60 Pateena Street, Stafford

At this time, the population of Stafford (known as Happy Valley until 1886) had dramatically increased. During the 1930s, , the area was a mix of farmland and industries, such as tanneries, with some interwar housing along the major transport route of Stafford Road (then named Happy Valley Road). In 1940, a branch of the tramline from the city along Gympie Road was extended down Thistle Street and through Gordon Park to Stafford Road. The tramline and population growth of the 1940s and 1950s facilitated extensive post-war residential development in Stafford, including a housing commission estate on the eastern side of Webster Road. In 1947, a 12 acre site on the corner of Stafford and Webster Roads was acquired for the construction of a large, brick school to accommodate the increasing number of families in the area. The majority of post war housing stock in Stafford is of modest size and timber construction with a mixture of tile and corrugated metal roofs.

The property was once part of a parcel of over 19 acres deeded to John Hill in 1864. After several changes in ownership, over 12 acres was transferred to Homelands Investment Pty Ltd in November 1950. William Upton acquired the subject site on the corner of Pateena and Eudunda Streets that same month.

In July 1953, Brisbane City Council approved an application for the construction of a home and garage on the site. Both the house and the garage (located to the west of the house with access from Eudunda Street) were built in rendered brick with tiled roofs. Both buildings also feature corbelled brickwork and decorative basketweave brick infill in the front gables. The house has a fireplace and a timber window seat in at least one bedroom. The house addresses the corner with a path leading from the gate up a curved staircase to an entranceway featuring porphyry stone surrounds. According to a recent owner, Upton included a variety of internal features such as decorative cornices, in order to use his home as a display home for potential clients.

The style of the house includes several features popular during the Interwar period such as the rendered exterior walls with decorative face brick accents, bay window, leadlight windows, and porphyry arched entrance. Post war elements include the face brick fence with stylised metal sunburst motifs which are echoed in the balustrading of the front stairs. Houses from the 1940s and 1950s with a similar, picturesque style are found in various middle ring Brisbane suburbs which experienced a surge of residential development during this period, for example, Moorooka, St Lucia and Holland Park. While some modest brick and stucco houses from this period are found in Stafford, it is rare to see one with this level of quality and decoration.

Upton and his wife, Edna, lived in the subject house until it was acquired in 1970 by Leslie and Gwendoline Harris. The property has since had several owners. Apart from the addition of a pool between the house and garage in 1978, it appears few substantial alterations have been made.

The house is of masonry and stucco construction with a substantial brick base. The external walls are stucco and feature occasional face bricks creating a decorative effect.

The entrance addresses the corner of Pateena and Eudunda Streets and is approached by a curved path and a brick staircase. The staircase has decorative metal railings.

The entrance features an arched opening with surrounding porphyry voussoirs and large, metal gates, that lead to an enclosed patio and the front door.

The eastern side of the house has a patio facing Eudunda Street. A second set of stairs leads from a door at the rear of the house towards the pool area.

The tiled roof has a series of hipped roof forms with a projecting gable facing Pateena Street. The gable has a brick basketweave infill under which sits a bow window with a small separate tiled roof. The house has several sets of casement windows with face brick sills. One of the front windows features a diamond leadlight pattern.

A face brick and stucco garage faces Eudunda Street. It has similar detailing to the house for example, stepped face brick from the walls to the eaves and occasional face brick accents. Like the house, the garage has a terracotta tiled roof.

A face brick fence surrounds the property. Much of the fence has alternating pillars and lower sections with stylised sunburst motif metal detailing. Part of the fence between the garage and the corner has been altered with the addition of metal fence sheeting which is not considered to be of significance.

The pool between the house and the garage is not considered to be of cultural significance.

The interior of the house has not been inspected, however, available photographs reveal stained timber architraves and a bedroom window seat, a fireplace in the living room, decorative cornices and a set of leadlight windows with geometric Art Deco motifs.

1. Brisbane City Council, 1946 aerial photographs.

2. BCC Detail Plan No 1907, dated 1958

3. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

4. Brisbane City Council, Drainage Plan. Traced 1963

5. Brisbane City Council 1911 Contour Map

6. Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Certificates of Title

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

8. Queensland Post Office Directories

9. Digitised newspapers and other records. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

10. Realestate.com website. https://www.realestate.com.au/property/60-pateena-st-stafford-qld-4053 Retrieved 7 December 2017

11. Commonwealth Electoral Rolls