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More Notable Arts and Crafts Houses
in Australia
Jump To:
Arts and Crafts Architecture in Australia
What to look for in an Arts and Crafts building
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
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Lyndhurst (The Reid House)
3 London Road, Clayfield -
Clayfield House, 8 London Road Clayfield
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Inverness 58 Fulham Street, Toogoolawah
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La Scala (Craig Athol),
517 Brunswick Street , Fortitude Valley
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
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Lee's Theatre Club, 307 Young Street Wayville
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Eaton House, 2 Fitzroy Terrace Thorngate SA
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Villa Stresa, 258-260 Stanley Street North Adelaide
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Krichauff, 353 Portrush Road Toorak Gardens
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The Cedars, Heysen Road, Hahndorf
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
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Audit House, 2 Burnett Place
Larrakeyah 0820 NT
Tropical Executive Housing Precinct
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett -
Magistrate's House, 2 Kahlin Avenue Larrakeyah 0820 NT
Tropical Bungalow style
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
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Daylesford House, (Cyril Jackson's House, Yadgawine)
7 Daylesford Rd Bassendean -
Vancouver Arts Centre Group (former Albany Cottage Hospital) 77-87 Vancouver St Albany WA
RAIA 20c Alan Kelsall 2009-3
RAIA 20c Alan Kelsall 2009-3
Arts and Crafts Architecture in Australia
Architecture was reformed by the Arts and Crafts movement, through
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encouraging traditional building crafts,
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the use of local materials, and
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the need to be free of any imposed style (eg Gothic, Queen Anne).
Function, need and simplicity (without spurious ornament) were to inform design, encapsulated in the work of English Architects:
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Richard Lethaby and
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Although Arts and Crafts founder William Morris’s decorative work was rich, intricate and colourful, he also preferred plain and unadorned buildings.
Young English architects trained in Arts and Crafts flocked to Australia around the turn of last century as Melbourne boomed and became the richest city in the world.
Below are featured:
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Melbourne architects Oakley, Parkes (and Scarborough) (Forrest, ACT)
Percy Oakley was a giant in the profession and mayor of Brighton in 1920-21. He set up the company Oakley & Parkes on his return from World War I. In Canberra They also designed the Lodge and the 1927 shopping arcades. -
Innovative Melbourne Arts and Crafts architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear (Yarralumla, ACT)
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Acclaimed Arts and Crafts architect Robin Dods (Queensland)
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Queensland architect TR Hall
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Adelaide Oval scoreboard designer, architect Kenneth Milne
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Adelaide architect E. Philips Danker
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Commonwealth architect, Beni Burnett
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W.A. Government Arts and Crafts architect George Temple-Poole
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W.A, architect J. Talbot Hobbs
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W.A. architects Eales Cohen and Bennett
Their designs also encompassed interior fittings and garden design.
House, 15 Arthur Circle, Forrest, ACT (1927)
The FCC Type 15 residence at 15 Arthur Circle, Forrest, is significant as it is a rare example of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture in Canberra.
It exhibits features characteristic of the style including
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a conspicuous, steeply-pitched roof;
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the narrow, linear plan;
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the use of the 'eyebrow' window hood; and
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the uncommon use of the main gable pitched to the front and rear facades.
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
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Other Pages in this series:
Jump To:
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
The Forrest Housing Precinct is subject to conservation measures to preserve its character. Important values being preserved in the suburb are:[6]
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The majority of the precinct was constructed in 1926 – 27 to meet the urgent need to provide housing for public servants prior to the opening of the provisional Parliament House in 1927.
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The Melbourne firm Oakley, Parkes and Scarborough won a 1924 competition to design the housing for the precinct, they had also designed 'The Lodge', a fine example of the Inter-War Georgian Revival style of architecture.
The house is the only residence of its type to be built in Canberra, and the only residence to exhibit strongly the influence of the English Arts and Crafts architects, in particular the work of C.F.A. Voysey.
Its design was innovative within the context of Government and private domestic architecture in Canberra at that time and it remains as an exemplar of the architectural creativity of the Federal Capital Commission's Architects Department, under the direction of architect and artist Henry Maitland Rolland.,
The house is a relatively intact example of an Arts & Crafts style residence placed within a garden suburb setting.
The Site:
Block 10 Section 21 is a generous corner allotment with frontages to Arthur Circle and Ducane Street, Forrest.
The residence is sited across the corner and is dominated by a massive specimen of Eucalyptus bicostata which is located at the front of the house. There are no other major tree plantings to the site.
The placement of the residence on the block, and the comparatively small footprint of the residence, mean that there is a vast amount of area to the Ducane Street frontage and to the rear.
There are numerous concrete garden paths and large areas of concrete paving extant however the garden has been untended for a number of years and any formal landscaping which once existed is now completely overgrown and weed infested.
The rear yard, which is very exposed, is dominated by numerous outbuildings. A fenced but overgrown garden area to the end facing Arthur Circle provides some privacy and shelter to the entrance porches.
The extant paving, planting and outbuildings are indicative of the former intensive use of this area, particularly within the 'active' ownership by the Cusack family [1940s to 1980s].
Read more:
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Australian Heritage Database - House, 15 Arthur Ccl, Forrest, ACT
Westridge House & Grounds,
55 Banks St., Yarralumla, ACT (1928)
Historic Canberra house sells for millions
1 Dec 2010, 3:14pm
One of Canberra's oldest homes has been sold at auction for $3.2 million.
The historic Westridge House in Yarralumla, which was owned by the CSIRO, has been bought by a private bidder.
The two hectare property has been in government hands since 1928.
Westridge House was originally built as a residence for the founding principal of the Australian Forestry School, Charles Lane-Poole, arguably Australia's most famous forester.
The home itself was designed by renowned 1920's architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear, who was a former neighbour of the Lane-Pooles from their time living in Melbourne.
It's believed that Westridge House at 55 Banks Street, Yarralumla, sold for more than $6 million.
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What to look for in an Arts and Crafts building:
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Clarity of form and structure,
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a variety of materials,
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asymmetry,
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Traditional construction and Craftsmanship.
