The Home Euralla
Built in 1931 for Brisbane master builder George A. Stronach, Euralla is a symbol of one man's dream to live in his perfect house. Stronach had a reputation as a builder of the highest standard therefore his house would be a statement. Stronach had a very close relationship with Lange Powell and George Rae two of Brisbane's leading architects of that time. Euralla on Eldernell is the result of a combination of the best artisans of their time. Lange Powell House the home Powell designed for himself is only a very short distance away on Eldernell Terrace. Eurella still is prominent when looking up at Eldernell Hill, Hamilton when viewing from the Brisbane River.
This masonry and tile house was built in 1931 by architect firm Powell and Rae as the home of master-builder George A. Stronach. Stronach constructed the AMP Building, also known as Macarthur Chambers, on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets in the early 1930s. The site of ‘Euralla’ was excised from the grounds of ‘Eldernell’, the home of William Hemmant and family built on the highest point of a ten acre block of land sloping from Windermere Road to Kingsford Smith Drive (Eagle Farm Road), and purchased in 1868. The land holding was reduced by subdivision from 1890 onwards. ‘Euralla’ is set on almost 3000 sqm (two roods, thirty-five and one tenth perches) directly below ‘Eldernell’ or ‘Bishopsbourne’ as it is now called. Stronach purchased the land in 1930 and thereafter commissioned Powell and Rae to design a house for him. An illustration of ‘Euralla’ appeared in the May 1932 edition of Building Magazine with an article about the architects. Architects Lange Leopold Powell and George Rae were in partnership for only two years (1931-33) but their association pre-dated this as Rae was employed as Powell’s articled pupil from 1919 to 1922, and later his chief draftsman then associate. Powell was a well-known Brisbane architect whose list of notable architectural work is extensive. His commercial buildings still standing include Perry House (1910), St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital (1921), Ballow Chambers (1924), BAFS Dispensary, George Street (1925), Woolworths Building, Queen Street (1926), BAFS Dispensary, Woolloongabba (1930) and the Masonic Temple, Ann Street (1930). He was also responsible for a number of residences in south-east Queensland between 1913 and 1934. In 1937, Stronach sold the house and it has been resold a number of times. The Brisbane City Council has approved alterations to ‘Euralla’ in 1963, 1980 and 1981. An application in 1971 to erect a multiple dwelling on the site was refused after the receipt by Council of a number of objections.
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 11 August 1932, page 19
The Home Circle
Stone Terraces With Horizon Views
In Tudor times the Dutch had a strong influence on English archchitecture, so the Dutch gables on Euralla are most appropriate. The house is so built that at any time oí the day one may find a cosy nook in the sunshine, or a sheltered corner ia the shade, while wide terraces, open porches, and long rows of windows prove now suitable this alfresco style of architecture is for Brisbane's climate.
Euralla, which was built two years ago, stands on a rise at the corner of Eldernell Avenue and Prospect Terrace, Hamilton.. Its exterior is of rough-cast, with a free-stone and porphory base, while stone quoins around the windows give artistic relief. The walls are buff colour, and provide an effective foil for the red of the French tiled roof and the emerald green of the velvety lawns, which on all sides slope down to a low wall of rough stone that surrounds the garden. Starring the lawn are little round beds gay with flowers.
THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
Officially, the entrance from Eldernell Avenue on the north side of the house is the front door, but the terraced entrance on the east is perhaps even more attractive, and on account of its proximity to the garage is used Just as frequently as the other.
Dwarf lantana shrubs of lemon and gold fringe the stone steps right from the gate in Eldernell Avenue to the front door, which opens to reveal a long, wide hall, carpeted in fawn and blue to match the floor coverings oí the lounge beyond, unlike most of the other rooms in the home, which have light plaster walls, the hall is finished with panelling of waxpolished, dark Queensland walnut, hung with etchings. Beneath a large wall mirror is a solid wooden seat, and opposite it is a refectory table, holding two brass candlesticks and a bowl of roses. A tall marble lamp, carved in the figure of a girl, stands beside the entrance into the lounge.
A TUDOR LOUNGE.
