Addresses

At 5 Hubert Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102

Type of place

Hall

Period

Interwar 1919-1939

Style

Georgian Revival

R.A.O.B. Lodge Hall

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This is an image of the local heritage place known as R.A.O.B. Lodge Hall

R.A.O.B. Lodge Hall

R.A.O.B. Lodge Hall Download Citation (pdf, 58.07 KB)

Addresses

At 5 Hubert Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102

Type of place

Hall

Period

Interwar 1919-1939

Style

Georgian Revival

This hall, designed by Cavanagh and Cavanagh, was constructed circa 1925 for the Trustees of St Joseph’s Kangaroo Point Branch of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society. The Hibernians, as they were known, were like many such societies that flourished during the nineteenth century that formed to aid or provide services for membership. In the 1950s the property was registered as an amusement hall until it was purchased for use as a lodge hall by the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes who held the property until 2001.

Also known as

St. Joseph's Hibernian Hall

Lot plan

L2_RP838591

Key dates

Local Heritage Place Since —

Date of Citation —

Construction

Roof: Corrugated iron;
 Walls: Face brick

People/associations

Cavanagh and Cavanagh (Architect);
 Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society (Association);
 Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (Association)

Criterion for listing

(D) Representative; (E) Aesthetic; (G) Social; (H) Historical association

Interactive mapping

City Plan Interactive Mapping

Also known as

St. Joseph's Hibernian Hall

Lot plan

L2_RP838591

Key dates

Local Heritage Place Since —

Date of Citation —

Construction

Roof: Corrugated iron;
 Walls: Face brick

People/associations

Cavanagh and Cavanagh (Architect);
 Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society (Association);
 Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (Association)

Criterion for listing

(D) Representative; (E) Aesthetic; (G) Social; (H) Historical association

Interactive mapping

City Plan Interactive Mapping

History

This branch of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society was one of the oldest in Brisbane, having been formed in 1886.  The Society held the land in preparation for the construction of a hall, but it was not until March 1925 that it was able to announce its intention to proceed.

Architectural firm Cavanagh and Cavanagh, who were responsible for the design of many church and ancillary buildings in Brisbane, were commissioned to undertake the project. Their plan was for a brick hall with a frontage of 62ft; the hall of 67ft by 38ft to have  two verandahs each 67 ft long and 11 ft wide. There were also two large cloak rooms and a stage 18 ft by 38 ft. The Society took out a mortgage with the Bank of New South Wales in June 1925 presumably to finance the building work. Within a year of completion Cavanagh and Cavanagh were working on designs for sewerage installation and a lavatory block in 1926, and they also designed a reinforced concrete and timber balcony that was added in 1928.

During the 1950s the Society registered the property as an amusement hall, having a licence granted that limited seating accommodation to 900 persons. In 1961, part of the site appears to have been leased for the purpose of dancing instruction. The trustees of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society held title on the hall until December 1962, when it transferred to the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Grand Australasian Banner Limited. This community organisation was also established to provide aid to members in need, but also to aid in charitable concerns within the wider community.  

In 1963 work was carried out to the toilet facilities at the hall.  The RAOB did further work on the toilet facilities in 1975, as well as the addition of a 36m2 annex to the Lodge Room. The property was sold in 2001.

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:

Representative

Criterion D

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class or classes of cultural places

as a good example of an interwar brick community hall.

Aesthetic

Criterion E

The place is important because of its aesthetic significance

as an attractive, architect-designed, interwar hall that makes a fine contribution to the surrounding streetscape.

Social

Criterion G

The place has a strong or special association with the life or work of a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons

as a meeting/lodge hall for the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society for around 30 years and the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes for almost 40 years.

Historical association

Criterion H

The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organization of importance in the city’s or local area’s history

as a hall designed by prominent Brisbane architectural firm Cavanagh and Cavanagh.

References

  1. Brisbane City Council Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Detail Plans

  2. Brisbane City Council, 1946 aerial photographs.

  3. Certificates of Title, Department of Environment and Resource Management

  4. Queensland Post Office Directories

  5. Queensland Electoral Rolls

  6. The A. and B. Journal of Queensland

  7. Friends of Toowong Cemetery Association Inc. The Irish Heritage Trail

  8. Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. Our Order. https://raobglqgle.org.au/

Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised June 2022)

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Interwar 1919-1939
Georgian Revival
Hall
At 5 Hubert Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102
At 5 Hubert Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102 L2_RP838591
Representative, Aesthetic, Social, Historical association