Many Arts and Crafts homes share these traits:
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enveloping rooflines, deep eaves. exposed rafter ends
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roughcast (battered) gables and verandah columns with over-scaled verandah brackets,
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surfaces covered with pebble-cast, and shingles
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tall tapered chimneys, often built as (external) buttresses,
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Structural “authenticity: exposed beams, strong posts, rafters that extend past the roof line
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Simplicity: open floor plans with built-ins, smooth surfaces, lack of intricate carving
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Native materials: wood (especially oak), locally sourced stone, stucco, brick
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Natural influences: earth tones, attention to wood grain, decorative items made of shell or bone
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The hand of the artist: hand hammered metals, handmade tile, embracing of imperfections
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Emphasis on home life: dim, homey, glowing interiors, prominent fireplaces, art glass to soften light
"This is more than a residence, it is an estate of a staggering 19,210 square metres - the largest privately owned residential block in the inner south. Nearly five acres of exceptional Yarralumla earth, and offering an array of life style possibilities.
This is an opportunity to acquire more than a property; it is an opportunity to acquire a legacy for generations to come.
This elegant and substantial sized residence sits high on a gently sloping, exquisitely landscaped estate and was built in 1928 for Charles Lane-Poole, then the inspector-general of Forests.
In 1975, CSIRO became the new tenant of 'Westridge House' and it was used as the residence for the chief officer.
For the last several years it has been in private hands and the expansive grounds have been restored beautifully, to a level worthy of this Yarralumla jewel.
An appropriately long, sweeping driveway leads to the front of the home, with steps leading up to the grand entrance foyer exuding old world charm.
The building, of rendered brick with exposed external timbers was designed and constructed as a residence for the Principal of the Forestry School (Lane Poole).
It was designed by the Melbourne architect Harold Desbrowe Annear in an eclectic transitional style reflecting the Arts and Crafts ideals but with a simplified interpretation.
It is finely proportioned with creative detailing such as built-in cupboards, and windows sliding into wall cavities. The grounds include groups of pines, part of the arboretum.
Description
Annear's design for the Canberra residence of the Principal of the Australian Forestry School, makes some reference to the English Tudor vernacular in its half-timbered, jetted upper floor, the association of forestry possibly being in his mind.
The way Annear balances the eccentric mass of the hipped roof with a gabled, dormer-like element is particularly successful.
The half-timbering allows windows to vary in their spacing on the first floor, according to the need to light the rooms, without having an uncontrolled appearance.
Window heights on both floors generally are low enough to provide height for the disappearing sashes, but where the function dictates, their height varies.
This is a departure from the then current precepts of fenestration design, derived from Beaux-Arts and Georgian Revival thinking.
The house features inventive details including the integral counter-balanced windows and flyscreens that slide into the wall cavities, and chimneys with side flues and a stepped form that helps to ventilate the building.
The house was used by the CSIRO for offices (1987).
The garage behind the house is included in the listing as a sympathetic part of the original design.
Also known as Tudor House.
Read more:
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Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture - Westridge House
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Australian Heritage Database - Westridge House & Grounds, Banks St, Yarralumla, ACT
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Sales Listing - 55 Banks St Yarralumla ACT
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Historic Canberra house sells for millions - ABC 1 Dec 2010
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
Acclaimed Architect Robin Dods
Robert Smith (Robin) Dods (1868-1920), architect, was born on 9 June 1868 at Dunedin, New Zealand, eldest of three sons of Robert Smith Dods, wholesale grocer, and his wife Elizabeth Gray, née Stodart, both Edinburgh Scots.
He came to be known as Robin.
He eventually settled into a practice in Wickham Terrace, Brisbane.
Young Robin was sent from schooling in Brisbane to Edinburgh to serve articles with architects Hay & Henderson. He also attended evening classes at the Edinburgh Architectural Association until 1890 and formed there a lasting friendship with (Sir) Robert Lorimer (1864-1929).
In 1890 Dods moved to London, where he worked with the fortifications branch of the War Office and in the office of (Sir) Aston Webb.
In 1891 he was admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects and travelled in Italy. There he first met Mary Marian King, daughter of an American clergyman, whom he married at Woollahra, Sydney, on 21 March 1899.
Dods visited his mother in Brisbane in 1894 and while there completed designs which subsequently won a competition for a nurses' home at Brisbane Hospital.
Arts and Crafts architect Robin Dods had, during his 20-year tenure with Hall & Dods, designed about 650 residential, commercial and religious buildings, and had designed a handful of houses in Brisbane, including his own at New Farm (since demolished).
His domestic work adopted many local techniques in wood but had a sophisticated discipline and a common-sense response to climate which were radically new.
Influenced by C. F. A. Voysey, and like contemporaries in Britain including Sir Robert Lorimer and Sir Edwin Lutyens, his early work was full of the romance of an arts and crafts philosophy which he never completely lost.
Read more: Architect Robin Dods
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Lyndhurst (The Reid House)
3 London Road, Clayfield Qld (1896)
Lyndhurst is a timber residence erected in 1896 for John Reid, principal of J C Hutton & Co., ham and bacon processors.
Lyndhurst was the first substantial house designed by architect Robin Dods after his commencement in the Brisbane partnership of Hall and Dods from August 1896.
Within the partnership, Dods was responsible for most of the design, while Hall concentrated on management.
The practice was the most influential source of modern design in Brisbane, producing a wide range of accomplished buildings and was credited with achieving an 'architectural revolution in Brisbane.'
Dods was a prolific, innovative and highly skilled architect whose work moved the Queensland timber house tradition forward. His work was influential and during his lifetime, the 'Lyndhurst' design was published more often than any other of his domestic works.
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Jump To:
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Description:
The large, single-storey house has a timber frame elevated on timber stumps at the front and set close to the ground at the rear.
The area beneath the house is enclosed with concrete blocks that have been rendered to match the exterior fibrous cement sheeting.
A pair of narrow concrete stairs leads up to the two doors at the front of the house.
The roof is steeply pitched and composed of two large hips that are symmetrically arranged around a central axis through the front elevation and are clad in terracotta Marseilles pattern tiles.
Twin gables, of a uniform roof pitch, project from the building's front elevation. The pediments of the gables are clad with fibrous cement sheeting and are decorated with wide timber battens.
Two tall rendered chimneys with concrete caps are the only other visible elements on the vast roof.
Part of the verandah roof on the eastern side of the house has been replaced with corrugated iron.
