Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Victorian 1860-1890
Style
Filigree
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Wall's matching residence
16 Gloucester Street, Spring Hill
Addresses
Type of place
House
Period
Victorian 1860-1890
Style
Filigree
This attractive residence is one of two almost identical neighbouring properties built circa 1882 for John Walls. Designed in the Victorian Filigree style, it makes a fine contribution to the Gloucester Road streetscape, particularly along with its neighbouring twin residence, and is a substantially intact example of a late nineteenth century house. It remained in the Walls family for 80 years, acting as both a private residence and tenanted rental accommodation.
Lot plan
L3_RP9852
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
People/associations
John Walls (Builder)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) RarityInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L3_RP9852
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Corrugated iron;Walls: Timber
People/associations
John Walls (Builder)Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) RarityInteractive mapping
History
With the opening of Moreton Bay for public settlement in the late 1840s, there was a rush to secure large tracts of land for future development in and around Brisbane town. Thomas Dowse, an important auctioneer, agent and land valuer in business in Brisbane and Ipswich since 1850, had purchased several Brisbane town allotments in the early 1850s. He was also one of many prominent citizens who subscribed to the Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company established in 1854 to purchase land for resale as small farms to immigrant families. The objective was to consolidate the future of the Moreton Bay district as an agricultural settlement.
At a public auction of Brisbane town land in December 1853, Dowse purchased Suburban Allotment 95 comprising two acres, two roods and sixteen perches for forty pounds and six shillings. Being at that time beyond the northern town boundary, it was considerably cheaper than the upset price of one hundred pounds an acre set for allotments within the town boundaries. By the early 1860s, the land had been subdivided. In July 1866, Richard Symes Warry purchased subdivisions 3 and 4 comprising one rood, thirty-nine and a quarter perches, and the following year, took out a mortgage on the property for five hundred pounds with only several months allowed for redemption of the debt. The land was sold to Joseph Buckle in 1872 and, after several owners and further rounds of subdivisions, a Certificate of Title was issued to carpenter John Walls on 18 September 1873 for sixteen and two-tenths perches, being re-subdivisions 3 and 4 of subdivisions 3 and 4 of Allotment 95. He was not alone in holding the land unimproved during the economic downturns of the 1870s. With prosperity and an accompanying demand for residential accommodation returning in the 1880s, Walls erected two adjoining dwellings for rental purposes on the re-subdivisions between 1880 and 1882.
16 Gloucester St. was a rental property for the Walls family until April 1963 when it was sold to Antonio and Maria Masci as joint tenants and a mortgage taken out with vendor Evelyn Maria Walls. There were three separate owners through the 1970s and the house remained a rental property. In December 1981, Christos Tracy purchased houses and also the adjoining property fronting Leichhardt St. for re-development but his application was unsuccessful. A new Certificate of Title was issued to him on 12 May 1994 for Lot 3 on RP9852 comprising 205 square metres. Soon after, he sold to Anthony Reynolds. The present owners purchased the property in May 2000.
Description
One of an almost identical pair, the Georgian-influenced house has a hipped iron roof, a hip-sided verandah roof, 12 inch chamfer boards on the exterior and sash windows. There are verandahs to both storeys on the Gloucester St. elevation and the house sits right to the footpath alignment. The architraves, front doors, scalloped bargeboards, window hoods and cast-iron balustrading are not original. Although the exterior of the house has not been changed structurally, it is in a neglected condition.
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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Site History Brisbane City Council
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Property Details 30.11.2001
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Property Holdings Plan Brisbane City Council 30.11.2001
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Colour Photograph: 16 and 20 Gloucester St. n.d. Brisbane City Council File Photograph
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Titles History 1853 - 2005
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Shaw, B. (comp.), Bald Hills Heritage Tour (Brisbane: Brisbane History Group, 1993)
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Personal Interview: Christos Tracy, 20.7.2010
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised September 2020)