Comfort is the keynote of the lounge. Wide, deep settees and arm chairs are made still more luxurious by the ad-dition of plump cushions to match the pouffes on the carpet, while the centre of the room, and, indeed, of the whole house, is a stone fire-place of generous proportions, where a wood fire blazes on cold winter nights. The fire-place, with its Gothic arch, is typically Tudor, and has a quaint finishing touch in the form of an old model of Nelson's Victory becalmed on a stone bracket about 10ft. high.
Another distinctly Tudor feature of the room is the pair of heavy dark oregon beams, queen post trusses to support the light plaster celling. The walls are plaster-panelled in light tones, and combine with the bowls of fragrant flowers and jardinieres of foliage to give the room a bright, airy appearance, which is heightened by the view of the out-of-doors framed by the wide doors on the east and west.
OUT ON THE TERRACE.
Through the east door one crosses the tile long corridor that runs practically the whole length of the house, and steps out on to a wide stone terrace that reminds one of the palaces in children's picture books. It is surrounded by a low wall of curved columns, and there are two huge fancy flower-pots overflowing with trails o' nasturtiums. Broad, shallow steps lead down in terraces between smooth green lawns, and one has an unobstructed view of the Brisbane River and the city beyond, where church spires and the Town Hall tower rise against the hazy hills on the horizon. As one turns to re-enter Euralla there comes the impression that it is not a fairy palace, but an old English inn that the terrace resembles, for against the walls are two old-fashioned wooden benches on which Mine Host, seated smoking his long clay pipe, would not look at all incongruous while on each side of the door is a lamp, which, despite the fact that it is lit by electricity, might be fellow to the candle-lit lamps that used to flicker beside inn doors centuries ago.
On the western side of the lounge is a delightful porch, furnished with dark green seagrass tables and chairs. Baskets of greenery hang from the ceiling, which, like the three walls of the porch, is cream colour. The fourth side is open to the green lawns, which have for a background a red brick wall, decorated with staghorns, and topped by a garden of flowers. The full size ant bed tennis court is at the side of these lawns.
MODERN INTERIORS.
The dining-room, lying behind the lounge, has dark polished furniture to contrast with its light plaster walls, which are hung with tapestry and old paintings. Three graceful arches divide the dining-room from the side corridor, and seated at the table one may look through these arches and corridor windows over the red-roofed garage at the foot of the garden and out beyond the river. Opening off the right of the hall is a compact wing containing Mr. and Stronach's bedroom, bathroom, dressing-room, and den. Tile bedroom is a study in rose and silver grey, with Queensland maple furniture. Silver grey paper with a delicate rose design at the top covers the walls, and the curtains are of rose lace. The carpet is grey, patterned In black, and beside the bed is a tall standard lamp with a rose shade. The tiled bathroom is blue and grey, with white fittings, and a sunk bath. Across the hall is what is known as "the children's wing," containing the bedrooms of the sons and daughters, the guest-room, and the second bathroom. There is a third bathroom in the servants' quarters, which, with the large kitchen, occupy a wing opening off the dining-room. All the rooms of Euralla are on the same floor and under the one roof.
There are no stairs or winding passages to complicate the housework, for although the design of the house is Tudor there Is nothing mediaeval about, its conveniences. All old-fashioned drawbacks have been eliminated, and. replaced by up-to-date inventions in this revival of the Tudor style of home, so that Euralla now combines modem comfort with a picturesque style of old English architecture that is proving eminently suitable for Brisbane's climate.
Next week a modern home at Easi Brisbane will be described.
GEORGE STRONACH
George Stronach
The following is taken from the Brisbane City Council Heritage Register regarding Stronach's factory in Montague Road, West End
George Alexander Stronach was an important figure in the building industry in Queensland throughout the interwar period. As one of the leading master builders in this era he was responsible for the construction of many of Brisbane and Queensland’s most important buildings. The Brisbane Courier wrote of Stronach in 1931: To have successfully completed contracts the total value of which exceed £1,000,000 during the last seven and a half years is the proud record of Mr. George Alexander Stronach, one of Queensland’s leading master builders. Many of the ornate buildings that adorn the centre of the city have been built by him and he also is proud that wherever possible he has employed Queensland workmen and used Queensland materials.
