This home called Cremone is not the only heritage listed with this name. The other one is at Hamilton in Brisbane. Both homes have significant links to Brisbane's entertainment history and the home of a legendary Australian entertainment family. Family names such as Overell, McCallum and architect Lange Powell all link to this home at Sandgate This particular Cremorne is definitely a piece of Brisbane's historical evolution as a city. What is of interest is that both heritage listed homes with the name Cremorne all link back to the Cremorne Theatre in South Brisbane. The publican J. D. O'Connor who built the home Cremorne at Hamilton was also the publican of O'Connor's Hotel, South Brisbane which in 1903 was reported to have gardens on an extensive site and include a theatre called the Cremorne Gardens. It is believed that this is the site the Cremorne Theatre was built on. The Cremorne Theatre name today still lives on at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre at Southbank in Brisbane. The modern Cremorne Theatre is not very far from where the original theatre was situated.
The following is taken from the Brisbane City Council's Heritage Register.
https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/1434
This unusual house is most likely a 1922 amalgamation of two houses built for John McCallum. The houses were already on site when McCallum purchased the two properties in April and December 1921. At that time architect Lange L Powell was engaged to design extensive alterations. The altered house was named ‘Cremorne’ after McCallum’s well-known theatre in Stanley Street, South Brisbane. The house was host to famous theatrical figures and other prominent people, as McCallum and his wife entertained frequently and had friends come to stay with them at the seaside resort of Sandgate. McCallum also became involved in Sandgate’s social and civic affairs, and served as the inaugural president of the Sandgate Progress Association. In 1925 Cremorne was sold to the Carrick family, who hosted garden parties and fetes at the property. Subsequent owners leased the residence to tenants and Cremorne was converted to flats in the 1930s.
History
Sandgate began as a small seaside village but closer development was sparked by the completion of the railway line to Sandgate in 1882. Brisbane residents took advantage of the improved access between the city centre and distant seaside Sandgate and built permanent or holiday homes along the esplanade. In the 1890s Post Office Directories estimated that a fluctuating population of about 500 joined the approximately 1,700 permanent Sandgate residents in the holiday season.
This site, allotments 4 and 5 of section 6A in the town of Sandgate, was part of the former police paddock reserve. In October 1882 it was purchased by Thomas Roderick Gray, co-owner of a boot shop in George Street. Sometime after his purchase, Gray had a holiday cottage constructed on allotment 5. Although the precise construction date is unclear, the house appears to have been standing by 1900. Gray died in 1911 and his ‘comfortable and convenient cottage’ was offered for sale in 1913. Retained by Gray’s family, it was leased to tenants through the 1910s. Gray had not developed allotment 4, which was a corner site with frontage to Seventh Avenue (then called Tully Street) and Flinders Parade, and it was sold separately from the house on allotment 5. During the 1910s it was owned by some of Brisbane’s successful merchants, including indent agent Alexander Stirling, who built a house called ‘Tangaluma’ on the site around 1913, and Marie and William Hobart Overell of the eponymous drapery business in Fortitude Valley. The Overells offered the ‘charming seaside residence, right on the beach’ for sale in 1920. The house, renamed ‘Elanora’, included drawing and dining rooms, four bedrooms, a breakfast room with coloured glass windows, maid’s room, verandahs on three sides and a smaller side verandah.
Elanora attracted the attention of theatre proprietor John McCallum, who operated the Cremorne Theatre in South Brisbane. The Cremorne was established in 1911 and became one of Brisbane’s most popular live theatre venues. Over the course of his management in the 1910s and 1920s, McCallum engaged performers from around Australia for the 1,800 seat theatre. Sandgate appealed to McCallum as a pleasant suburb to raise his growing family, and for the relaxing drive to the bayside from the theatre. The McCallum family took up residence in Elanora in January 1921, and renamed the house ‘Cremorne’. Title to the property did not pass to McCallum until December of that year, but in the interim he purchased the adjacent allotment 4, on which Thomas Gray’s holiday cottage still stood. In December, he engaged successful and popular architect Lange L Powell to design extensive alterations to these properties.
