4 Jerdanefield Road, St Lucia

Forrest must have had a reasonable amount of capital available to him as the title deed shows no registered mortgage. He engaged the architectural firm Lucas and Cummings to design a substantial house. Evidence indicates that this dwelling was erected during the late 1937 - early 1938 period.1 However, the house was definitely erected by October 1939. 

In 1939 the dwelling received an award for ‘meritorious architecture’ - City Division - from the Queensland Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.  This was the inaugural year of the awards and it was available ‘for outstanding examples of domestic architecture during the last five years.’ The award was established to encourage a higher standard of architecture in Queensland in both metropolitan and country work.’

The architectural practice of F.B.Lucas and R.Cummings was founded in 1936. While the practice only survived for a relatively short period, of this partnership it was stated:

Lucas and Cummings’ potential as practioners' of architecture was never fully realised due to the economic depression and World War II which followed shortly after and severely affected their opportunities.2

However, their skill in the design and construction of the Forrest house, attributing the style as being very similar to the domestic work of Leslie Wilkinson, Professor of 

Architecture at Sydney University, was recognised with the award. Lucas and Cummings both continued on to design a of number buildings in conjunction with their academic careers. They again won the award in 1949 for their design of the Christian Science Church located at North Quay.

Lucas and Cummings were central in the development of the profession in Queensland, through their involvement in the Queensland Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and in the tertiary development of the profession, and with their work in establishing Diploma and Degree courses and Chair of Architecture at the University of Queensland. 

The wider Toowong area during the interwar period saw a number of smaller subdivisions created from the sale of land attached to the earlier residences that were usually set upon larger allotments.  This particular building is a late example of the interwar development that occurred.

In 1948 the Brisbane City Council purchased the house from Forrest for the sum of £8,625/0/0. The reason for the purchase was described as,

(T) the provision of suitable accommodation for overseas appointees to the 

Council’s staff has necessitated the acquiring of certain buildings...(the dwelling     was described as)...a substantial two-storeyed brick structure in first-class condition with a basement and lends itself to conversion into five flats. The land     has also been highly improved and extensive retaining walls have been constructed along the river frontage.3

The cost of the conversion was estimated at £1500/-/-.

After World War II Australia experienced a population growth as the Commonwealth government embarked on a ‘vigorous immigration program.’  For example the population of Brisbane is reputedly to have increased between 1939 and 1955 by 189,000. Brisbane City Council also utilised such a scheme for attracting the employees it required and this property was one of those purchased and renovated to accommodate the selected employees. The Brisbane City Council sold the building in 1957 to Thomas Duncan.

External openings are regularly placed and aligned between the floors.  Shuttered windows and doors used in this design are typical of Wilkinson’s work.  Lucas and Cummings designed double hung windows with horizontal mullions only, in contrast to the multi-paned windows of Wilkinson’s houses.

1. This is an estimate date as the BCC Building Register for the period April 1937 until Dec 1938 is missing

2. Margaret Lawrence-Drew, Lucas and Cummings Architects. Unpub Thesis 1986. Bachelor of Architecture. University of Qld. p 72

3. Reports and Proceedings of the Brisbane City Council During the Period 1 July 1948 - 30 June 1949. p 42

4. Brisbane City Council Water Supply & Sewerage Detail Plans

5. The Courier Mail. 10 October, 1939

6. Certificates of Title.

7. Greenwood, Gordon. Brisbane 1859-1959 A History of Local Government. Council of the City of Brisbane, Brisbane, 1959

8. JOL Estate Map Collection and photographic collection

9. Lawrence-Drew, Margaret. Lucas and Cummings Architects. Unpub Thesis 1986. Bachelor of Architecture. University of Qld

10. Laverty, John. ‘John Beals Chandler: The little man at City Hall’. Brisbane: Corridors of Power. Brisbane History Group. Papers No.15 - 1997

11. Post Office Directories - various years from 1930 - 1941

12. Reports and Proceedings of the Brisbane City Council. (Minutes) - 1948-1950

13. Donald Watson and Judith McKay, Queensland Architects of the Nineteenth Century, South Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1994