With his own workshop on Montague Road, Stronach was able to employ local workers and use local materials for the majority of his building works. Stronach was successful in acquiring building contracts for the construction of buildings such as McWhirter’s Building on the corner of Brunswick and Wickham Streets in Fortitude Valley, the Brisbane Masonic Temple in Ann Street, the AMP building (now known as MacArthur Chambers) on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets, the National Bank of Australia building on Queen Street. Other examples of his work outside Brisbane include The Southport School on the Gold Coast, the Pacific Hotel, Southport and the Royal Hotel in Stanthorpe. Stronach was a strong member of the Master Builders’ Association in Queensland and served as president from 1932 to 1934.
Although a very successful builder in this period, Stronach was not spared from the economic hardship caused by the Great Depression. Throughout his time as president of the Master Builders’ Association, Stronach was an advocate of reduced taxation for the building industry and believed “that as far as city building was concerned there was no doubt that the biggest drawback and preventative of any revival in the trade was caused by the extreme taxation” . Four years after this Stronach was forced to declare bankruptcy, blaming his situation on unfair sales tax on building materials. In 1929 and 1931 further additions were approved for the workshop in Montague Road. The Montague Road workshop changed ownership in 1939/40. Stronach’s Workshop is representative of an interwar industrial building that has been built to incorporate popular decorative elements from the time. The workshop is important as a reminder of the scale of building work carried out by Stronarch and the contribution he made to the built form of Brisbane.
Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Tuesday 17 April 1934, page 15
CONTRACT LET
New Woolworth Building
The contract for the erection of the new building in Queen Street, Brisbane, for Woolworths Ltd., has been let to Mr. G. A. Stronach, who has commenced the demolition of Oakden Chambers to make way for the structure. Mr. L. L. Powell, of Commercial Bank Chambers, Queen. Street, Brisbane, is the architect for the new building, which will comprise two stories and a basement. It will have a frontage of 33 feet to Queen Street, and a depth of 148 feet and will be constructed of steel and concrete.
Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. (1912 - 1936), Saturday 3 March 1934, page 7
G.A. STRONACH PTY.
WORKED WELL
SUPPLIED GRANITES,
MARBLE, AND JOINERY.
The greatest sign of Brisbane's
prosperity and progress is her buildings. First class buildings make a first class
city, and second class buildings represent a city, which cannot hope to compete
against its more progressive sisters.
It must be conceded that
the new A.M.P. building is the last word in design and execution, and a full measure
of praise must go out to Mr. G. A. Stronach, the builder, and his
sup-contractors.
Mr. Stronach, in
addition to being a most, skilful builder, is also the proprietor of the South
Brisbane Granite and Marble Works and the Brisbane Joinery Works. This firm was
responsible for all the fibrous plaster work, joinery, office fittings, most of
the furniture, and the whole of the stonework.
Usually these items form
the basis of a sub-contract to a firm specialising In the trade for each item,
but Mr. Stronach's firm proved quite capable of handling the requirements as
set out for this, one of the biggest buildings- in Brisbane. It resulted in a
lower cost, too.
Buildings, for beauty
and permanence, are best built with the materials provided by the locality itself,
and for red granite, grey granite, and freestone of the highest quality and
finest grain the South Brisbane Granite and Marble Works is the best equipped
supplier in the State. They, obtain the supplies from Mr. Stronach's quarries
at Helidon and other places.
The same efficiency as
went into the A.M.P. Building's furniture and plaster work' goes into
everything the Brisbane Joinery Works handled.
Quotes for all types of
work can be obtained from Mr. George A. Stronach, A.M.P. Chambers,
Queen-street, Brisbane.
Newcastle Morning Herald
and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), Tuesday 29 September 1931, page 4
MR. G. A. STRONACH
Queensland Contracts FORMER NEWCASTLE BUILDER Building contracts exceeding
£1,000,00 have been completed in Brisbane in the past seven and a half years by
Mr. G. A. Stronach, formerly of Newcastle, who is now recognised as one of
Queensland's leading master builders. Tribute to his work was paid by the
Brisbane "Courier' on Saturday, when it reviewed the contracts he has
carried out, and published a comprehensive illustration of the principal
buildings for which he has been responsible. Some of the principal buildings
which have been erected in the city of Brisbane in recent years bear the unmistakable
mark of George Alexander Stronach. In Brisbane alone, he has accounted for no
less than seven fine edifices, while in other Queensland towns 11 buildings,
and one reservoir for the storage of molasses are signs of his handwork. Mr.