Powell practised as an architect in Queensland from 1912 until his death in 1938. When designing McCallum’s alterations he was practising as a solo architect, but had been partnered with Claude Chambers from 1912 to 1915, and later partnered with Powell and Hutton (1922-5), Atkinson, Powell and Conrad (1927-31) and George Rae (1931-1933). Powell contributed greatly to the development of the architecture profession in Queensland, and was appointed a fellow of the Queensland Institute of Architects in 1918. In addition to a large number of commercial buildings and churches, Powell designed houses and additions or alterations to houses for well-to-do Brisbane residents, including ‘Kurrowah’ in Dutton Park [QHR 602827]; two houses in Eldernell Terrace, Hamilton; and ‘Fingal’ in Moreton Street, New Farm. His residential designs featured a number of elements visible in Cremorne, including solid brickwork, tall chimneys, casement windows, broad entry stairs leading to a timber verandah, and timber shingles used as wall cladding. Powell’s alterations for McCallum produced an unusual house. There is no indication that Powell removed the houses already standing on the sites. The main part of the structure is likely to be the residence Elanora, while the portion to one side is possibly the remnants of Gray’s cottage or Powell’s own design. Powell is likely to have added the octagonal music room and the boundary fence with brick entrance archway, though no plans of the alterations have been uncovered.
The McCallum family moved out of Cremorne while work was in progress. McCallum put his Bowen Terrace, New Farm residence on the market, as well as the ‘almost new and up-to-date furnishings of his Sandgate Residence’. ‘Mr. McCallum selected [the furniture] only 12 months ago…,’ advertisements noted, ‘but owing to his not having room to store the furniture while his home is being remodelled [he] has decided to dispense with the lot at auction.’ After the alterations were completed, the McCallum family divided their time between Sandgate, Sydney and Europe. McCallum’s son, his namesake and future actor John McCallum, recalled Sandgate life with his younger brothers as featuring ‘tricycles under the house, a large garden, bulldog and a ersian cat, and a wonderful old couple who had retired from the theatre.’ McCallum senior took an interest in Sandgate’s progress, establishing and chairing a Sandgate Improvement Association which held its inaugural meeting at Cremorne. Even after he left Cremorne, McCallum became patron of the new Progress Association and returned to the area to promote the possibility of developing Sandgate as a ‘garden city’.
In 1925 McCallum advertised the house for sale to move to his newly-built Sydney residence, though he retained management of Cremorne Theatre. The house was offered to purchasers for £5,000. It featured a twenty feet (6m) long entrance hall, with lounge and dining rooms at either end. It also included four bedrooms, nursery, maid’s room, sleeping-out verandah, kitchen and music room, while ten feet (3m) wide verandahs provided views of the ‘delightful laws and gardens’. A double garage opened onto the Tully Street frontage. Newspaper advertisements included a series of photographs of the property, which were also featured in later sales notices. Douglas and Caroline Carrick purchased Cremorne in August 1925 and moved in shortly after. Carrick, a prominent contractor and master builder, was engaged in the construction of Brisbane City Hall [QHR60065] while he lived at Cremorne. Despite this time-consuming project, Carrick took an active interest in the Sandgate community, building stalls for the Anglican church fete and joining the Sandgate Bowls Club. He was also one of the ‘prominent citizens of Sandgate’ appointed as a trustee of the Sandgate Band in 1927 . He offered Cremorne for sale after Caroline died in 1927, but retained it until his own death in 1934. In the interim, Cremorne was leased to tenants, including William Overell’s brother John. Cremorne became a centre for social and fundraising events in Sandgate in the 1920s and 1930s. The large garden made it a useful venue for fetes, which were held for the Presbyterian Church, Country Women’s Association and Town Band. Illustrious visitors included the governor’s wife Lady Wilson, who attended the CWA parties.
The property was offered for sale in 1936. Advertisements emphasised the house’s social aspects, including its billiard room, smoking room, card room, breakfast room, bathers’ bathroom and dressing room. Externally the property featured lawns, fernery, flagpole, statuary (some still extant), an ornate brick fence and ‘exceptional view of bay and islands’ . The 1935 auction of the ‘fashionable residence’ was attended by 150 people but the house was passed in.
