brisbane history.
Tags: Brisbane history, Brisbane River, Glenfield Street Hill End Brisbane, Hill End Brisbane, Mayne Family Brisbane, St Lucia Brisbane, University of Queensland
Posted in West End | No Comments »
Brisbane’s inner suburbs have some of the best examples of this state’s unique timber architecture. But for such a sought-after style of house there’s almost no consensus on what we should and shouldn’t call a “Queenslander”. Real estate agents know that adding the term to an advert can spike the enquiry levels. Builders are working the word into their descriptions in fairly imaginative ways (one applies the name to brick homes with timber-gabled facades – really?)