Stronach's latest contract is for the erection of a palatial building in the
heart of the city for A.M.P. Society and he is justifiably proud of the fact
that he was contractor for the Masonic Temple, in Ann-street. One of the most
difficult tasks under taken by Mr. Stronach in Brisbane was the erection of the
National Bank in Queen-street. Some of the piers had to be sunk to a depth of
83ft, below the pavement, while the average depth for the whole of the piers
was 53ft, He was also hampered to a certain extent, owing to the fact that the
building had to be erected practically in two sections in order that the
business would not be interrupted. The first big job undertaken by Mr. Stronach
in Brisbane was the Criterion Hotel, in George-street. In the building, itself
a large quantity of marble was used, and some particularly ornate plaster work
was necessary. The cellar of the hotel covered an extensive area, and involved
the mixing of immense quantities of concrete. During his work in Brisbane, Mr.,
Stronach has employed on an average of 200 men, and at times 350. He attributes
his success to the fact that in the creation of buildings, he has performed, in
the bulk of instances, the work of the sub-trader in preference to utilising
sub-contractors, He has his own joinery, fibrous plaster, masonry, and plaster
workshops, as well as free stone quarries." These are equipped with the
latest machinery. Mr. Stronach agrees, how-ever, that there are certain
sections of work which must be entrusted to specialists. As well as his
successes in Queensland, Mr. Stronach has to his credit a long list of
buildings in the principal towns of New South Wales.
The Iconic Brisbane Landmarks Built by G. A Stronach
The McWhirter's Building Fortitude Valley
In 1929 the company secured title to the lane off Wickham Street beside their 1912 store, and in 1930–31, just as Australia was being caught up in a severe, worldwide economic depression, McWhirters Ltd constructed a four and five-storeyed brick building on the corner of Brunswick and Wickham Streets, linking the facades of their 1912 and 1923 buildings. The steel framed building with reinforced concrete walls and facework in brick and terracotta, was designed by the Brisbane architectural firm of TR Hall and LB Phillips (who also designed the Brisbane City Hall, Shell House, and the Tattersalls Club Members Dining Room). It featured a principal truncated corner, richly decorated in the Art Deco style, which became a landmark advertisement for the store on the busy Valley Corner. The builder was George Alexander Stronach of Brisbane, who tendered with a price of £112,000; the 800 long tons (810 t) of structural steel was manufactured and erected by local firm Evans, Deakin, & Co. Ltd; and Wunderlich supplied the terracotta tiles used on the truncated corner as well as pressed metal and fibrous cement ceilings. McWhirters department store now had a floor space of 6.5 acres (2.6 ha).
The Masonic Temple Anne Street Brisbane
The Masonic Temple was constructed between 1928 and 1930. In April 1921 the United Grand Lodge of Queensland was formed by the union of the 281 Freemasons' lodges in Queensland. To commemorate the union the Grand Lodge agreed to construct a centrally located temple. In December 1921 land in Ann Street, with a 77-foot (23 m) frontage and depth of 148 feet (45 m), was purchased. In December 1922 an additional 6.3 perches (160 m2) was acquired to make the site symmetrical. The total cost of the land was £6 874.
In June 1923 a competition was held to produce a design for the temple. On 8 December 1924 the plans of Lange Powell (a freemason) of Atkinson, Powell and Conrad, were chosen from the 16 entries submitted. Tenders were called on 12 March 1928 but the plans were drastically modified. The tender of £101,171 from Messrs George Alexander Stronach and Son, builders, was accepted.
AMP Building or MacArthur Chambers
Designed by established Brisbane architects Francis Richard Hall and Harold M Cook, the offices were constructed by local master builder George A Stronach (overseer Thomas Percy) with technical supervision by consulting Brisbane structural engineer RJ McWilliam, for approximately £255,000. Contemporary reports described the quality Australian materials, the high standard of craftsmanship, and the modern engineering techniques employed. The marble used throughout the building came from New South Wales and the building was faced with Helidon freestone. The granite used for the base was tested by the University of Queensland before construction, and was declared to be the finest granite in existence, with a crushing strength of 1,365 long tons (1,387 t) per square inch. Queensland company Evans Deakin & Co. Ltd manufactured the 1,150 long tons (1,170 t) of steelwork used in the building. The five girders spanning the ground floor banking chamber have a span of 43 feet (13 m) and each weighs 24 long tons (24 t). Construction of the steel framework using bolts rather than rivets was considered particularly innovative in Brisbane in 1932.