In 1937 new owners Oliver Bull and Catherine Ferguson engaged architect Sydney Prior to convert the property into flats. The growing acceptance of flat residences and the popularity of Sandgate made the conversion a viable option. The alterations, reported in the newspaper, converted the property into ‘six modern flats, equipped with such conveniences as refrigeration and a hot water system’ and, as the house was large, each flat was to have ‘two bedrooms, lounge, sleep-out, kitchen and all over services.’ Builder AA Newell constructed the alterations.
Cremorne became a popular holiday residence after its conversion and the flats’ proximity to the RAAF Station in Brighton proved a boon during WWII. Parents and wives of pilots training at nearby Eventide took up residence in the flats. A doctor also ran a practice there from 1946 to around 1949. Cremorne Flats were sold several times in the late twentieth century with some alterations made in the 1970s. In 2016 the property remains as flats and makes a striking contribution to the Sandgate esplanade townscape.
Description
Cremorne is a large high-set timber-framed and -clad residence converted to flats standing in an extensive yard on a prominent corner site on the foreshore in Sandgate. The frontage to Flinders Parade, a principal thoroughfare and esplanade, has a low facebrick fence with an eye-catching archway entrance featuring the letters ‘CREMORNE’. The fence originally had a timber palisade, which has since been removed. The front boundary is densely planted with a mature hedge of Acalypha wilkesiana, a plant that is characteristic of the 1920s – 1960s and is complimentary to the colour scheme of the fence. A concrete path with diamond-shaped decorative treatment (a signature treatment by Powell) leads from the archway to the front stairs. This path was sheltered by a pergola now removed. The house is composed of two obvious parts, which likely relates to the merger of the two earlier houses. A large hipped-roofed section stands to the south eastern side (toward the street corner), which is probably the reworked Tangaluma (c1913) and a small gable-roofed section attached to the northwestern side, is possibly heavily altered Grey’s cottage (c1900). The front of the smaller portion has another signature Powell element – a prominent facebrick chimney featuring a diamond pattern adjacent to the entry stairs. This is a very high-quality and intact element that features an inglenook with casement windows and has a distinctive silhouette. The broad entry stairs lead to a timber verandah that unifies the composition of the two sections as it wraps around the house. The bricks of the chimney, the stair, and the front fence are the same and form a strong, distinguishing entry sequence. The house is designed in a mix of an Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles, which may indicate that Tangaluma was in an Art Nouveau style when Powell, who was known for his Arts and Crafts style, made his 1922 alterations. The larger portion of the house has Art Nouveau elements including a corner octagonal room with a cupola and stained glass leadlight casements, timber shingles used as wall cladding, and sweeping organic verandah post brackets. The smaller portion and projecting gable rooms at the rear have Arts and Crafts elements including heavy, bowed timber brackets on the verandah, sheets and battens cladding to approximate half-timbering, plain small-paned casement windows, wide eaves with slatted ventilation, and heavy, prominent chimney breast with tall tapering chimney. Cremorne’s roof is clad with corrugated metal sheets with the cupola clad with flat metal sheets. The cupola has lost its original finial. The understorey of the house is enclosed along its perimeter by timber shingles with lattice ventilation panels in decorative diamond patterns. Early metal hoods survive and some areas of the verandah have been enclosed with later windows that are not of cultural heritage significance. As the genesis of the house is complicated, a forensic examination of the house could reveal further important aspects. A gable-roofed, timber-framed and -clad double garage stands to the side behind the house opening onto Seventh Avenue. This garage has detailing that matches the main house and appears to be contemporary with the house’s 1922 transformation. The garage is typical of those built during the 1920s, with its simple form and construction, location relative to the main house, and function. The house has outstanding views across its broad front lawn to the foreshore and to Moreton Bay beyond. Statuary and large planter urns believed to date to the McCallum’s brief ownership stand in the yard. Although there have been some post-1946 alterations, including small side extensions, these are minor and reversible and Cremorne remains highly-intact in its 1922 arrangement and on its original allotment.
