Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
World War I 1914-1918
Style
California Bungalow
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Residence 'Huntingdon'
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Residence 'Huntingdon' 1
Huntingdon
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
World War I 1914-1918
Style
California Bungalow
This house on the hillside at Bowen Hills was built for Allan Harris in 1918 on land subdivided from the 1860s estate of Cintra House. It was designed by notable Brisbane architect TR Hall and is an early example of the emerging Californian Bungalow style adapted for Brisbane’s climate and hilly terrain. The house’s position reflects the pattern of development of Bowen Hills in which fine homes were built on elevated sites by the middle and upper classes, taking advantage of the views and cooling breezes.
Lot plan
L25_RP10110; L24_RP10110; L26_RP10110
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Walls: TimberPeople/associations
Thomas Ramsay Hall (Architect)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (H) Historical associationInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L25_RP10110; L24_RP10110; L26_RP10110
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Walls: TimberPeople/associations
Thomas Ramsay Hall (Architect)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (D) Representative; (H) Historical associationInteractive mapping
History
Perched on the hillside above Breakfast Creek Road, this house was built for Allan Douglas Harris and his wife, Henrietta Augustus Harris in 1918. It was designed by Brisbane architect, T.R. Hall in a Queensland vernacular interpretation of the emerging Californian Bungalow style. A 1927 detail plan shows the house was named Huntingdon.
The house is situated at the rear of a large block which was part of the land owned by merchant George Webb. Webb built the nearby residence, Cintra House in 1863-64. During the 1880s, Cintra House and the surrounding land were purchased by Boyd Dunlop Morehead, a pastoralist and one-time Premier of Queensland. Morehead died in 1905.
In 1912, the land surrounding Cintra House was subdivided as a residential estate. Cintra Estate was advertised as commanding superb panoramic views of two reaches of the river, bay and islands. Several substantial houses were built along Dunlop Street during the next decade. River View, located to the immediate north of Huntingdon, is the only other surviving house in Dunlop Street from this period.
In September 1915, a parcel of three adjoining lots in Dunlop Street was purchased in the name of Henrietta Augustus Harris. Brisbane City Council building records show that in January 1918, an approval was given for the construction of a house for A. Harris of Queen Street. It is likely that this is the same Allan Harris who is listed in postal directories as a jeweller with premises in Queen Street. The occupations of the other residents who built in Dunlop Street are not known, but it seems likely that only families of some means would be able to afford such prime residential sites in an elevated position with such impressive views. Huntingdon was the home of the Harris family for several decades.
The architect of the Harris residence, T.R. Hall, was a member of the illustrious Hall family of Brisbane architects. From 1903 to 1907, he worked for his father, John, and his half-brother, F.R. Hall in the practice of Hall and Son. T.R. Hall worked independently in Brisbane from 1907 to 1919 before forming a partnership with G.G. Prentice that would last a decade. It was during this period that Hall and Prentice designed Brisbane’s City Hall, one of their more well-known achievements.
In 1968, Huntingdon was transferred to Ann Curphy, who is the present owner. Although the house has been bricked in underneath, its verandahs have remained open, taking advantage of the river breezes and the views to Hamilton and Teneriffe Hill.
Description
‘Huntington’ is a large sprawling Queensland style Californian Bungalow, designed by the architect T.R. Hall. The roof consists of a number of low-pitched gables with exposed roof framing. The eaves are broad on both the gables and verandah roofs. The broad verandahs surround the house. The verandah balustrade and valances are the most dominant feature of the house. The squat verandah posts on timber pylons, occur at the corners. The valances between the columns are broad, simple and shallow arching. The simple timber battened balustrade is divided into bays by a short timber post with shaped top. The base of the house is currently face brick with some timber battening. It could be assumed that originally the weather board pylons continued down to the ground.
Entry to the house is via a projecting gable at the side, which mirrors the projecting gable at the front of the house. Reinforced concrete and masonry have replaced the original timber stairs.
Statement of significance
Relevant assessment criteria
This is a place of local heritage significance and meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage planning scheme policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2014. It is significant because:
References
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Brisbane City Archive. BCC Building Register 1914-1920, BCA0067
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Brisbane City Council Water Supply and Sewerage Maps
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Department of Environment. Entry in the Queensland Heritage Register 600054. Cintra House
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John Oxley Library Estate Map Collection
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Queensland Post Office Directories
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Queensland Certificates of Title
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Watson, Donald and Judith McKay. A Directory of Queensland Architects to 1940. (St. Lucia: U of Q Press, 1984)
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised September 2020)