National Australia Bank 180 Queen Street
This building, constructed in 1929-30, replaced an earlier bank which had erected in 1891 for the Royal Bank of Queensland. In 1917 the Royal Bank of Queensland merged with another Queensland bank, the Bank of North Queensland to form the Bank of Queensland. In 1922, the Bank of Queensland was absorbed by the National Bank of Australasia and several years later decided to build a new bank on the site. Designed by Melbourne architects A & K Henderson with assistance from local firm of Atkinson, Powell & Conrad, the contractor was G A Stronach, with the technical advice of Thomas Walker Pearce. It was an example of the pervasive fashion for the neo-classical style in commercial and civic buildings, of similar scale and materials during the period. The building was opened on 6 May 1930 and its lavish fittings and imposing style attracted favourable comment. Prominent features of the building included the large bronze doors in the Queen Street entrance, separate lifts for tenants, and a special women's banking section fitted with lounge, retiring room, writing facilities and telephone. Over the years various professional tenants have occupied the upper floors - solicitors, doctors, accountants, architects, and optometrists.
Lange Leopold Powell
The following is taken from the Australian Dictionary of Biography 1988 Vol 2 written by Janet Hogan
Lange Leopold Powell (1886-1938), architect, was born on 2 July 1886 at Rockhampton, Queensland, seventh surviving child of William Powell, Methodist minister, and second child of his second wife Mary Ellen, née Zillman. He was named after his maternal grandparents Clare Lange and Leopold Zillman, German missionaries, who in 1838 were among the first free settlers in the Moreton Bay District.
Privately educated, and briefly at Central Boy's School, Brisbane, Powell was articled to Addison & Corrie, architects, (1900-05) and attended Brisbane Technical College. He worked as a draughtsman for C. W. Chambers (1905-06), then briefly with the Public Works Department in 1907. A council-member of the Queensland Art Society, and highly recommended by Addison, Powell left for London in 1908 and worked for Belcher & Co. He was an accomplished pen-and-ink sketcher and water-colourist. In 1909 he became an architectural member of the Union des Beaux Arts et des Lettres of France. That year he exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, the Louvre, Paris, and at the Queensland Art Society (also in 1911). Powell married Maud Gertrude Moore at Murtoa, Victoria, on 19 April 1911.
His Brisbane partnerships included Chambers & Powell (1911-21), Powell & Hutton (1922-25) and Atkinson, Powell & Conrad (1927-31); with Atkinson and Conrad he had been appointed architect to the Brisbane and South Coast Hospital Board in 1926. St Martin's War Memorial Hospital (opened 1922) is Powell's best-known extant work; he considered it one of his best designs. He was grand architect for the Masonic Temple, Brisbane (1928), its grand hall being one of the finest in Australia. Many of his buildings have been demolished, including Eton House, which complemented St Martin's Hospital.
Powell was interested in interior decoration and designed a Gothic carved-stone reredos in Holy Trinity Church, Fortitude Valley, dedicated on 10 November 1929. He designed the altar and triptych (painted by W. Bustard) for the Lady Chapel of St John's Cathedral, eventually erected in his memory by his friend Dr Robert Graham Brown and dedicated on 4 August 1940, and other interior decorations of the cathedral.
Powell was honorary secretary (1910-15), councillor, vice-president (1923-27) and president (1927-31) of the Queensland Institute of Architects. The Architects Registration Act was passed in 1928 during his presidency; he became a member of the first board. For many years he was Queensland representative on the federal council of the Australian Institute of Architects (president 1928-29). With Sir Charles Rosenthal he drafted the constitution of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (1930) of which he was second president in 1932-33. Powell represented the board of architects of Queensland on the R.A.I.A.'s board of architectural education. He was a fellow of the Queensland Institute of Architects (1918), the Royal Institute of British Architects (1929) and the R.A.I.A. (1930).
A popular mixer who loved club life and who golfed for recreation, Powell was president of the Brisbane Club (1933-34) and assistant grand master of Freemasons. He died on 29 October 1938 in St Martin's Hospital, Brisbane, survived by his wife, son and two daughters, and was cremated with Anglican rites.
George Rae
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