Lakkan The Third But Hollywood Spanish

This home called Lakkan is the third built for the Heaslop family. When the movies came to Brisbane in the 1920s the Californian house design was one commonly depicted and many admired the Spanish hacienda house style or what was to be commonly known as the Hollywood Spanish style. It was not only just Brisbane but across Australia. Those who wanted to be different and have that "hollywood" look created an industry in architecture and building based on the spanish style. The challenge was to adapt this hollywood movie star home look to the local climate and topography. 

Eric Percival Trewern or E. P. Trewern was one of Brisbane's renowned architecture masters of this style. His homes can still be found across the suburbs of Brisbane. In 1930 Carla Heaslop a very wealthy widow commissioned E. P. Trewern to design her "hollywood spanish" home. Mrs. Heaslop was the widow of the well known Brisbane businessman and merchant James Heaslop. He had died in 1922 leaving her a very extensive portfolio of investments in the Heaslop Trust. James Heaslop's estate in the form of realty and personatlty was granted to her and the total value was 48,147 pound. James had a very distinguished life in Brisbane. In 1882 he was an alderman in the South Brisbane Council and had been acquiring real estate as it was being developed and opened to public purchase. He initially had a grocery business in Stanley Street, South Brisbane and then a drapery business in later years. Carla his wife was a prominent lady in the Brisbane social circles at the turn of the 20th century. In 1909 a son James William Heaslop returned from his medical studies in Sydney to take up a position as resident medical officer at the Brisbane General Hospital. The parents address at that time was given as Lakkan, Vulture Street South Brisbane. The house name obviously had a special meaning for the Heaslop family as Carla Heaslop used the name again when her new home was built in 1930.

Carla Heaslop died in August of 1944 and a sale of the properties in Brisbane both commercial and residential raised a sum of over 70,000 pound. The electoral rolls of 1934 onward have her living with her son James William Heaslop at 362 Cavendish Road. This home is diaganolly opposite Lakkan. It still exists today. The architect of this house was Eric P. Trewern.

Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 2 March 1912, page 7

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WOMAN'S WORLD

A FINE NEW DRAPERY HOUSE.

The name of Heaslop, so well and favourably known in business for many years, is now associated with drapers. A handsome and commodious brick building has been erected for this purpose in Stanley street, just past the Vulture-street tram section. The building has about 120ft. frontage to Stanley-street, with a depth to Water-street, varying from 80ft. to 130ft. There are three main halls, excellently lighted and ventilated, with a central well and hand-some display windows. The counters and fittings are of the most modern and handsome character, suitable for the carefully selected fresh stock, which is present in enormous quantities. The cash railway system and electric lighting have been installed, and a double roller for graded wrapping paper is placed at the end of each counter. The office has handsome up-to-date appointments, and the fitting room attached to the show- room has, in addition to other dainty furnishings, full length double mirrors. The clean, fresh stock shows careful selection, skilful manipulation, and expert knowledge in display. In the handsome show room the millinery models are smart and up to date. Among a wealth of choice are a number of the new high-crowned winter modes, the most popular being apparently Royal blue and black, emerald and black, and mole. Several of these show the newest fringes, reversible effects, and bugle edging. ………………. Nurses' cloth, prints, cambrics, and lawns, in new designs and materials, are attractively displayed, and the low figures at which they are quoted will make them greatly in demand. Messrs. James Heaslop and Sons, Ltd., have appointed Mr. Poulsen manager, and engaged a competent staff of experts for each department.

When James Heaslop died in 1922 his funeral procession left from his home Lakkan in Shire Street Coorparoo

Some history on James Heaslop and his brother Thomas taken from the State Heritage Register regarding the Taylor Heaslop building in South Brisbane.

Irish brothers James and Thomas Heaslop had arrived in Queensland in 1863 with their parents, Samuel and Mary Heaslop, and brothers Samuel, Robert, John, George and William. In 1865, James and Thomas established a small retail grocery business at One-Mile Swamp [near Clarence Corner, South Brisbane] and by 1900 had created a chain of 'direct importing' stores known as the People's Cash Store. The principal wholesale and retail stores were at Stanley Street, Clarence Corner, and branch stores had been established at the Woolloongabba Fiveways; Melbourne Street, South Brisbane [at the southern end of Victoria Bridge]; Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; Rockhampton; and Charters Towers.

The Heaslops were well known and respected in Brisbane business circles, and were staunch supporters of the Catholic Church. Thomas Heaslop served on the South Brisbane Municipal Council 1888-1895, from the inception of the Borough of South Brisbane, and was Mayor of South Brisbane for three terms, 1891-1893. He was involved with the commissioning of the South Brisbane Municipal Council Chambers, paid the workmen on the site nearly £500 out of his own pocket when the contractor, Abraham James, absconded in 1891, and officiated at its formal opening on 1 July 1892. His term as mayor also encompassed the great floods of 1893, which decimated large sections of South Brisbane, West End and Woolloongabba.

In 1901 James and Thomas dissolved their partnership. At this time, title to 14 Logan Road [the southeast shop] was transferred from Thomas Heaslop to James Heaslop, giving the latter ownership of the 3 shops at 10-14 Logan Road. James leased 14 Logan Road to Thomas Heaslop [Thomas Heaslop & Co. Limited by 1911]. Thomas died in 1911, but his Company continued to operate a branch of the People's Cash Store from James Heaslop's Woollongabba Fiveways building until the early 1920s.

The Heaslop Family at home Lakkan Vulture Street, 1915

This Item is held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15017327