The Home of Many Spanish Names

 El Nido or Casa Ana regardless of the name this home is allegedly the first of the Spanish Mission style homes in Brisbane. Erected in the middle of 1927 for businessman E.P. Powers it was also one of the most expensive. State heritage listed and still a prominent landmark it is another of the defining works of architect Eric P. Trewern. The following taken from Wikipedia and referenced to the State Heritage Register is a very good summary.

The Braeside Estate was subdivided during the 1920s economic boom, when rising Council rates combined with the lure of attractively increasing prices obtained for inner city suburban blocks in good locations, led to the subdivision of most of the remaining large suburban estates at New Farm, Hamilton, Ascot and Clayfield. Edward Ferdinand Powers acquired title to subdivision 1 in September 1927; title to subdivision 2 was transferred in 1928, as was that to Braeside on subdivisions 4 and 5 and re-subdivision 1 of subdivision 6; and subdivision 3 was transferred in 1932, although possibly sold in 1927–28. New houses on subdivisions 1-3 were erected and occupied by 1929.[1]

The block which Powers acquired in 1927 comprised 30.8 perches (780 m2) of steeply sloping land with views over the Hamilton and Bulimba reaches of the Brisbane River, and east toward the mouth of the river. The site may also have contained the buildings associated with Braeside House, evident in the c. 1925 aerial photograph.[1]

In mid-1927 Powers commissioned architect EP Trewern to design a substantial Spanish Mission styled residence for this site, to take advantage of the views. The design was well publicised (likely by its architect) and attracted considerable interest at the time, being heralded in the Architectural and Building Journal of Queensland of 11 July 1927 as:[1]

"The Spanish House Introduced to Brisbane Spanish architecture is to be introduced to Brisbane in home designing. Mr EP Trewern, architect, has received from a local medico a commission to erect a residence for him of this type, and, as the location is on the Hamilton Heights, it will be seen to advantage."

A similar claim that Spanish Mission design was being introduced to Brisbane was repeated in the Daily Mail newspaper of 28 October 1927:20, which published a sketch of the principal elevations. The same sketch also appeared in the Architectural and Building Journal of Queensland of 10 November 1927:54. Of particular interest were the Cordova-style roofing tiles, manufactured by the Shannon Brick and Tile Company (of Sydney and Brisbane) and reputedly used for the first time in Brisbane.[1]

Elements of Spanish Mission style were not new to Brisbane in 1927, having been used on picture theatre facades since the 1910s. Craigston Flats on Wickham Terrace, erected in 1927, employed elements of the Spanish Mission and/or Mediterranean styles. However, El Nido was the earliest or one of the earliest Spanish Mission style houses in Brisbane, and was designed by a prominent architect who subsequently popularised this style for domestic housing in Brisbane. Other important Spanish Mission style houses designed by Trewern include Santa Barbara at 209 Moray Street, New Farm (1929–30, cost £4,000) and 17 Griffith Street, New Farm.[1]

1. State Heritage Register

 

The Morse Code House

For many years when travelling past this house I would look and think it is familiar. Had I been there many years ago but when? Family investigations revealed that as a young boy I had been there when my father visited to learn morse code. In the late 1950s Doctor David Portley a surgeon with the Mater Hospital had taken residence there. The doctor had been in the RAAF during the second world war and was proficient in morse code. Through the amateur radio fraternity he was providing lessons in morse code to those practising for the tests involved in gaining an amateur license. Our family doctor's brother was also a surgeon and an amateur radio operator. Our family doctor wanted to gain an amatuer license so he could talk to his surgeon brother in Sydney and my father was upgrading his amateur license with the morse code test. The learning of morse code was an essential requirement in upgrading your basic license to be able to use more allotted amateur radio frequencies. Dr. David Portley provided these morse lessons at his home. 

The subtle changes have been made over the decades and this is what was playing with the memory. The position, dark brick appearance and unique position to the street had left an indelible image but was this really the house I had visited? Yes this is the house that I had visited on a number of occacions. For a small boy from the working class suburbs of Kedron this home had left an impressionable memory. To be able to walk, ride and drive past this home knowing that I have a connection is quite satisfying. 

This brick home built for James Josephson in 1938 still stands as an outstanding example of the architect Eric Trewern's work in the suburb of Hamilton. Beside this brick home is another example of Trewern's work but in his trade mark Spanish Mission. When it was built the home shown here was featured in the Brisbane Telegraph's Better Homes section. Whilst it may be hard to see that this is the same house when giving a quick glance at the difference in more than 80 years but the structure has been kept intact.