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Read more:
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Archived: Architect Robin Dods
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Queensland Heritage Register - Lyndhurst
Clayfield House, 8 London Road, Clayfield (1905)
Clayfield House was designed and constructed in 1906 by architect Robin Dods as ‘Turrawan’ with tennis courts built behind the house. At the time, this doctor’s residence was the only building between Wagner and London Roads.
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History of Clayfield House
Robert Smith (Robin) Dods designed the combined residence and surgery, for Dr Arthur C F Halford in 1905.
Dods is popular for incorporating architectural design ideas from the United Kingdom with traditional Queensland forms and materials.
His designs subsequently strongly influenced Australian architecture.
A home with a surgery is a form that Dods was familiar with because his stepfather and brother were also doctors. He also designed the same concept for his brother on Wickham Terrace.
Dr Halford is thought to have lived and worked from 'Turrawan' until 1920, when a lease was let to Alexander Murray for five years.
In 1926 the Post Office Directory lists a Dr Neville Sutton as the occupant, using London Road as his preferred address.
Mrs Halford died in 1932 and in 1935 property subdivisions 98, 99 and 100 in London Road were sold and houses were built on them.
Part of this land appears to have included a portion of the 'Turrawan' tennis court.
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Sold March 2012 for $3.1m and converted to a Nursing Home:
Clayfield House is premier supported accommodation, providing a safe, stable and dynamic community environment. -
Previously Sold April 1988 for $310.000
Read more
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Archived: Clayfield House by Robin Dods
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Archived: Architect Robin Dods
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Clayfield House | Environment, land and water | Queensland ...
Inverness, 58 Fulham Street, Toogoolawah (1917)
Inverness is a large, single-storeyed timber house, situated on the hill top above Toogoolawah. The building shows influences of stylistic trends popular around Federation in the treatment of decorative elements.
The hipped roof has projecting gables above the front entrance, side verandah entrance and billiards room. The roof features decorative eaves and gables with diamond patterned asbestos (Durabestos) shingles and decorative terra-cotta ridges and finials. The two chimneys are tapered and rendered.
The building sits on timber stumps.
Verandahs are situated on the eastern, northern and western elevations with tapered timber brackets and valances and vertical timber paling balustrading.
Corners are treated differently, with verandah posts being closer together and the timber valance consisting of open vertical railing.
The main entrance is approached from a circular drive to a double staircase and symmetrical entrance porch. The entrance features floral motif leadlight panels in the door and fanlight.
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Jump To:
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Inverness was erected in 1917 for the Nestlé & Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company Limited, as the manager's residence associated with their Toogoolawah condensed milk factory.
The enterprise had been established in 1898 by the McConnel family on part of their Cressbrook estate, and was known as the Cressbrook Dairy Company's Condensed Milk Factory.
An early manager's residence of timber and iron was erected adjacent to the factory about the same time.
The village of Cressbrook grew around the factory. With the arrival of the railway linking the town to Ipswich in 1904, the town expanded and was renamed Toogoolawah.
Inverness was designed by Brisbane architect John Henry Burley. His use of asbestos cement roofing tiles and interior wall sheeting was amongst the earliest application of these products in Queensland.[1]
The builder was local contractor DA Menzies, who erected most of the buildings constructed in Toogoolawah until the mid-1920s.[1]
The residence was occupied in 1917 by Archibald C Munro, manager of the factory from 1909 to 1931, and his family.
The Munros named the house Inverness, after the district in Scotland from which AC Munro's father had emigrated. They employed a permanent gardener, cook and housemaid.[1]
Read more:
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Wikipedia - Inverness, Toogoolawah
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Queensland Heritage Register - Inverness
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La Scala (Craig Athol), 517 Brunswick Street , Fortitude Valley (1915)
This unusual three storey timber house was designed by architect TR Hall, one half of the dynamic duo responsible for City Hall, and built at the start of World War I for a Dr Matheson who called it Craig Athol and lived on the upper 2 floors while running his surgery from the ground.
The design was unique and innovative for its time (and remains so today) thanks to its large rooftop for outdoor living, its bay window stairwell and stylistic trimmings.
After Dr Matheson’s departure it continued its run of doctor owners until the 1970’s when it was subdivided into flats. Today it has been restored and the ground floor divided into three tenancies, none of them medical.
Statement of Significance:
La Scala demonstrates innovative architectural ideas including the large roof-deck for outdoor living, the free plan forms linked via the stairwell bay, and the stylistic innovation in the use of decorative elements and materials.
La Scala is also significant for the unusual scale and form of the building and retaining walls and the contribution these elements make to the Brunswick Street streetscape.
Also significant is the aesthetic quality of decorative elements including plaster ceilings, timber batten detailing, leadlight panels and timber work.
La Scala is an example of the domestic work of architect TR Hall.
Above: The family of Thomas Mathewson, 'Father of Qld. Photography'. The eldest son Jack (centre), was an aerial war photographer in the first World War. The second son, Thomas (upper RHS) trained as a doctor in Edinburgh, and built La Scala as a doctor's surgery and residence above.
Left: Dr THR Mathewson, top left, older brother Jack, top right.
History
The three-storeyed timber house was built in 1914 for Dr THR Mathewson to a design by architect TR Hall.
Thomas Mathewson's father, also Thomas, was regarded as the Father of Photography in Queensland and travelled extensively.
Mathewson and Co photographers were leaders in this field and were responsible for training and equipping most of Queensland’s early photographers.
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Being of Scottish decent, Thomas Henry Reeve Matheson, known as Harry, was eligible for a Carnegie Trust Scholarship.
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Harry commenced study for his medical degree at the University of Edinburgh in 1905 and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1909.
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He returned some years later to Edinburgh for post-graduate work. Harry was a great supporter of the medical needs of the extended families and treated them without cost.
Mathewson named the house Craig Athol. He operated his practice from the ground floor and lived in the house above.
In 1923 he moved his practice to Wickham Terrace but continued to live in the house, renting out the ground floor to another doctor.
Dr. T. H. R Mathewson was Director of Maternal and Child Welfare. Department of Health and Home Affairs from 1937-1947, when he retired to take up private practice.
He had filled the office for the past 10 years, and was associated with the service when it was first established by the Government in March, 1918.
The house and surgery were owned and occupied by a number of doctors over the years before being turned into flats in the 1970s.
The original stables were demolished and a small addition was built on the rear of the house.
In 1980 the property was bought by its current owner who is restoring it.
The ground floor, which was enlarged in the 1980s, housed an architectural practice for some years until 1992 and is now divided into three separate tenancies.