The Original Cremorne Theatre - The following is taken from Wikiwand
The Cremorne Theatre was located on the river side of Stanley Street, South Brisbane, between Peel and Melbourne Streets, just to the north of where the Victoria Bridge crossed the Brisbane River from the cityThe street alignments were changed with the South Bank development in the 1980s, with Stanley Street removed for much of its length from Vulture Street up to today's Stanley Place. The old Theatre site is under the current Queensland Art Gallery, not far from the 1985 QPAC theatre complex. QPAC's site on Melbourne Street adjoins the Cultural Centre Tunnel which turns under what would have been that street's intersection with Stanley Street and then follows the old street alignment past the Cremorne Theatre site.
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 27 October 1902, page 4
The Cremorne Garden concerts at Mr. O'Connor's hotel. Stanley-street, South Brisbane, were reopened on Saturday night. It must have been very gratifying to Messrs. Hazelwood and Neal's Empire Company of variety artists to see such a large gathering as assembled. The programme on Saturday evening was an interesting and varied one, and the audienco on more than one occasion expressed its appreciation by hearty and unstinted applause. The first part contained some very good items-namely-, the ballad " The anchor's weighed," sung by Mr. J. A. Jones ; comic song, " Better get out and walk," sung by Mr. De Montforce ; and the ballad. " The sweetest story ever told," by Miss Alice Melrose. The other artists were all well received, especially Mr. H. Lawrence, whose comic songs and clever corner work were very much appraclated. The second portion went off smoothly, and was very entertaining. Mr. and Mrs. Hazelwood were very successful in their part sangs, while Miss Melrose and Messrs. C. Mcintyre, I. Lingard, H. Crawford, Da Montforce, and.Langridge were successful in their various contributions. The evening was brought to a close by a farce, entitled " Domestic Troubles," in which Mr. and Mrs. Hazelwood and H. Crawford took part. The entertainment will be repeated until further notice.
Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), Sunday 13 August 1911, page 7
The new open-air theatre "The Cremorne" in Stanley street, just below the bridged has proved a popular place of resort since its opening last week by Mr. Edward Branscombe's new Musical Costume Comedy Co. There, every evening after 8.15, "The Dandies" can be seen. The company is a very capable one, and submit a truly delightful performance, in which many unique features are presented. The seating accomadation is extremely comfortable, and the lighting arrangements perfect. A visit to this place, of entertainment affords a pleasant change to theatregoers.
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 27 February 1930, page 5
The monthly meeting of the Brisbane Opera Premiers Society was held in the rooms on Tuesday evening. Excellent progress was reported to have been made in the preliminary chorus work. Mr. May has been appointed musical director, and Mr. H. Borradale producer, and Mr. Rivkin ballet master. The opera "Dorothy" will be staged for seven nights in Cremorne Theatre, commencing in May.
Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Monday 10 March 1930, page 16
BRISBANE COMIC OPERA COMPANY
The members of the Brisbane Comic Opera Company are hard at work preparing for their six nights' season to commence at Crcmorne Theatre on Tuesday, March 18. under the capable direction of Mr. Jack Kennedy, the producer, splendid progress has been made at rehearsals, and intending patrons are assured of a good night's entertainment. Tho three-act farce, "The Tragedy," will be presented. It is a comedy of snappy dialogue, with unexpected climaxes, abounding in many humorous situations. The cast comprises Mr. Stuart Fraser (Mr, Grayson), Miss Beryl Overell (Mrs. Merry), Miss Kitty Miller (Mrs. Grayson), Mr. J. Kennedy (Preacher), Mr. Eric Knox (Scotland Yard man), Miss Edna Lake (Mary, the maid),. Miss Ina Shortnll (Stokes, office boy). The comedy roles are well entrusted to Mr. Franklyn Evans (John Philip McReady- Burbage) and Mr. Cyril Carter (Air. Merry). The second comedy, "Much Married," will commence on Friday, .March 21, and will conclude on Monday, March 24. Among the principals are Misses Phyllis Dauth, Jessie Lees, Beyrl Overell, Moya Glaasey, Messrs; T. Fraser, and Jim Kelly. In addition to the entertainment each evening a mannequin parade will take place on stage between the acts. The box plan for the season opens at Paling's on Tuesday next, March 11.
Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 6 January 1940, page 18
"Mutiny on the Bounty" Revived at Cremorne
A true chapter from maritime history, "Mutiny on the Bounty." returns for a limited season to the Cremorne Theatre. Starring Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Frnnchot Tone and a huge supporting cast, this adventure film stands alone, and far above anything of its kind that has ever seen filmed. The little square rigger, H.M.S. Bounty sails for the South Seas on a scientific mission to transplant breadfruit in the West Indies. Quickly the story of the Bounty progresses; a grumbling crew lashed by many storms that lengthen the voyage, living on scant and rotten food because the Captain took the better food; a snarling Captain Bligh raging incessantly at his embittered crew; floggings, scurvy and death. Adventure after adventure follows the mutiny which has no parallel in naval history. Bligh is put over the side in an open boat with a few of his men. The voyage is continued to Tahiti. Blgh is rescued and organises a dogged pursuit of the mutineers years later. Some are captured and finish on the gallows, whilst others escape to Piltcairn Island where hundreds of their descendants live to this day. Portraying Captain Bligh, Charles Laughton gives his finest performance on the screen, and Clark Gable as Fletcher Chrisian. leader of the mutineers, with Franchot Tone as Roger Byam are excellent. Supporting attraction on this programme Is Pack Up Your Troubles one of Laurel and Hardy's most successful comedies.
Brisbane Telegraph (Qld. : 1948 - 1954), Saturday 18 February 1950, page 10
In the Brisbane Opera Society's production of Verdi's "La Trovatore," which begins at the Cremorne Theatre on February 25, the majority of the leading roles will be taken by scholarship holders under the State Opera Scheme. The leading tenor and soprano roles of Manrico and Leonora are being sung by Michael Azar and Dorothy Jeserich. Roy Bonney will be heard as Count di Luna, and Margaret Geater as Azucena. Moir Campbell and Pauline Reeve share the role of Inez. Opera Society members who will be singing leading parts are Brian Steiner, Edgar Kenyon, Joseph Million, Elsa White and Joseph Rush.
Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Friday 19 February 1954, page 1
£100,000 BLAZE AT CREMORNE THEATRE
40,000 Cram in South Brisbane
FORTY thousand people crammed South Brisbane last night to watch flames raging through the old Cremorne Theatre. Damage estimated bv a film executive at more than £100,000 was caused in the blaze, which was visible for miles around Brisbane. The fire sped through the film centre, destroying more than one million feet of film. It will cause some dislocation in Brisbane suburban theatres and country centres. At 1 am today the building a burnt-out shell with walls standing was still smouldering. Reserve police squads were called out to control huge crowds and record traffic which jammed streets within a half-mile radius. People stood 50 deep opposite the blazing building in Stanley Street before intense heat drove them back. Within minutes of the alarm — at 7.36 pm — six fire reels were pouring thousands of gallons of water into the blazing building. A gigantic pillar of smoke swirled skywards, and reddened by belching flames, illuminated several city blocks brightly, although electricians had blacked out the area. Within 30 minutes the building was blazing from end to end and the roof was collapsing. Smoke eddied over South Brisbane. Hundreds of people in nearby shops, hotels and residentials ran to open streets when they heard the roar of flames. Hundreds watched from Victoria Bridge, and thousands jammed Coronation Drive and North Quay across the river from the fire. The old Cremorne Theatre had just been completely renovated into luxurious offices, leased to Brisbane film distributing companies.
It had been renamed the Film Centre. The building is owned by Mr. John McCallum, father of film actor John McCallum. Many thousands of pounds worth on equipment was destroyed. Companies leasing offices in the building include British Empire Films, Universal International, Columbia, Twentieth-Century Fox and National Theatre Supplies. Equipment owned by Western Electric, who had their workshop in the build ing, was totally destroyed. Mr. Owen Knowles, Queensland manager for Universal International, estimated the damage as about £100,000. Cable U.S. 'it will be a bad blow to film distribution, in certain centres,' he said. Workshops, offices, and new furniture and fittings, films, motion picture equipment, publicity posters and display sheets, together with many thousands of photographs were lost. Tomorrow we will cable America for urgent replace ment of films.' Mr. Knowles added that new prints of films for local distribution would be available in about a week. More than 150 feature films had been stored in the building. One of the latest films to reach Brisbane 'The Glenn Miller Story,' was lost in the fire. Brisbane Fire Chief (Chief Officer George Healy) saw the fire from his apartment above his Ann Street Headquarters before the first alarm. He said, after directing the fire fight, that it had been one of the sharpest battles he had known. We had it under control at 8.40 pm— about 30 minutes after the first alarm,' he said. The building was still burning in sections several hours after the first call, bul there was no danger. One fireman was over come by fumes and another lacerated by broken glass during the fire. Both were treated by ambulance and withdrew from duty.