Balblair English Style but Queensland Timbers

 

‘Balblair’ is a striking Interwar Old English style home designed by architect Charles Herbert Griffin. It was built in 1936 for successful businessman Henry Roy Hancock. Henry Hancock was the third generation of the important timber millers and manufacturing firm Hancock & Gore. This house is well designed and includes numerous timber joinery features using a variety of timber species.

It featured in the Courier Mail on October 27, 1936 as an example of an English style home with a mixture of Queensland timbers. A bathroom upstairs was a mentioned feature. Today the home still makes a statement and has been meticulously maintained to the original condition. 

The following is worth a read for those who enjoy timber inside their home. Taken from the Courier Mail article of 1936 it highlights the extent to which the architect and the home owner went to to build an English style home but with Queensland timbers as the feature.

ENGLISH STYLE ACCLIMATISED. 

In this, the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. K. Hancock, of Mackay Street, Coorparoo, an English style has been charmingly modified to Queensland conditions. Archictect, Mr. C. H. Griffin.

An English Home Style is Fashioned

TUDOR PERIOD CULTURE IN BRISBANE HOUSE Artistic Qualities of Wood Fully Vindicated

In querulous tone the comment is often made that Australia is entirely without architectural tradition, and the complaint is usually aimed at local domestic building styles. The philosophically-minded reflect that, after all, there is nothing new under the sun, and that, if the home-builder harks back to English tradition for his inspiration, there is. nothing seriously against his so doing.

It is good to notice, however, that in these days of more expansive ideas in home-building, very successful endeavours are being made to adapt domestic styles of other climes and other times to local conditions. In illustration of that success, the half-timbered house recently erected by Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Hancock, of Mackay Street, Coorparoo, has been selected this week for the purposes of description. 

Briefly described, a half-timbered house possesses a lower storey in brick or stone, and the upper storey in wood. Why, the thoughtful reader may ask, should a timber merchant compromise his business interests by mixing brick with wood? Mr. H. R. Hancock, a member of the well-known Brisbane' timber milling firm of Hancock and Gore, was deeply conscious of. the obligation placed on him to demonstrate the artistic qualities of old wood in homebuilding, but in using brick as a supplementary constructional material he gave support to the opinion so often expressed in this section of The Courier-Mail that, if aesthetic aims are to be achieved there is no reason for the slavish loyalty to one kind of building material, and one kind only. At this stage it is appropriate to reveal that the exterior of the lower storey is merely a brick veneer — brick on edge, with a three-inch thickness. Without the use of bricks, the whole character of the house would have been' entirely destroyed. The timbered exterior of the upper floor and the interior finishes carried out in a magnificent variety of cabinet timbers, vindicate in the fullest measure the use of wood in the creation of an architectural tradition that is completely Australian. Exterior Medley From the accompanying illustrations the general character of the house as it is viewed by the public from the street is apparent, but a seeing eye is necessary to discover the reasons underlying the exterior treatments. The architect (Mr. O. H. Griffin) was anxious that the perky, the stilted, and the lanky characteristics which mark many two-storey houses should be absent from this one, and this was accomplished chiefly by studied gradations of roof levels; and examination of the illustrations will show how skillion roofs below gable ends have tended to 'bring down' the levels of the roof. They rise gradually from the ground. Rising from the ground the first band of colour is cream textured plaster, broken (to prevent monotony) by a line of windows. Above this is the skillion roof level, distinguished by terra cotta tiles. Above this again Is a line of English cottage casement windows, the squatness of which is accentuated by large areas of dark green weatherboards, which, in the front, fill the lower part of a gable end. The apex of the gable is in cream, and this forms a background for vertical framing, picked out in dark chocolate. The barge boards outlining the gable end are also in chocolate. Above all is the main roof, a gay area of colour, the crowning piece of a medley of material and tones. The composition arrests the eye. 

Massive Car Porch: The chief feature of the front of the home is the arched car-porch, which shelters the main entrance to the house itself. This car porch is. in-tended as a temporary shelter, to be so occupied only in those intervals in the day when it is inconvenient 'actually to drive into the garage. A semicircular car drive, which will' sweep beneath the porch, and branch to the garage, is planned. The first feature on entering the house is the front door,' distinguished by a massive panel of 15 bevelled glass lights, behind ' which is an artistic arrangement of rich- curtain materials. The door is flanked by smaller windows, also containing groups of 15 lights. Throughout the entire house systems of such window, lights have been installed.