Description
La Scala is a three-storeyed timber building which sits on a narrow corner site overlooking Brunswick Street and has a hipped terracotta tiled roof with decorative finials.
The three levels are dissimilar in plan, and consist of offices on the ground floor and a single residence on each of the floors above linked via a stairwell bay. The building shows influences of a mixture of stylistic trends in the treatment of materials and the spatial organisation.
Levels one and two have terracotta tile awnings with timber brackets.
Two offices have been added to the rear of the ground level, and a rear bedroom and side bathroom, both with corrugated iron skillion roofs, have been added to level two.
The office foyer has an external timber door with glass sidelights and fanlight, and an internal timber door with decorative leadlight in the door, sidelights and fanlight.
The foyer to level two features decorative leadlight in the sidelights, fanlight and oval window.
The internal timber stair balustrade consists of wide battens with a stylised tulip fretwork motif, and the bay has casement windows.
All public rooms on levels one and two feature decorative plaster ceilings, which vary in design from room to room.
The lounge and dining rooms on level two, separated by a timber screen, have the most ornate ceilings consisting of borders of fruit.
Internal walls are single skin vertically jointed boards. Windows are mainly casement with fanlights above and french doors open onto verandahs and the front deck.
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South Australian Arts and Crafts Architecture style
"Edwardian/Federation buildings are not common in the city of Adelaide, nor particularly is the Arts and Crafts influence of that era common..." - Harriet Edquist
Lee's Theatre Club, 307 Young Street Wayville (1912)
Lee's Theatre Club (former Dwelling, Lutheran Youth Hostel) designed by Mr. Walter Charles Torode, (1858-1937) formerly one of Adelaide's best known master builders and contractors
The house could be described as having a split personality.
It has many of the characteristics of the Arts and Crafts movement in its wall treatment, window detail and roof line.
However attached to the east elevation of the building is a whimsical section with curved walls and crenulated parapets indicative of a medieval castle.
Significance
Walter Charles Torode was a builder who used innovative building technology. In 1903, Torode’s major project was the construction of the spires on St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Many of his residential buildings combined the detail of the Arts and Crafts movement together with new construction methods to produce houses of aesthetic appeal and an eclectic personality.
Though the work of Walter Charles Torode is well represented in the SA Heritage Register, this house at 307 Young Street, Wayville exhibits Torode's role as a designer and builder for a client.
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It also has unusual aesthetic appeal. The house could be described as having a split personality.
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It has many of the characteristics of the Arts and Crafts movement in its wall treatment, window detail and roof line. However attached to the east elevation of the building is a whimsical section with curved walls and crenellated parapets indicative of a medieval castle.
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Other dwellings designed by Torode that are State Heritage Places are:
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Former Dwelling (built 1908), 34 Unley Road, Unley
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'Bellevue Place' (built 1910), 8 Bellevue Place, Unley Park and
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'Amphi-Cosma' (built 1927), 305 Young Street, Wayville.
This house was built by the noted Adelaide builder Walter C. Torode for his own use in 1914. It is of particular interest because of its unique design and construction, a noteworthy feature being a central reinforced concrete pillar and a series of radiating beams. This method of construction was used to combat subsidence and cracking, which were likely given the nature of the soil.
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Description:
A large house set down in a low block and constructed of rendered masonry with a series of curved bays and a square tower turret.
The second floor level has a large balcony facing north with curved arch opening with windows behind, and a southern balcony has a similar coved soffits to upper level roof line as Amphi Cosma adjacent (305 Young St.).
This house is set in a garden with mature trees, in particular a Norfolk Island pine and other pines.
History:
Edwin Ellis, a well-known confectioner and restaurateur purchased the property on the corner of Young Street and Joslin Street in 1912.
In the same year, he commissioned noted Adelaide builder Walter Torode to construct a 10-roomed house to satisfy his needs.
Following the death of Ellis, the house passed to his two eldest children as executors of his estate, however his wife remained in the house until her death in 1949.
The property was then sold in 1950 to Theodore and Clemens Koch for ₤7,600.
The property then passed through a number of hands before it was purchased by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1964. The church used the building as a (Lutheran) Youth Hostel and converted most of the house to fulfil that role.
The property changed hands again in 1970 and in 1971, when the property was used by Marbury School for educational purposes.
In 1974, the property was purchased by Lee’s Theatre Club whom is still the current owners.
These owners have progressively removed latter additions to restore the building to its original 1912 configuration.
Read more:
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Unley Heritage Research Study (2006) - McDougall & Vines
Eaton House, 2 Fitzroy Terrace Thorngate SA (1913)
This Federation home was designed by Adelaide Oval scoreboard designer Kenneth Milne and built in 1913 for his brother.
Its previous owners included a member of the famed Holden family (saddlers, carriage trimmers and motor body manufacturers) and also one time home of the Greek Consulate.
Eaton House has had a long and rich history before falling on hard times.
However, it was its run-down nature that appealed to Liz Peter, when she and her husband bought the Fitzroy Tce property five years ago.
"It was in a mess. And it was the perfect renovation," Mrs Peter says.
"We left it structurally as it was. A lot of people said 'why don't you bulldoze it' but it's a very grand home.
"It's one of the iconic homes in Adelaide" and listed as a 'Stately Home of Fitzroy and Medindie'.
Mrs Peter says the home had an austere style to it.
"We wanted to keep its original structure and design and not take away from its age and history."
“It was bare of cornices. It was all square set and manly,” she says.
“Basically,
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we’ve put in big cornices,
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we’ve painted every room,
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we’ve replaced all of the ceilings,
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we ripped out the kitchen and put in a new one.”
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installed an HIA Award Winning Extension 2014
However, Mrs Peter says she didn’t want Eaton House to be a shell with a modern interior.
Instead, they went to great trouble to retain parts of the original carpet and the original doors.
"We wanted to keep some part of it. We stripped back and painted all the doors," she says.
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“Renovated to luxurious perfection, this large and stately residence set in beautiful manicured grounds of approximately 2000 m2 combines the dignity of yesteryear with sensational resort-style relaxation featuring a sparkling gas-heated pool with waterfall spa, synthetic half tennis court and alfresco pavilion complete with entertainer’s kitchen.[1]
The dream kitchen is a celebration of French Provincial style with its jaw-dropping 4-metre island bench topped with Black Maquina Spanish marble; chef’s selection of Miele and Smeg appliances and 007-style butler’s pantry complete with Miele convection microwave, 2-drawer dishwasher and hidden touch cupboard for amplifiers etc.
