Addresses
Type of place
Flat building
Period
World War II 1939-1945
Style
Functionalist
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Flats 'Edge Hill'
Edge Hill
Addresses
Type of place
Flat building
Period
World War II 1939-1945
Style
Functionalist
24 Grantson Street is a set of 4 self-contained flats. Built in 1940/41 the set of rendered masonry flats are a rare and intact example of suburban 1940s Functionalist architecture. Built in a period when the self-contained flat was gaining popularity the set of masonry flats are unusual in this part of Brisbane and as such are historically important.
Lot plan
L1_BUP12789; L2_BUP12789; L3_BUP12789; L4_BUP12789
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Terracotta tile;Walls: Masonry - Render
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L1_BUP12789; L2_BUP12789; L3_BUP12789; L4_BUP12789
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Roof: Terracotta tile;Walls: Masonry - Render
Criterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) AestheticInteractive mapping
History
As the Great Depression progressed from the late 1920s and into the 1930s a marked deficit of housing in Brisbane emerged. This was the period in which the multi-unit dwelling began to emerge as an alternative to the traditional Brisbane detached house and yard. Prior to this in larger Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne this style of ‘modern’ living, in blocks of flats, had become a stylish alternative to living in the traditional house.
In the early 1930s to cater for the housing shortage as well as to generate income many home owners in the inner-city suburbs converted houses into tenements, where tenants would share bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. This led to community concerns of overcrowding and increased hygiene problems. A fashionable and more sophisticated alternative to this form of accommodation was the purpose built block of self-contained flats. Marketed mainly at single people and childless couples the earliest self-contained flats in Brisbane were generally conveniently situated close to trams, trains and shopping facilities in inner-city suburbs such as Spring Hill, New Farm and Fortitude Valley.
In 1905 Robert Blackall Lane purchased thirty-six perches of land on Rosemount Street. In 1938 Richard Lucas and his wife Gladys Maud Beryl purchased the vacant land. In 1940 the Brisbane City Council drainage plans depict the building. In the same year Lucas took out a mortgage, this may have been used for the construction of the flats. Unfortunately there is no evidence of the construction of the building in any of the sources including the New Building Register, Electoral Rolls, Brisbane City Council Minutes, A&B Journal. From the information available it is apparent that the flats were built in 1940/41. The set of flats are shown on the 1946 aerial.
The Brisbane City Council, in 1930, defined the flat as “a fully self-contained dwelling, with private kitchen, bathroom and water closet”. The flat was designed to be an independently functioning dwelling. Although seen as a sophisticated lifestyle, flat living was fairly uncommon in Brisbane in this period, with only 8.4% of Brisbane residents living in flats. This low percentage may be due to the economic constraints of the time as well as the perceived novelty of this style of living. Most flats in Brisbane in this period were architecturally designed and constructed from good quality brick and timber.
Windsor was made up predominately of traditional timber houses in this period. The design of ‘Edge Hill’ in the 1940s was influenced by Functionalist architecture and was considered very modern. This style of architecture was rare in Brisbane at this time and even rarer in Windsor.
Description
"Edge Hill" is a two storey rendered masonry building in the interwar Functionalist style, with a terracotta tiled hip roof partly concealed by a parapeted front facade. The front fence incorporates a series of rendered piers with timber palings between. Centrally located front stairs lead to the building's main entrance. The symmetrical, stepped front facade has a central projecting bay with rounded corners and centrally placed leadlight entrance doors. The words "Edge Hill" and a narrow leadlight window are situated above the entrance. The flats each side of the central bay contain decorative leadlight french doors and windows. Other windows on the side facades are multi-paned timber casements. Cantilevered concrete hoods shelter both windows and french doors. The interior of the building features timber floors, plastered internal walls, some with timber plate rails, and decorative plaster ceilings. A few original light fittings and bathrooms fixtures remain.
The garages to the rear were added in the 1980s and are not of heritage significance.
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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Bennett, Helen, “Being Modern: Living in Flats in Interwar Brisbane”, Queensland Review, v.13, no.2, 2006, p35-48
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Department of Environment and Resource Management, “Julius Street Flats New Farm”, Heritage Citation
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Department of Environment and Resource Management, “Chateau Nous, Ascot”, Heritage Citation. A&B Journal
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Historic Titles, Department of Natural Resources and Water
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Queensland Post Office Directories
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Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Survey Maps
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Queensland Electoral Rolls
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Judy Gale Rechner, Brisbane House Styles 1880 to 1940: a guide to the affordable house, Brisbane: Brisbane History Group Studies No. 2, 1998
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised September 2020)