Rich Cabinet Woods Any thoughtless criticism that the house is not entirely in wood is countered from the outset in the vestibule, because the staircase which ascends from this point is a lesson in the use it Queensland woods. The treads are in figured pine, and the fluted bannisters and hand-rail are in maple. Toning with the polish of these woods are the panels of figured maple with which the vestibule is walled. The staircase definitely is a decorative feature. There is a lack of sameness throughout the house, for the walls of the lounge room, off the vestibule, are papered in light brown and gold mottled texture, which harmonises with the carpet and chesterfield upholstering. Again variety is provided by the broad brick fireplace, and an unexpected note of colour is afforded by the green shutters which protect the leadlight casements overlooking the garden. This lounge communicates with a sun-porch, which, in turn, leads to the dining room. The flooring in these departments in kiln-dried, polished rose gum— gives the keynote to the flooring treatments in the rest of the house. Rose gum is a lighter shade than red stringy bark, and thus it does not so quickly show the dust. Probably there is not a better example in Queensland than in the living room of this home of the superlative qualities of butt maple veneers for wall  panelling. The maple has been finished in a dull glass, thus preventing the confusing reflection of light so often noticed where high polishes have been used. By way of contrast the flush-fitting doors ire in full-figured maple, and the three-ply ceiling in Queensland pine is distinguished by mock beams to match the walls. To describe the kitchen after dwelling on such magnificent work savours of descending from the sublime to the ridiculous, but as it is cheek-by-jowl with the dining room it is convenient to pass to it, and to the garage and laundry with which is communicates. Opposite the kitchen is a small shower room for the use of any one who has been working the garden or in the garage. In the laundry is a modern mechanical water-softening system. 

'Inferior' Timbers Throughout the house there are numerous examples of the exquisite effects that may be obtained by the use of 'bird's eye' pine (Bird's eye Araucaria) and hoop pine (Araucaria Cunninghami) . The popular name for the first-mentioned timber describes its characteristics perfectly, but Mr. Hancock, who is an enthusiastic student of timbers and their uses, has demonstrated that staining and polishing are required to reveal the whorls which pattern the timber. The beauty of pine has been revealed in an astounding manner in Mr. Han;ock's study at the head of the staircase. Here the furniture has been constructed of bird's eye pine, and the walls are of knotty hoop pine, which Australians have been pleased to class as 'inferior.' Realising the value of knotty hoop pine, but also realising the difficulty of painting it (because of the resinous seepage through the knots). Mr. Hancock experimented and discovered a process of staining and polishing the wood. The clear texture comes up under the treatment smoothly, but the knots, instead of being disfigurements, appear as irregular patterns, which definitely have on them the stamp of art. - To stain the timber costs no more than painting, and the little extra cost in waxing and polishing it gives a return in beauty out of all proportion to the expense. The chief feature of the main bedroom, which -is papered in cream, is the furniture, which is a classic example of the rare beauty of crotch maple veneers. The bathroom, also on the upper floor, Is notable npt only for its blend of cream and light green, tiles, but also for a small self-draining shower box, enclosed in obscure glass. An hydraulic door hinge that automatically closes the door of this tiny shower room is the last word in convenience, and the use of this simple device is recommended to all who would prevent 'splash' in their bathroom.

Garnet Hill Lost in The Suburbs

This stately timber house was built in 1883 for Hugh Mackay, a clerk and accountant, and his wife, Mary. The Mackay’s owned a large section of land surrounding the house which was subsequently subdivided in 1901 as the Garnet Hill Estate. The house once had substantial grounds and a frontage to Cavendish Road before postwar subdivisions reduced the size of the property. Named ‘Garnet Hill’, the house is important in demonstrating the early residential development in the Coorparoo area.

A beautiful example of colonial architecture with the large verandahs and asymetrical hip roof this home is a stunning reminder of Queensland architecture. Sitting in a Brisbane suburban street surrounded by units and more contemporary homes of the 20th century this home makes a definite statement. 

GREENSLOPES -  A STORY

Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 6 December 1930, page 21

________________________________________

Rise of Greenslopes.

From Farm to City.

