Tyrrell House

From the 1860s the population of the Valley grew, having over 1000 residents by this time. The commercial nature of the Valley was also beginning to emerge. Most commercial activity in this period was centred between Ann, Brunswick and Wickham Streets. The improvement of access from the city centre to the Valley due to the levelling of Duncan’s Hill between the two areas in the 1870s assisted the growth of this part of Brisbane

In the last two decades of the nineteenth century the population of the Valley increased even more, and with this the commercial nature of the Valley centre grew with relatively large scale construction in the area. As this occurred those living within the centre began to move to more suburban areas such as New Farm and Bowen Hills. By the turn of the century the valley heart was commercially dominated and the buildings were of a more substantial nature.

The success of the Valley commercial area at the turn of the century saw large traders such as TC Beirne, McWhirters and Overells department stores encourage shoppers to the Valley. Efficient public transport systems such as electric trams and trains to and through the Valley contributed to the commercial success of the area.

The 1920s was a decade of further growth in Fortitude Valley, with its success as a commercial and industrial hub. In this decade the cutting on Duncan’s Hill for Ann Street was widened, opening the Valley even further to the rest of Brisbane, allowing a greater volume of traffic into the area.

In 1921 John Amess Coleman and his wife Inga purchased the property. Previously the site was occupied by a coach builder. Coleman realised the commercial potential of the property and in 1923 had plans approved for the construction of a set of brick shops. The building would cost ₤3500 and be designed by renowned Brisbane architect E. P. Trewern.

Victorian trained Eric Percival Trewern established his Brisbane architectural practice in 1920 at an address in Queen Street, Brisbane. The practice continued until Trewern’s death in 1959.  The height of his design success occurred in the interwar period and he is renowned for his innovative designs incorporating the Spanish Mission and the Old English/Tudor revival style in residential and commercial architecture. Amongst his finest residential designs is the New Farm house “Santa Barbara” that is considered the best example of the Spanish Mission style in Brisbane. Trewern designed many commercial buildings in central Brisbane many of which no longer exist. One important extant building is the Inchcolm Professional Chambers on Wickham Terrace. Trewern was an active member of many prestigious architectural societies in the pursuit of improving professional architectural standards in Queensland. 

In 1925 Coleman took out a mortgage to finance the new building. The design incorporated three ground floor shops and a large first floor with access from Ann Street as well as the rear. Importantly the contractor was Reuben Shannon, also responsible for the adjoining Shannon’s Building, thus establishing a clear relationship between the two buildings. From 1927 the premises is listed as being occupied by Star Rubber and Vulcanizing Works, owned by R. D. Lonergan. 

In 1933 Tryrrell House became the Queensland Grand Lodge for the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffalo (R.A.O.B). Initially the group leased the first floor but by 1946 owned all of Tyrrell House. Established in England in the early nineteenth century, the exclusively male organisation was (and is) a philanthropic society that assists its members and their dependants. The group adopted ritual and ceremony from influences such as the Freemasons to create an identity and culture for themselves.  

As a Grand Lodge Tyrrell House was an important centre for this group and played a significant role in the lives of its members.  The ground floor shops continued to be leased to various businesses and the first floor was used exclusively by the Buffaloes. 

Ten years later the premises was purchased by the Australian Builders Labourers Federation (A.B.L.F), Queensland Branch, who owned the premises for the next twenty years. The A.B.L.F was a trade union organisation first established in 1911. The Federation played an active role in worker’s rights up to the 1980s when it was permanently deregistered due to corruption charges. Nevertheless, members of the Queensland branch of the Federation during the twentieth century have strong associations with Tyrrell House.  

Today Tyrrell House continues the tradition of retail premises on the ground floor and the first floor is a nightclub.

1. Queensland Post Office Directories

2. Watson, Donald and Judith McKay. A Directory of Queensland Architects to 1940. (St. Lucia: U of Q Press, 1984)

3. Detail Fire Survey: City of Brisbane, 1951, Mahlstedt’s: Consulting Fire Engineers and Surveyors, Melbourne

4. Metropolitan Water and Sewage Survey Maps, 1914

5. North Brisbane Electoral Rolls, 1898 and 1900

6. Wikipedia, Builders Labourers Federation

7. Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/buffaloes.html