Eye-witnesses said the fire appeared to start from an explosion in a storeroom at one end of the building. Blazing debris cascaded from the building and in Stanley Street incinerated two cars parked outside. Mr. Lou Hughes, boarding at a residential opposite the Film centre, said: 'I saw a fire glow through the storeroom windows and suddenly there was a gush of flame from the side of the building. ' Blazing film containers shot across the street like tracer bullets and bounced off the front of the residential.'
Brisbane Telegraph (Qld. : 1948 - 1954), Tuesday 5 October 1954, page 2
SITES PICKED IN COUNCIL OFF-STREET PARKING PROPOSAL
Sites for proposed off-street parking areas have been selected by the City Council Officers' Planning Board. The sites had been referred to the senior Council valuer (Mr. H. T. Watts) for a submission on estimated costs in acquiring them, the Lord Mayor (Ald. Roberts) said today. "When this has been done an Officers' Planning Board recommendation will be submitted to the Establishment and Coordination Committee," Ald. Roberts said. It was expected the recommendation would be made soon. The Officers' Planning Board consists of the Town Clerk (Mr. Slaughter) and departmental chiefs, Mr. P. A. W. Anthony (Electricity), Mr. G. A. Cowling (Water Supply and Sewerage) , Mr. C. Mott (Works), Mr. G. A. Preston (Transport) , and Mr. J. D. Mabbett (Health). Ald. Roberts said it was likely a special sub-committee of the traffic advisory panel would consider Council proposals. Likely sites it is understood the proposed off-street parking sites are on the perimeter of the inner city. They are believed to be under the Story Bridge, near the old Cremorne Theatre site, and in the Valley and Normanby areas. The Council was interested in the North Quay land sold by auction for £33,000 last wednesday to a sydnicate of 10 city businessmen who aim to build a multistorey parking station on the half-acre lot. It is understood that the Council intended to negotiate to buy this site as a parking area if bidding had failed to reach the reserve.
The McCallum Family
John McCallum senior and his family are the link between the South Brisbane Cremorne Theatre (1911-1954) and the home named Cremorne at Sandgate. The Australian actor John McCallum famous in the 1950 and 1960 period of films was born at the Sangate home Cremorne in 1923. I have provided a link to a very well written article by historian Peter Ludlow on the McCallums and the interview that he conducted with John McCallum Jnr.
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 7 April 1923, page 6
Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 18 May 1935, page 9
The John McCallum Interview
Historian Peter Ludlow has a very detailed post regarding Cremorne and an interview with John McCallum
Theatre historian Toby Simpkin has an excellent web site regarding brisbane's theatre history. This is the link to his research on the Cremorne Theatre.
John McCallum Snr. and the Cremorne Theatre
Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), Sunday 29 July 1917, page 6
Much interest attaches to the opening of Mr. John McCallum's new costume comedy company, the "Courtiers." at Cremorne theatre next Saturday evening. The company will be supported by an orchestra, composed entirely of ladies, who have an exceptlonally fine repertoire, and all are capable, and talented artists. Special mention must be made of' Mr. Leslie Holmes one of the comedians, who will be the chief laugh maker also, Mr. George Edwards and Mr. Harry Boradale. Miss Rozalle Lyons Is a pupil of Mme. Slapoffskl, and Miss Madge Griffith and Miss Violet Silvester have both been associated wlth J. C. Williamson Limitcd. Miss Linda Dale is a very charming dancing comedienne, while Miss Maggie Foster is a brilliant young violnist. The other members of the company are Mr. Sydney Mannering, tenor and producer Mr. Colin Crane baritone and Mr. Henry Penn accompanist.
Cremorne Today