GREENSLOPES is indebted for its name to the late Mr. Friederick Wecker, a German farmer, who was the earliest settler in the district. This staunch old German, who owned 46 acres of land at the corner of Old Cleveland road and Kirk-land-avenue (formerly Wecker Street), grew some particularly fine grapes, and lived among his grape vines, where St. James's Roman Catholic Church now stands. At the back of his property was some undulating land, 98 acres in all, belonging to the late Mr. Reginald Jennings. Mr Wecker bought this paddock, and as the grass grew in such abundance on these slopes he invariably referred to it as his "green slopes." In the early eighties the Henzell family established themselves in the district. The late Mr. T. S. Henzell purchased the 98 acres from Mr Wecker at £25 an acre. The price seems ridiculous in comparison with the high value of land now but it has to be remembered that when the Hen-zells settled there they were beyond the pale of the city and most of the surrounding country was thickly timbered. The land was divided into nine blocks, one of which was sold to the late Mr F. L. Wuresching, who erected a residence on it, and in turn sold it to the late Mr. James Hipwood, who called his newly acquired property the Surrey Hills estate. Mr Hipwood took a prominent part in local authorities, and, besides being a member of the first Coorparoo Shire Council in 1888, became Mayor of South Brisbane, and finally Mayor of Brisbane. Dur-ing the land boom of 1924 the estate was cut up and at public auction sold at the rate of £1600 an acre. The late Mr. J. H. Henzell, a brother of Mr. T. S. Henzell, purchased a block of land in the vicinity of White's Hill. The estate was a large one, and made an ideal setting for a comfortable family home. The land was cleared, gardens laid out, fruit trees planted, and everything was planned ready for building the home. Even 40,000 hand-made bricks from the Lutwyche brick-yards were transported to the property at a great cost. At the last minute, however, Mrs Henzell "refused to live in the bush," and the whole scheme collapsed. With years of neglect the land reverted to forest growth, and to-day is still thick bush.

Henzell Hill.

MR. FRED. HENZELL, another brother, brought property along the Logan-road. The estate on which Henzell Hill is situated formerly belonged to the late Mr. R. G. Rowton (29 acres), the late Mr. T. M. King (30 acres), and the late Mr. W. Smith (34 acres), and is bounded by Logan-road, Chatsworth-road, Lade-street, and Plimsoll street. Mr. Henzell built Oakleigh, on Henzell Hill, and about 1887 part of the estate, amounting to 25 acres, called Leamington Park, was disposed of by private sale. The survey plan advertising the estate described the land as being situated next to the Mt. Pleasant estate, Logan-road. The population, it went on to say, was rapidly increasing, and on every hand was evidence of great future prosperity and immediate development. The high view of North and South Brisbane and of a long reach of the Brisbane River were added attractions to the prospective buyers. The majority of the allotments were of 16 perches, and the prices realised from £15 to £50. On the original sketch Thomson-street was at first called Park Street, but later was named after Mr. John Thomson, the respected shire clerk of the Coorparoo Shire Council. Similarly, Churchward street was named after Mr. W. Churchward, for many years the shire engineer. The Henzell home, together with the crest of the hill, subsequently, about 1898, was purchased by the late Mr. E. J. Curd (after whom Curd-street was named), father of Mr. R. B. Curd, the present Collector of Customs for Queensland. Mr. Curd recalls that even in those days facilities were very few. Soden's buses were the principal means of transport. Regular services had been established, serving the Coorparoo, Greenslopes, and Annerley areas, and there was great rivalry between the drivers, who provided some thrilling races as the double-deckers rocked over the bad roads at break-neck speed. Special provision had been made for theatre-goers, and a bus driven by George Krosch left the city at 11 p.m. It was a non-stop run, and the pace was fast and furious. In 1925 Mr. Curd sold the property. The house was bought by Mr. W. Harris, P.M., who shifted it a little further down the hill, where he is still living in it. The crest of the hill once more passed into the Henzell family when it was purchased by Dr. Arthur Henzell. The adjoining property, the Mt. Pleasant estate, be-longed to the late Mr. J. Le G. Brereton, who possessed 63 acres in all. The land which lay between Henzell's property and the Holland Park reserve was sold to a syndicate, and was cut up and disposed of by Isles, Love, and Co., Ltd., about three or four years before the arrival of the Greenslopes trams in 1914.

The Late Mr. E. Deshon.

ANOTHER prominent resident was the late Mr. Edward Deshon, C.M.G., who, besides being Auditor General, was also Under Secretary of the Lands Department and first member of the Land Board. About 60 years ago Mr. Deshon lived on land fronting Saltwater (now Kingfisher) Creek, but later acquired the adjoining property fronting Logan-road, on which he lived. About the year 1885 Mr. Deshon, who was of a retiring dis-position and loved the pleasures of the bush and the comfort of a country home, moved out from Logan-road, which he thought was getting too closely settled. He selected a fine property, where the Cavendish-road tramline now ends. The country was all heavily timbered with gums, iron-bark, stringybark, broad-leaved box, wattle, and other timbers, which had to be cleared before the house and garden could be made. The new home, which was designed by Mr. A. B. Wilson, was called Kemendine, after a place in India at which Mr. Deshon's father, Col. Deshon, had been billeted. About three years ago the home was sold to Archbishop Duhig, who converted it into the Loreto Convent. The Deshons, however, have all built their homes around the ancestral centre, and still cling to the district of their youth. Belgaum-street, off Cavendish-road, has been named after Belgaum, the home of Mr. A. P. Deshon (manager of the Agricultural Bank). Belgaum, like Kemendine, is of Indian origin.

