Stronach's Workshop (former)

George Alexander Stronach was an important figure in the building industry in Queensland throughout the interwar period. As one of the leading master builders in this era he was responsible for the construction of many of Brisbane and Queensland’s most important buildings. The Brisbane Courier wrote of Stronach in 1931:

To have successfully completed contracts the total value of which exceed £1,000,000 during the last seven and a half years is the proud record of Mr. George Alexander Stronach, one of Queensland’s leading master builders. Many of the ornate buildings that adorn the centre of the city have been built by him and he also is proud that wherever possible he has employed Queensland workmen and used Queensland materials.1

With his own workshop on Montague Road, Stronach was able to employ local workers and use local materials for the majority of his building works. Stronach was successful in acquiring building contracts for the construction of buildings such as McWhirter’s Building on the corner of Brunswick and Wickham Streets in Fortitude Valley, the Brisbane Masonic Temple in Ann Street, the AMP building (now known as MacArthur Chambers) on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets, the National Bank of Australia building on Queen Street. Other examples of his work outside Brisbane include The Southport School on the Gold Coast, the Pacific Hotel, Southport and the Royal Hotel in Stanthorpe. Stronach was a strong member of the Master Builders’ Association in Queensland and served as president from 1932 to 1934.

Although a very successful builder in this period, Stronach was not spared from the economic hardship caused by the Great Depression. Throughout his time as president of the Master Builders’ Association, Stronach was an advocate of reduced taxation for the building industry and believed “that as far as city building was concerned there was no doubt that the biggest drawback and preventative of any revival in the trade was caused by the extreme taxation”2. Four years after this Stronach was forced to declare bankruptcy, blaming his situation on unfair sales tax on building materials. In 1929 and 1931 further additions were approved for the workshop. The Montague Road workshop changed ownership in 1939/40. 

Stronach’s Workshop is representative of an interwar industrial building that has been built to incorporate popular decorative elements from the time. The workshop is important as a reminder of the scale of building work carried out by Stronarch and the contribution he made to the built form of Brisbane.

1. The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 26 September 1931, p7

2. The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 4 March 1933, p14

3. Blake, Thom, “South Brisbane: An Historical Overview”, Queensland Division Technical Papers, April, 1990, p.1 – 3

4. Laverty, John, “South Brisbane: The Making of a City” Brisbane in 1888- The Historical Perspective, Brisbane History Group, Papers No. 8, 1988, p. 61-69

5. Brisbane Centenary Official Historical Souvenir, “City of South Brisbane”, Local Authorities of Queensland, 1924, p. 139-154

6. Lawson, Ronald Brisbane in the 1890s: A Study of an Australian Urban Society. St Lucia U of Q Press, 1973

7. EPA Cultural Heritage Citation, “McWhirters Marketplace”, CHIMS

8. Historic Titles, Department of Environment and Resource Management

9. Queensland Post Office Directories

10. Brisbane City Council New Building Register

11. The Brisbane Courier, Thursday 7 January 1937, p17

12. The Brisbane Courier, Saturday, 6 December 1930, p18

13. Queensland Electoral Rolls