The home is believed to contain a cellar with capacity for 6,000 wine bottles, with added features including a home theatre room, pool and spa.
Read more:
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Restoration retains an original mix at 2 Fitzroy Tce, Thorngate
Amy Noonan, The Advertiser, August 17, 2012 -
8 Top Stately Homes in Fitzroy and Medindie - Weekend Notes
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Archived - Eaton House Thorngate SA
Villa Stresa, 258-260 Stanley Street North Adelaide (1913)
1913 Edwardian Arts and Crafts style two storey residence and masonry boundary walls to Stanley Street and Lefevre Terrace.
This house is an excellent example of an Edwardian Arts and Crafts style mansion constructed during the Federation period.
It retains important stylistic elements including roughcast render masonry walls, a tall chimney, terracotta tiled roof, an oriel window and strapped gables.
This house was constructed during 1912-13 for Robert Gamble Taylor and his wife Annie who were residents of Mt Gambier at the time.
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Once completed in 1914, the house on LeFevre Terrace was leased and sold soon after. After passing through a number of hands, it was bought by Mary Tolley, the widow of Albion Everard Tolley.
Mary was a director of A E & F Tolley, the wine and spirit merchant company which had been established by Albion Tolley and his brother Frederick Osborne Tolley in 1877.
In November 1928, the architects Garlick & Jackman completed plans for additions and alterations to the house, which were approved by the council on 21 January 1929.
Further alterations were made in 1939, when the garage on LeFevre Terrace was extended with a separate laundry.
In December 1949, the architects Woods, Bagot, Laybourne-Smith & Irwin produced drawings for the construction of the 'sleep out', located above the lounge on the southwest corner of the house.
This large internal area with its series of casement windows, replaced the original balcony. These changes did not compromise the essential Edwardian characteristics of the house, and the same external finishes continued to be used.
This house remains an important indication of the type of residences constructed at that time, and the use of design sources from Europe and Britain including Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts
Read more:
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North Adelaide Heritage Survey (2004) p. 116-117
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South Australian Heritage Listing
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Former 'Krichauff', 353 Portrush Road Toorak Gardens, SA (1914)
Two storey bungalow/Arts and Crafts residence.
Key features include
face red brick walls with upper rendered sections,
projecting Oriole windows and timber verandahs
with Marseilles terracotta tiled roof.
Set back amongst established garden grounds the magnificent character residence is a superb blend of old world charm and contemporary, with
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high decorative ceilings and cornices,
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beautiful timber floorboards and
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character fireplaces and the more modern conveniences with
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a recently refurbished kitchen with breakfast bar,
it makes for the ideal family residence.
Enter the residence in the grand entrance hall and immediately you appreciate the beautiful timber work and lead light windows leading upstairs and providing a wonderful light filled atmosphere.
Leading from the entrance hall is the large formal dining room with character fireplace and box window with window seat providing views over the garden.
Description:
Double storeyed red brick building with terra cotta tiled roof and protruding bay window on the top storey.
History:
The house was built by F.C. Krichauff, civil servant, who occupied it for many years.
D.K. Goldsmith, share broker, then occupied it until it passed to K.J. & B.K. Brown.
Read more:
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South Australian Heritage Listing
The Cedars, Heysen Road, Hahndorf SA (1924)
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News.com.au - Story August 24 2018
Grand plans are envisaged for the old home of Hans Heysen but not everyone is happy
Michael McGuire, SA Weekend
August 24, 2018 9:30pm
"HANS Heysen is one of South Australia’s most famous painters but as his grand home falls into disrepair, new plans are unveiled for a $22 million “light box” aimed at attracting new visitors."
"There is enormous potential to develop a globally attractive tourism attraction. Those backing the project use two touch stones to sell the idea of what is possible with a rejuvenated Heysen:
eg
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Hobart’s acclaimed Museum of Old and New Art and
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the house of French impressionist painter Claude Monet.
At the moment though you could easily drive into Hahndorf and not be aware The Cedars is there at all."
Originally, the Cedars was a diverse group of early rural farm buildings, built in the late 1800s. The farm included the farm house, a coach house, stables and sheds.
Hans Heysen bought the property in 1912 from Earnest Jackson butchers for £1500 for both the residence and surrounding 36 acres.
The construction of a purpose-built studio in 1913, adaptations to the main house in 1919 and 1923, and Nora’s conversion of the stables to a studio in 1930 have contributed to the Cedars as it is today.
The house and studio also display elements of the Heysen’s German heritage, including some of the timberwork and window detailing.
'The Cedars' is one of Australia's historic and artistic treasures and needs Help to become a modern museum of national standing.
Description
Heyson House is two-storey with [rendered] stone and brick walls, hipped and gabled corrugated iron roof,
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timber barge-boards to gable,
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timber-framed openings with timber doors and
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multi-paned casements and mullion windows,
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redbrick chimneys,
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bay windows and glass-infilled porch (stoep).
Hans Heysen’s studio is an ‘Arts & Crafts’ inspired building
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designed by architects Conrad & Conrad, in collaboration with Heysen.
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constructed of large blocks of coursed Verdun white limestone
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with stone detailing, fireplace and chimney,
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visible bluestone foundations and plinth,
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and a gable roof clad with Federation-style Marseilles terracotta tiles imported from France.
Features include
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a large ‘picture’ window comprising three attached tall frosted (for light-control) lights with multi-paned fanlights,
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projecting chimney flanked by mullioned windows,
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timber door and internal partition,
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and a heavy timber lintel to fireplace inscribed with ‘The Cedars’.
Nora’s studio is a stone building with brick dressings, corrugated iron roof, red-brick chimney and timber casement windows. The former laundry has timber-framed walls with weatherboard cladding, casement windows and red-brick chimney.
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The garage is red-brick with timber detailing, corrugated iron roof & store-room.
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The gardens include some original gum trees which inspired Heysen’s work, pine and cedar trees planted in 1870, and roses and many other plants planted by Sallie Heysen and her family.
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The bushland comprises about 100 acres of indigenous trees and understorey.