About the same time, or shortly after, the Deshons arrived at Green-slopes, the late Mr. Nathaniel Lade (after whom Lade street was named), a well-known Queen street saddler, built his home at the corner of Cavendish road and Chatsworth road, which later passed into the hands of Mr James Stodart, M.L.A. for Logan. Another home-builder near by was the late Mr. H. W. E. Mackay (accountant of B. D. Morehead's) whose home Garnet Hill is still standing. He lived in the street that bears his name. The late Mr. George V. Hellicar who was Crown Solicitor many years ago built on the land south of the Deshons and called his place Abbotsleigh after which Abbotsleigh Road has been named. Mr Ebenezer Cowley brother of Sir A. S. Cowley, lived on the diagonal corner from Mr. N. Lade's home. On the opposite corner Mr. J. W. Knight lived. Mr. Knight was formerly Sub-collector of Customs at Port Douglas but started an auctioneering business in Brisbane. About the year 1839 Mr. Hiley built a home on the slopes where Mr. D. Boyle now lives but the latter gentleman has considerably enlarged the place since he purchased it. The late Mr. J. S. Nixon-Smith of Brabant and Co., also built his house on the "slopes" about the same time, and a couple of years later about 1891, Mr. W. F. Schlencker built his present home in Wylie-avenue then called Fritz-street. The site of the house at present owned and occupied by Mr. T. M. Barry of Barry and Roberts, Ltd at the corner of Wecker-street and Cornwall-street was, about 1890, built upon by Mr. Alexander Fraser, and the property afterwards sold to Mr. A. M. Kirkland and finally to its present owner. On the opposite side of Cornwall-street Mr. John Gasteen, until lately secretary of the Brisbane Gas Co., bought land, on which he built Thruston his present home.

Some Old Residents

OTHER well-known residents of respected memory are Mr. T. M. King, who formerly filled the positions of Collector of Customs, Under Secretary to the Treasurer, and Auditor-General. It is not surprising that the son of such a valued public servant should follow his father's footsteps. His son, Mr. R. M. King, devoted much of his life to the Coorparoo Shire Council, of which he was chairman, and to-day fills the position of Minister for Public Instruction and Public Works. The late Mr. T. M. King built Erica, now occupied by Mrs. Isiah Lahey. Mr F. C Parkinson, a former international footballer, who married Miss Ettie Henzell, has lived for over 50 years in Henzell terrace, while his brother lived on the Cavendish road, near the Deshons, for an equal length of time. Another old resident in Henzell-terrace is Mr. Sidney Robertson, solicitor, who married Miss Gertie Henzell. Mr. Robertson was also a councillor on the Coorparoo Shire Council, and has a street named after him on the old Henzell estate. The late Mr. Davies, chemist, built the home now occupied by Colonel D. E. Evans. Mr. Ernest Holland is living in the street named after his father, the late Mr. Julius Holland. Mr. J. D. Russell, who bought part of the late Mr. Fred. Henzell's property, Mr. J. Burstall, and Mr. E. Campbell, draper, are other well-remembered names. The late Messrs. J. M. Douglas and Richard Dansie were members of the first Coorparoo Shire Council, and two streets off the Logan-road perpetuate their names. The late Mr. Samuel Marriott has been similarly honoured. When the Coorparoo Shire Council was elected on the ward system in 1892 Mr. Marriott was the only one of the original council to be returned. Trundle-street recalls the late Mr. J. J. Trundle.

Majestic Park.

THE newest portion of Greenslopes is Majestic Park, an area of 176 acres, which terminates at Boundary-road, the approach to White's Hill. This fine property was originally held in four large blocks by the late Messrs. D. Holland (52 acres), Alfred Holland (47 acres), Julius Holland (50 acres), and J. E. D. M'Carthy (32 acres). Mr. Alfred Holland was the only one to settle on his estate, on which he built a fine, commodious home, surrounded by pleasant gardens, fruit trees, vine-yards, &c., which had taken years of labour and tending to develop. Later however, the family moved into town, and the estate and everything on it suffered from lack of attention. The empty house became the prey of people who wanted spare parts, and piece by piece the house disappeared, as well as every vestige of improvements and cultivation, and eventually the bush covered all signs of habitation. Later all the land belonging to the Holland brothers and Mr. M'Carthy passed into the hands of Mr. T. J. Nolan, grazier, who, in turn, disposed of it to T. J. Burke Pty., Ltd., in August, 1924.

