51 Racecourse Road, Hamilton

Built in 1937-8 for and by master builders Harold Wood and Albert Parnwell, these flats reflect the proliferation of high-density dwellings in interwar Brisbane. Formerly part of a larger site belonging to Amelia Holland Ogg, the 24-perch corner block was purchased by Wood and Parnwell in 1937. The builders, who had already constructed other flat buildings in inner-city Brisbane, expanded into Hamilton, which had been a desirable residential area for wealthy landholders since the 1860s. The group of four flats, situated appealingly close to transport and local facilities, was sold in March 1938. The flats passed through a series of proprietors until they were purchased by individual owners in the late 1980s. The brick and tile flats feature characteristics of the interwar Old English style including half-timbering to the gables, and demonstrate the interwar development of Hamilton, particularly reflecting the pressures on housing and the growth of multi-tenanted dwellings.