Statement of Heritage Value
Hans Heysen is one of Australia’s greatest artists and the property which he and his family created and lived in for over 50 years is considered to be and should be a National Treasure but is not a declared National Treasure.
Now a museum, the house, various outbuildings, studios, gardens and bushland combine to provide insight into the life of a great artist and early conservationist.
Can you help with the conservation of this artistic treasury?
Statement of Significance:
The highest heritage significance of 'The Cedars' resides in its historical and artistic associations with the notable 20th century South Australian artist, Hans Heysen, and his immediate family, who lived there for over 75 years from 1912.
Architecturally, the residence and purpose-built studio demonstrate a high degree of aesthetic accomplishment, reflecting the artist's familial (German) traditions and his personalisation of the Federation Arts and Crafts Style.
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The high integrity of the fabric, including original furnishings and possessions belonging to the family, enhances its ability to reflect the personality and attitudes of Hans and Sallie Heysen, whose philosophy and traditions have given the property its essential character.
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Its rural setting amongst tall gum trees and traditional flower gardens provided a constant source of inspiration for the artist.
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'The Cedars' is an unusually complete and well-preserved example of a notable family's long and continuous occupation and everyday lifestyle.
The house has been little altered since the 1960s, and has been kept as a capsule to demonstrate the work and way of life of Hans Heysen and his family during the early to mid-20th century.
The aim of the museum has been to retain the Cedars as closely as possible to how it was when Hans Heysen and his family lived there.
The property includes:
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Main house, former residence of Hans Heysen and his wife and children.
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Hans Heysen’s purpose-built freestanding studio
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Garage with attached store-rooms
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Nora Heysen’s studio (former stable) with attached shop and former laundry
The Cedars main house
The main house is located to the north of the garage and is surrounded with footpaths laid in white metal gravel and cottage-style gardens. The house was first built in c1880 as a six-roomed return verandah stone villa, although due to additions made in 1919 and 1923, the stone villa is not recognisable.
In 1912 the house was extended to nine rooms. This included a new room built on the east side; which included a cellar underneath, the extension of the original verandah on the north and west side of the house, and a new verandah on the south side.
In 1913 further additions including a new kitchen and bathroom extended it to 11 rooms. Heysen undertook further additions in 1919.
The additions were designed by architect E. Philips Danker and are responsible for giving the original Victorian cottage its Germanic, Federation Arts and Crafts style.
It was during this time that the house was substantially remodelled.
Many of the original internal walls were removed to create a more open plan and larger rooms. The verandah on the north side was filled in to create a new entrance and a bay window to the main bedroom.
In 1923 E. Philips Danker designed further renovations including a new lobby, kitchen and study on the south side.
A first floor was added over these rooms which included three bedrooms and a dressing room. These additions in the Federation Bungalow style increased the house to 16 rooms.
The interior of the house has a strong Federation Arts and Crafts character.
It was once a series of small rooms, however, the removal of many of the original walls opened up the ground floor giving it an open plan feel.
The main feature of the interior of the house is the timber joinery.
This includes extensive wainscoting, exposed ceiling beams, built-in cupboards and shelving and decorative architraves.
Fixtures such as the door latches, hinges, fire hooks and water-heads are in the Art Nouveau style.
The floors are timber floor boards and the walls are rendered stone or brick. There are fireplaces in many of the rooms which are face-brick.
Every room in the house displays the Heysen’s furniture and Hans’ art work can be found on the walls in every room.
The buildings are located on a 36.5-acre property off Heysen Road, near Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.
The front boundary of the property is hedged with the cedar and pine trees planted c1880 by Wheelwright, one of the original owners of the property.
The main house is located fairly close to the road and is accessed by a short driveway with a car park to the side of the house, for use by visitors.
On arrival to the Cedars, visitors walk up the driveway and through a gate to the museum shop.
Museum shop and Nora’s Studio
The shop and Nora’s Studio is a two-room stone building with timber-framed additions on two sides.
The building was originally built as a single-room stable or coach-house in the 1880s.
In the 1900s, a second stone room was added to the stable which included a fire place on the east wall, a window and door on the north wall, and a window on the west wall.
These two rooms each have a gable roof and are clad in corrugated iron. These two rooms form the middle section of the building and are constructed of random-paddock stone with red brick window surrounds.
In addition to the second stone room, in the 1900s, a timber-framed structure was attached to the east side of the building.
This was originally used for storage of farm equipment and machinery. Today, this section is the entrance to the shop.
This part of the building is clad in timber with timber framed windows and a door. Surrounding this part of the building is a large veranda and deck.
In 1912, an additional room was attached to the west side of the building.
This timber-framed room is timber-clad and was used as a laundry and saddle room. It includes a stone fire place with red-brick quoins. It has a hipped roof clad in corrugated iron. There are windows and doors on the north and south side of the building.
From 1913 until 1930 further additions were constructed including a tool shed built on the east side in 1927 and the installation of a sky light over the original stable building in 1930.
In the 1960s, the former studio was converted to a gallery space displaying Nora’s artwork.
Surrounding the studio is a cottage-style garden.
Internally, the floors are timber and the walls are rough rendered.
There are examples of Nora’s paintings on the walls and some of her painting equipment.
Other furnishings include the sewing machine depicted in Hans Heysen’s well known painting Sewing.
Read more:
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Australian Heritage - The Cedars and Environs
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Brief Description of The Cedars - Allan Campbell - Curator of The Cedars
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News.com.au - Grand plans are envisaged for the old home of Hans Heysen but not everyone is happy
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The Cedars – house complex, studio & bushland (Heysen) in Mount Barker Heritage Survey (2004) ~ Part 2
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National Library - Rediscovering Hans Heysen
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
The first town destined for success in the Northern Territory was Palmerston, eventually called Port Darwin, then Darwin.
John Lort Stoke snamed Port Darwin after his former ship mate Charles Darwin during a visit to the area in 1839 aboard the Beagle.
George Goyder, as South Australian Surveyor-General, had read Stokes's journals and established Palmerston at this location in 1869.
It may be unfair to suggest that its success depended upon the Overland Telegraph Line.
Suffice it to say, this line necessitated settlements north from South Australia to the Timor Sea. -Source
After Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941 during the Second World War, the Commonwealth government ordered that all women and children be evacuated from Darwin, Australia's most northern town.
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Darwin had first been settled in 1870. It had suffered major cyclones in 1897 and 1937 and had barely recovered when this latest disaster struck.