The year 1924 marked one of the most prosperous periods in the history of Brisbane. It was a period of expansion, and many of the newest suburbs of Brisbane were opened up in that year, due to the exceptional number of land sales and the extension of the tram services in all directions. Greenslopes shared in the general prosperity, and in September, 1924, Majestic Park was offered for sale. The original estate was cleared of its timbers, over £2000 spent in marking out roads that conformed to the best advantage of the land, and fully 70 acres out of the 176 acres were set aside and devoted to parks and reserves. The subdivision of the estate was carried out under the most modern town planning system, and when offered for sale was ready for occupation. On April 3, 1925, the Cavendish-road tram extension was opened, and, in addition, the Camp Hill tram extension was opened on January 10, 1925, so that the new district was conveniently served by two trams. The land is high and undulating, and affords a splendid view of the city. Many people have taken advantage of the new sites, and each year sees more homes built on the estate. A good feature of the settlement is that all the homes are of the modern de-sign, giving assurance that the district will grow into one of importance and pleasant dignity, as befits the name of the estate. The naming of the streets after planets has been due to the proximity of the estate to White's Hill, on which a telescope for viewing the stars is provided.

Glen Lyon 19th Century Villa

The follwoing information is taken from the Queensland State Goverbment's state heritage legislation.

This two-storeyed residence, the second oldest in the Ashgrove area, was erected in 1876-7 for Alexander Stewart, a partner in the merchant firm of Stewart & Hemmant. It was the centrepiece of a 250 acre (100 hectare) estate acquired by Stewart in 1875 and 1876. The property, which extended along both sides of Enoggera Creek, was named Glen Lyon after Stewart's birthplace in Scotland.

Probably designed by architect James Cowlishaw, the original plans were modified when financial considerations forced Stewart to have a more modest residence erected.

At Glen Lyon, Stewart created a country estate. Within a few years the property contained a dairy herd, fowl runs, duck pond, an orchard and vegetable garden and an assortment of outbuildings. A well was sunk, detached servants' quarters and a dairy were constructed at the rear of the main house, and a coachman's cottage, known as the Lodge, was erected near Waterworks Road.

An avenue of bunya pines, which still stand, was planted the length of the front drive (now Glenlyon Drive). The present entrance gates are not the original; wrought iron gates set in pillars of granite, which formerly fronted Waterworks Road, have been removed to Stuartholme Convent.

A detached billiards room was constructed in the 1880s or early 1890s, and the grounds around the house were landscaped. Steps led from the billiard room to a tennis court.

Alexander Stewart died in 1918 and the property was subsequently sold. Most of the estate was purchased by developer T M Burke who gradually subdivided it as the Glenlyon Estate. The house and immediate surrounds were purchased by the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. From about 1927 the house was rented to the New Zealand province of the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers), who purchased it in 1930. The Marist Fathers sold Glen Lyon c2003 and it currently functions as a private residence.

Rangemoor - Robin S. Dods

This graceful timber residence was built for John W.H. Grout, merchant, soldier and Spanish Vice-Consul, and his wife, Winnifred, in 1907. It was designed by prominent Queensland architect, Robin S. Dods, and illustrates some of the key elements of Dods’ work, for example the dominant roof, generous verandahs and simple yet sophisticated timber detailing. ‘Rangemoor’ was subsequently occupied for many years by obstetrician and paediatrician, Dr Charles A. Thelander and his family.

The following information is from the Brisbane City Council Heritage Register.
 
In the early 1900s, Clayfield and the neighbouring suburbs of Albion and Ascot were well established as fashionable addresses for the city’s professional and mercantile families such as the Trittons and the McWhirters. Many of the substantial houses built in the area were architect designed and surrounded by generous gardens with tennis courts or other recreational facilities. In the late nineteenth century, John William Huggins Grout was in a partnership as Charlton and Grout, stock and share brokers and commission agents, operating in Queen St, Brisbane. The partnership was dissolved in December 1899. Grout then joined the Queensland militia and was a Lieutenant in the Moreton Regiment, and vice president of its rifle club. He moved to Dalby in 1900 where he worked for the Queensland National Bank. Grout was instrumental in the formation of the Dalby Company of the Queensland Mounted Infantry and became its first Commanding Officer. By July 1902, Grout had returned to Brisbane where his occupation was recorded as a merchant. He also took up the role of Vice-Consul for Spain.

 

In the early 1900s, Clayfield and the neighbouring suburbs of Albion and Ascot were well established as fashionable addresses for the city’s professional and mercantile families such as the Trittons and the McWhirters. Many of the substantial houses built in the area were architect designed and surrounded by generous gardens with tennis courts or other recreational facilities. 

