Euralla

The site of ‘Euralla’ was excised from the grounds of ‘Eldernell’, the home of William Hemmant and family built on the highest point of a ten acre block of land sloping from Windermere Road to Kingsford Smith Drive (Eagle Farm Road), and purchased in 1868. The land holding was reduced by subdivision from 1890 onwards. ‘Euralla’ is set on almost 3000 sqm (two roods, thirty-five and one tenth perches) directly below ‘Eldernell’ or ‘Bishopsbourne’ as it is now called. Stronach purchased the land in 1930 and thereafter commissioned Powell and Rae to design a house for him. An illustration of ‘Euralla’ appeared in the May 1932 edition of Building Magazine with an article about the architects. 

Architects Lange Leopold Powell and George Rae were in partnership for only two years (1931-33) but their association pre-dated this as Rae was employed as Powell’s articled pupil from 1919 to 1922, and later his chief draftsman then associate. Powell was a well-known Brisbane architect whose list of notable architectural work is extensive. His commercial buildings still standing include Perry House (1910), St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital (1921), Ballow Chambers (1924), BAFS Dispensary, George Street (1925), Woolworths Building, Queen Street (1926), BAFS Dispensary, Woolloongabba (1930) and the Masonic Temple, Ann Street (1930). He was also responsible for a number of residences in south-east Queensland between 1913 and 1934.

In 1937, Stronach sold the house and it has been resold a number of times. The Brisbane City Council has approved alterations to ‘Euralla’ in 1963, 1980 and 1981. An application in 1971 to erect a multiple dwelling on the site was refused after the receipt by Council of a number of objections.

It is constructed in brick with brick piers to support the timber floor. The western (front) and southern elevations have stone plinths, sills and gauged flat arches over the double hung windows. The walls have a white stucco finish. The remaining elevations have concrete plinths and sills. A few amber bricks are among the stone work surrounding the windows.

The tiled roof abuts shaped parapets (based on Dutch Colonial and Cape Dutch gables) to the gable ends. The main gable is located on the southern elevation. A long flight of concrete steps, with terraces on either side, leads to the tiled entrance porch on the western elevation.

1. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

2. Brisbane City Council Water Supply and Sewerage Detail Plans

3. Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Land Titles

4. Kerr, Margaret F., “Lange L. Powell, architect”, Thesis (B. Arch), University of Queensland, 1957

5. Job, William, The Building of Brisbane 1828-1940, Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 2002

6. Queensland Heritage Register, Environmental Protection Agency - MacArthur Chambers entry, at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/heritage /index.cgi?place=600147&back=1, accessed 30 May 2006

7. The Architecture & Building Journal 1931

8. Watson, Donald and Judith McKay. A Directory of Queensland Architects to 1940. (St. Lucia: U of Q Press, 1984)