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After the first bombing raid on Darwin by the Japanese on 19 February 1942 the town (and most of the Top End) came under military control; not until February 1946 were civilians allowed to return to their homes.
The place was a shambles. Apart from structural damage, all town lands, formerly freehold, had been resumed and the only tenure available was short term leases.
The plan had been to relocate and rebuild the centre of Darwin further up the peninsula on which it stands but after the bureaucrats in Canberra decided that
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neither the Hotel Darwin nor the Shell oil terminal was to be moved and
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the Roman Catholic bishop flatly refused to move his church,
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the plan was doomed.
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In 1949 the first leasehold auctions of residential land were held.
In 1951 Administrator Frank Wise wrote to the Department of Territories stating:
"It is imperative...that early action should be taken to enable residents of the Northern Territory, other than officers and employees of the Government to obtain homes of an adequate standard…"
Before Cyclone Tracy (1975), few houses were built in the Northern Territory, other than those constructed for government employees.
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
A number of Darwin homes from this period were designed by Commonwealth architect, Beni Burnett. Some of these homes, located at Myilly Point, still exist.
From Wikipedia:
In July 1937 Burnett was appointed Architect Grade One in the Works and Services Branch of the Department of the Interior. He commenced work in the newly created Darwin office.
His role was to design a series of tropical houses for senior public servants and military personnel. He produced several different designs which had similar features.
They predominantly were elevated, with steeply pitched roofs.
The bedrooms were grouped around or adjacent to the central living area.
Asbestos louvres and screened walls allowed for airflow throughout the house.[2]
Of his remaining houses, the heritage-listed Burnett House in Myilly Point in Darwin is his best known.[4]
In February 1942, Darwin was bombed by the Japanese and Burnett was evacuated to Alice Springs.
In Alice Springs Burnett designed a number of houses for the Central Australian climate, including the Riverside Hotel (now the Todd Tavern).[5]
Many of his residential buildings now make up the Hartley Street heritage precinct in Alice Springs.[2]
These include number 75, 80, 81, 82, 84 and 86 Hartley Street and 81 Bath Street.[6]
Beni Carr Glynn Burnett (1889-1955) was born in Mongolia, the son of Scottish Presbyterian missionaries, and raised in China. He worked as an architect in China and Singapore, and travelled through Europe, North America and Japan. In 1934 he came to Australia and in 1937 he was appointed Architect in the Works and Services Branch, Department of Interior, and commenced work in its newly established Darwin office.
His first task was to design high quality "tropical" housing for executive public servants and military personnel.
Burnett's designs were influenced by the architecture of Southeast Asia.
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His designs maximised new materials such as asbestos cement sheeting,
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corrugated roof cladding and
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a unique form of louvres with patterning by casement windows.
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He utilised ventilation and designed living spaces to suit the climate of Darwin.
In Darwin, Burnett also designed houses at the RAAF Base (RNE 16338 and 16339) and the Sergeants Mess and the Headquarters Building, 1940 (RNE 016321, 014936, 014937) at the Larrakeyah Barracks.
Burnett had a long term influence on local architecture in both civilian and military housing. He was evacuated from Darwin to Alice Springs following Japanese air raids in 1942. He designed a number of houses in Alice Springs which are quite different to his tropical designs for coastal Darwin. He remained in Alice Springs until his death in 1955. - Australian Heritage Database
Read more:
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Wikipedia - Beni Burnett
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National Archives of Australia - Northern Territory housing
Jump To:
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Audit House, 2 Burnett Place
Larrakeyah 0820 NT (1934)
The Giese Residence, formerly known as Audit House, is a large timber framed, fibro clad construction elevated on concrete stumps, designed by architect Beni Burnett.
The residence is one of a number built in this part of Darwin for high-ranking public servants in the 1930s.
It is now a rare example of a large-scale housing form used in Darwin during 1920-1940.
This house (1934) is carefully designed for climate and is located within a large and Well established Garden.
1
The house is clad with fibro sheeting and features preformed fibro louvres, side hung windows, a hipped gable roof clad with corrugated asbestos sheets, and ridge vents.
The plan of the house includes a large living space with three quarter high louvred partitions dividing off the bedrooms on one side.
At the rear are the kichen, bathroom and toilet.
The house suffered minor damage during World War Two and was repaired in 1946. Both the house and its gardens were considerably damaged by Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
From 1979-82 the Department of Transport and Works (DTW), Darwin, fully restored the house to almost original condition. The fine tropical garden was established by the Gieses after 1974.
The residence is one of a number built in this part of Darwin for high ranking public servants late in the 1930s.
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The first occupant was Mr S O'Brien, the Commonwealth Auditor, from 1938-39.
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During World War Two the house was used as a rest home for nurses.
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After World War Two it was occupied by a succession of residents from different government departments:
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Mr L H A Giles, Government Secretary, 1946;
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Mr Frank Moy, Director of Native Affairs, 1947 -49, 1950 -53; and
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Mr R McCaffery, Acting Director of Native Affairs until October 1954.
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Mr Harry Giese, the first Director of Welfare, took residence from late October 1954 and this has been the family home of the Gieses since then.
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In 1982 the Northern Territory Government presented the property to the National Trust of Australia (Northern Territory) under an agreement which gives Mr and Mrs Giese life tenancy provided the house and gardens are open to the public for a number of days every year.
The house and gardens are within the registered Tropical Executive Housing Precinct.
Read more:
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Australian Heritage Database - Giese Residence, 2 Burnett Pl, Larrakeyah, NT.
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National Trust NT - Audit House
Tropical Executive Housing Precinct
The Myilly Point Heritage Precinct is a group of four pre-war houses built for executive level public servants in the late 1930s.
The precinct contains four houses: Audit House, Burnett House, Magistrates House and Mines House.
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Audit House (Type B Amended) on Lot 1098 was designed by the Commonwealth Government (probably Wilfred Haslam) and the other three houses were designed by BCG Burnett.
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Burnett House (Type K) on Lot 1099 is the only two-storey house on the precinct.
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The other two houses on Lots 1101 and 1102 are Type E residences.
Statement of Significance
The precinct is of outstanding significance as a unique and related group of pre war houses built for executive level public servants, illustrating several designs of the notable architect B C G Burnett (Criteria F.1 and H.1).
In combination, the houses create a unified precinct which makes a powerful aesthetic contribution to Darwin (Criterion E.1).