‘Rangemoor’ was constructed on an acre of land in Adelaide Street purchased in the name of Grout’s wife, Winifred, in September 1907. In November 1907, Grout commissioned the firm of Hall and Dods to design their new home. The building was put to tender and erected for £1,280. The large, timber home displays many of the signature characteristics found in Dods’ domestic designs such as the dominant roof form, side entrance porch, generous verandahs and restrained timber detailing, as well as some Spanish or Moorish features which perhaps reflected Grout’s consular role. The wave shaped timber verandah valance was featured in at least two other Brisbane houses designed by Dods -  the 1902 Littledike residence in Drane Street (since demolished) and the Drake residence in Richmond Street, Morningside (also 1902). 

Tarrangower Views of the City

 Tarrangower 

‘Tarrangower’ is a prominent landmark in Greenslopes, situated high on the peak of the hill at the convergence of two main roads. The design, influenced by the Arts and Craft movement of the interwar period, makes a striking contribution to the historic streetscape in this part of Greenslopes. It demonstrates the district’s progress when grand, architect designed, fashionable houses were built for wealthy professionals. ‘Tarrangower’ was built in 1921 for prosperous businessman and factory owner, Charles Emanuel Foggitt, of Foggitt, Jones and Co.. The house, positioned on a prominent site with extensive views, was designed by successful Brisbane architectural firm, Atkinson and Conrad. At the time of its construction, the design of the house was very fashionable. The house holds landmark qualities and is reflective of the development of the Greenslopes area, with the wealthier residents building architect designed homes on the peaks of the hills. Date of Citation — April 2018 

History 

A tramline was extended from Stones Corner along Logan Road and then down Chatsworth Road in 1914 and named the Greenslopes line. The main Greenslopes tram terminus was located on the corner of Chatsworth Road and Upper Cornwall Street at the peak of the hill. This transport infrastructure encouraged further residential development and by 1921 the population of the suburb was 985 people. Shops, a School of Arts, the Hollywood Theatre and a church dotted Logan Road by the interwar years. A feature of Greenslopes’ development was that large blocks were intermingled with smaller allotments. The former were selected by wealthier middle class families and investors to build large luxury homes and were situated on the ridges and rises of the hills. In 1918 Charles Emanuel Foggett purchased a large portion of land beside the tram terminus. Situated at the peak of the hill, with extensive views, this triangular parcel was bordered by Chatsworth Road, Upper Cornwall Street and Wylie Avenue. By 1921 a grand new house had been constructed for Foggitt and his family, and the same year, they were recorded at the address in the Post Office Directories. In September of that year, the house was featured in a Queenslander article, ‘Brisbane Homes: Four Residences in Chatsworth Road, Greenslopes’. The masonry house with terracotta tiled roof was clearly shown at the peak of the hill, surrounded by an impressive and decorative brick fence. At the time, the design of the house would have been very modern. The Foggitt family named the imposing house ‘Tarrangower’. 

The architectural firm commissioned to design the house was Atkinson and Conrad, one of the leading firms in Brisbane throughout the Interwar period. Henry Atkinson and Arnold Conrad were responsible for designing some of Brisbane’s finest buildings from this time, including ‘Craigston’ on Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill. Charles Emanuel Foggett first came to Australia from England in the late nineteenth century and began working at the JC Hutton bacon curing factory. By 1905 Foggitt and business partner Thomas Jones had established their own small goods manufactory, Foggitt, Jones and Co.. Their products included “hams and bacon, pork and beans, lard, ham pate, pigs’ feet, veal and tongue pate, and other toothsome preparations”. The company had a factory and abattoir beside Oxley Creek, Oxley, and later another factory at South Brisbane. During World War One the company supplied large amounts of canned and cured meats to troops fighting in the overseas conflict. This afforded the company large profits. Charles Foggitt died in 1926 and the company was taken over by JC Hutton. In 1929 the subject property was sold to Edward Hill, who lived in the house for several years before it was sold to a succession of owners. 

Allawah A Grand Mansion for the 19th Century

The following information is taken from the Brisbane City Council Heritage Register.

‘Allawah’ was built in 1888 for wealthy Jewish merchant, Leopold Solomon Benjamin on land which was formally part of the Kinellan Estate. This palatial, double-storey masonry dwelling was designed by architect John J. Cohen, a prominent Brisbane architect. It was built in the Victorian Filigree style and reflects the flamboyance of the era. Cohen was credited with designing the former Bellevue Hotel when in partnership with F.F. Holmes. ‘Inglenook’, originally comprising a drawing room, dining room, library, billiard room, six bedrooms, day and night nurseries, kitchen, laundry, stables, included a lawn tennis court and bush-house in the spacious garden. Benjamin sold the property during 1890s financial crisis, and it was later renamed ‘Allawah’ and then ‘Risdon’. It was purchased by the Girls Friendly Society of the Anglican Church during the Second World War for use as a young service-women’s hostel, and was owned by the Trustee for The Girls Friendly Society until 2010.

