111 St Pauls Terrace, Spring Hill

The house, though not as imposing as some of those built along the more elite Wickham Terrace, was much grander than the humble worker’s cottages built in the hollows of Spring Hill. Wide verandahs on three sides, a fireplace, finely detailed  timber work on the verandahs and internal cedar joinery point to this being the home of a comfortable middle class family, and possibly architect designed.

The 39 perch block on which the house is situated was purchased by John Mullen in 1870. Mullen mortgaged the property in March 1892 for £3 300 “and further advances” but the purpose of this mortgage is unknown. It is possible that Mullen built the house, but this seems unlikely as he sold the land to Patrick Scullen the following year, when Brisbane was in the grip of financial depression.

Postal records for St Paul’s Terrace (then Leichardt St) indicate that the Scullen family were living in their new home by 1895. This part of the street was very much a middle class enclave with neighbours including a printer, draper and squatter, as well as the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in a temporary convent prior to the construction of Villa Maria.

According to information from the descendants of the Scullen family given to the current owners, Patrick Scullen was a well-to-do Irish immigrant who worked in the police force in Bundaberg prior to moving to Brisbane. He and his wife, Mary Ellen had two daughters, Sarah and Ellen (who died early without children). The Scullens enjoyed the middle class lifestyle of help with domestic chores, with a maid’s room upstairs and a scullery/cook’s room below. 

After the death of Patrick Scullen in 1903, his family and descendants continued to live in the house. Sarah Scullen married Archibald Carmichael and had three children, all of whom lived in the house at some stage. The verandahs were enclosed to provide extra accommodation, but have been reopened by the current owners. According to Sarah’s daughter, Eugenie Carmichael, the house was refurbished in the 1930s by her mother. Council records also show applications by S. Carmichael for further alterations in 1956 and 1958. Sarah’s son, Len, lived in the house until his death in 2003.

The house was sold after Len Carmichael’s death and resold in early 2004. The current owners have carried out some renovations, for example, the roof has been replaced with zincalume and original floors in the core of the house and the maid’s room at the rear have been covered with new floating timber floors. The former maid’s room has been converted to a bathroom and the former kitchen is now used as a bedroom. Insulated ceilings and lattice have been added to the verandahs. Double hung windows from upstairs rooms to the verandah have been replaced with french doors.

The main part of the house has a slightly truncated pyramid roof form with a bull nose roof over the verandah and a typical nineteenth century ornamental chimney.  The verandah displays ornate timber detailing including dental blocks on three sides. The wide front stairs are original, however the picket fence is not and is excluded from the listing. The house was added to the Brisbane City Council Heritage Register in January 2005.

1. Sewerage Detail Plans, 1914

2. Fisher, Rod, Spring Hill Heritage Tour: St Pauls to Gregory Terrace, Kelvin Grove: Brisbane History Group, 1993

3. Dept of Natural Resources and Mines. Titles information

4. Environmental Protection Agency. Entry for the Queensland Heritage Register for 71 St Paul’s Tce, Spring Hill, 600311

5. Surveyor-General’s Office.  McKellar’s Official Map of Brisbane and Suburbs. Brisbane, 1895

6. Queensland Post Office Directories

7. Yesteryear Publications. Transmission of Real Estate by Death index. 1900-1904

8. Information kindly provided by the present owner, Aug 2005