The houses are associated with senior public servants, including H G Stoddart, H Barclay, W Littlejohn, G Letts, C K Ward and S Dodds who have been influential in Northern Territory government policy formation and administration since 1938 (Criterion H.1).
The houses illustrate the development of Commonwealth Territorial Government in Darwin.
They are also associated with the Australian Womens' Army Service (AWAS) occupation of the area in the latter stages of World War Two and immediately thereafter (Criterion A.4).
The group of houses strongly contributes to an understanding of Darwin's architectural and social history (Criterion C.2).
Read more:
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Tropical Executive Housing Precinct 2,4,6 Burnett Place Larrakeyah, NT,
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Barr Residence, 12 Schultze St, Larrakeyah, NT (1941)
“Barr Residence was built in mid-1941, and is a rare remaining example of a series of 16 Government residences designed by notable architect Beni Burnett,” Mr Kirby said.
“This particular ‘Type S’ design residence (illustrated at left) is especially significant, as it was temporarily used as part of the military hospital in WWII, as well as being one of only a few structures in the area to have survived Cyclone Tracy.”
The Barr Residence is significant as the last remaining, and a very intact, example of government architect, B C G Burnett's Type S house design which effectively applied tropical design considerations (Criteria B.2, D.2 and H.1).
The house in its original setting is historically important for reflecting one of the forms of public service housing built in Darwin just before the outbreak of the Pacific War (Criterion A.4)(Theme 8.12, Living in and around Australian homes).
Showing very limited Cyclone Tracy damage
The owners of Barr Residence, 12 Schultze Street Larrakeyah NT
Jump To:
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Audit House, 2 Burnett Place
Larrakeyah 0820 NT
Tropical Executive Housing Precinct
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
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Daylesford House, (Cyril Jackson's House, Yadgawine)
7 Daylesford Rd Bassendean -
Vancouver Arts Centre Group (former Albany Cottage Hospital) 77-87 Vancouver St Albany WA
Description
The house is a four bedroom Type S residence of a design type which was developed by government architect, B C G Burnett in about 1938.
This house, built in 1941, has a timber frame and the walls and roof are clad with asbestos cement.
The roof features exposed rafters and there are brackets to eaves beneath the gable. The building stands on round concrete piers.
It is the only surviving example of a Burnett designed house to retain the use of top hung perimeter shutters.
Although built for public servant residential use, the house was used by the military as an annex to the adjacent hospital complex during World War Two. It was later used as a child care centre until 1988 when it was acquired by the present owners who reverted it to residential use.
The house is the last surviving example of Burnett's Type S design and it is one of only eight pre war public service houses still on its present site. It is highly intact.
5 September 2017 · Darwin, NT ·
Today, the owners of Barr Residence, 12 Schultze Street, were awarded almost $30,000 to replace the roof of their heritage listed and architecturally designed home, as part of the 2017/18 NT Heritage Grants Program.
Read more:
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Australian Heritage Database - Barr Residence, 12 Schultze St, Larrakeyah, NT
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Canberra-born man's 25-year fascination with Darwin's elevated homes -
ABC Radio Darwin By Emilia Terzon
3
Burnett House, 4 Burnett Pl, Larrakeyah, NT (1939)
Burnett House, constructed in 1939, is one of four houses comprising the significant tropical housing precinct built for executive level public servants at Myilly Point, Darwin. The houses are significant individually and as a group.
Burnett House, along with the other remaining three houses, are the best surviving examples of the work of B.C.G. Burnett as Architect in the Works and Services Branch, Commonwealth Department of Interior, for civilian occupation. Burnett House is also associated with a number of senior government public servants who lived in the house since its construction (Criterion H.1).
Jump To:
Australian Capital Territory Arts and Crafts Architecture
Queensland Arts and Crafts Style
South Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Northern Territory Arts & Crafts
Tropical Architect Beni Burnett
Western Australian Arts and Crafts Style
Beni Carr Glynn Burnett (1889-1955) was born in Mongolia, the son of Scottish Presbyterian missionaries, and raised in China. He worked as an architect in China and Singapore, and travelled through Europe, North America and Japan. In 1934 he came to Australia and in 1937 he was appointed Architect in the Works and Services Branch, Department of Interior, and commenced work in its newly established Darwin office.
His first task was to design high quality "tropical" housing for executive public servants and military personnel. Burnett's designs were influenced by the architecture of Southeast Asia. His designs maximised new materials such as asbestos cement sheeting, corrugated roof cladding and a unique form of louvres with patterning by casement windows. He utilised ventilation and designed living spaces to suit the climate of Darwin. In Darwin, Burnett also designed houses at the RAAF Base (RNE 16338 and 16339) and the Sergeants Mess and the Headquarters Building, 1940 (RNE 016321, 014936, 014937) at the Larrakeyah Barracks.
Burnett had a long term influence on local architecture in both civilian and military housing. He was evacuated from Darwin to Alice Springs following Japanese air raids in 1942. He designed a number of houses in Alice Springs which are quite different to his tropical designs for coastal Darwin. He remained in Alice Springs until his death in 1955.
Tenders for two Type K houses to be constructed at Myilly Point were received in 1938. The only tenderer was G. Kafcaloudes, a well known Darwin builder, whose successful tender was 2,500 pounds for each house. Only one of the houses was built.
Burnett House, 1939, was built for the the Director of Works and Construction.
At the time of construction the Director of Works was Mr E.W. Stoddart who lived in the house until the bombing of Darwin in 1942.
During the war the house was used as a rest home by the Australian Women's Army Service and, at times provided temporary accommodation for nurses. The house was considerably damaged during World War II and was repaired in 1946.
After World War Two the newly appointed Director of Works and Housing, Mr R.C. Lucas lived in the house (October 1946-July 1950); followed by subsequent Directors
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Mr. R. C. Jones (July 1950-August 1951); and Mr F.C. Vigdens.
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The house became the "Successor-in-Office" residence for the Commonwealth Auditor from 1955 until 1980, and was tenanted from 1980-1983.
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It fell into poor condition in the 1980s but has been repaired and is now well maintained and open to the public during tours conducted by the National Trust.
Read more:
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Wikipedia - Burnett House (Darwin, Northern Territory)
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Australian Heritage Database - Burnett House, 4 Burnett Pl, Larrakeyah, NT
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National Trust NT -