Modern Engineered Homes on Hills

Brisbane has been built on the natural flood plain of the Brisbane River. The flood of 1893 demonstrated to the people of Brisbane the capability of the river and the extent of the natural flood plain. Brisbane is a river with a city problem which is now the reverse of what generations of Brisbane people thought. Brisbane city had a river problem but in reality the river has the problem of the city being built over it. What has this got to do with Brisbane homes and the style of house?

The more desirable real estate in Brisbane has always been along the many ridges that form the boundaries of the creeks and river. One characteristic of the high stumps under a house allowed builders to build on the slopes of ridges. The ability to have a level floor but uneven height of stumps created the flexibilty to build on uneven ground in a more cost effective manner. 

With the introduction of modern building methods and materials the architects and engineers have developed there is now the ability to literally build anywhere. The homes pictured below show some of the more interesting ways in which modern home building has evolved to provide those features of hillside living.

The Mount Pleasant Estate

The following information is taken from "The Mount Pleasant Ridge at Holland Park: A Case-Study of Brisbane Domestic Architecture of the 1930s" by John W. East. East has written a number of essays on Brisbane and Queensland architecture. His works are an excellent resource for those wishing to gain a geater understanding of the Brisbane home and the architects and builders who provided the landscape of more character homes that we see today

The Mount Pleasant ridge is an elevated area of the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park, stretching for a little less than a kilometre, with a roughly south-west to north-east orientation. At its western end it rises abruptly above Logan Road, undercut by one of the tributaries of Norman Creek. At its eastern end it falls away more gently, merging with Loreto Hill to the north. At its highest point, near the eastern end, the ridge reaches an altitude of just over 60 meters. It is an outlier of the larger massif of Whites Hill (112 meters), which lies to the east. The roadway which follows the spine of the Mount Pleasant ridge is made up of three separately-named streets: Beryl Crescent at the western end, followed by Percival Terrace at the centre of the ridge, and finally the upper part of Abbotsleigh Street (between Wilbur Street and Geelong Avenue) at the eastern end. The precise location of the summit of Mount Pleasant is a matter for debate, but currently the Queensland Place Names database locates Mount Pleasant in front of the property numbered as 55 Beryl Crescent. .......

By road, Mount Pleasant is about 6 km from the centre of Brisbane, and Moreton Bay lies about 15 km to the east. These two factors, when combined with the elevation, explain why the ridge was seen as a desirable location for residential development in the 1920s. In hot weather, the afternoon sea-breezes from the bay bring noticeable relief to the more elevated sections of the eastern suburbs of Brisbane, an important consideration in the era before airconditioning, when even electric fans were still seen as a luxury. Although the Depression years (1929-34) significantly retarded real-estate development, houses had been erected on most of the subdivisions along the Mount Pleasant ridge by 1941. Because of its cooler location and attractive views, Mount Pleasant was seen as something of a prestige real-estate development. Although it did not have the cachet of Hamilton or Ascot, it was still a desirable address. For this reason, the houses built along the ridge were generally of above-average quality, and a few could even be described as elite housing. Most of the original houses survive, although they have often been extensively modified. 2 The 63 houses which were built along the Mount Pleasant ridge between 1925 and 1945 provide a useful sample of the better-quality domestic architecture of Brisbane in the 1930s. It is the aim of the present study to examine these houses more closely, to see exactly what they can tell us about Brisbane's inter-war residential architecture.

1936 The Opening of The Estate

The Courier Mail November 16, 1936 an advertisement for blocks of land on Mount Pleasant

Newly built home November 1936 promoted as the house of the future design.

Below are photographs taken in January 2021 of homes in the Mount Pleasant ridge encompassing the Stonehaven Estate.

Homes To Rescue

The resoration and recreation of the Queensland timber home is now a major part of the building industry but there are still an extensive number of homes that are in need of rescue. There are many reasons why these homes do decline in appearance to a state where the cost in retrieving them to a former glory far outweighs the economic benefit. Many of these homes are situated in close proximity to the CBD. Many are beyond the tradespersons skills and are waiting for whatever the next step is. Heritage legislation also plays a major role in the survival or non survival of these homes. They are worthy of photographing and recording as there may be a time when they are not there.