52 Salt Street, Windsor

One outstanding feature of the character of Windsor, Lutwyche and the surrounding suburbs is the unusually large number of nineteenth century brick residences. These range from grand houses such as Boothville at Windsor, to small brick cottages such as those found in Bess St and Fuller Street at Lutwyche. 

Brick making was one of the earliest manufacturing enterprises in Brisbane during the colonial period.  By 1871, census figures recorded 672 brick dwellings in Brisbane. Bricks were generally made by hand until the 1870s and 1880s, when mechanised processes such as the Hoffman method began to take over. During this period, the greatest concentration of brickyards in Brisbane was in the Lutwyche area. One of the most well-known brickyards was that established by William Williams in the 1860s. His own brick cottage on the corner of Fuller St (formerly William St) and Crowther Street at Lutwyche is one of the earliest homes in the area. Other brick makers in Lutwyche during the 1870s - 1880s included Samuel Hedge and John Salt. 

By the 1890s, Lutwyche no longer dominated the brick making industry. Large brick making businesses had been established elsewhere such as Petrie’s Brick Yards at Albion. However, the Grange district’s association with brick making continued into the 1980s when the brickworks at Newmarket which were established circa 1912 finally closed. In addition to the legacy of many brick houses and cottages in the area, several street names in the area, such as Salt Street and Brickfield Street, recall this important facet of the area’s history. Another reminder is the Newmarket brickworks chimney, now an important local landmark.

A brick extension has been added to the south-western corner of the house. This may be the addition for which approval was given by the Brisbane City Council in 1956.

1. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

2. Brisbane City Council Detail Plans

3. Marsden, Brian S. AA century of building materials in Queensland and Brisbane, 1861-1961". Australian Geographer, Vol. 10 (Sept 1966)

4. Morrison, Frederic W, The Aldine History of Queensland, Sydney: Aldine Publishing Co, 1888 (via Text Queensland)

5. Queensland Certificates of Title

6. Queensland Post Office Directories

7. Shaw, Barry, (comp.). Stafford and Wilston-Grange Heritage Tour. Brisbane: Brisbane History Group, 1995