Acme Engineering Works facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acme Engineering Works |
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H.B. Sales Building, 2014
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| Location | 125 Margaret Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Frank Longland |
| Official name: HB Sales Building | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 23 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 600125 |
| Significant period | 1912 (fabric) 1912-1928 (historical) |
| Significant components | toilet block/earth closet/water closet |
| Builders | George Edward Day |
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The Acme Engineering Works is a special old building in Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It's located at 125 Margaret Street. This building is also known as the HB Sales Building. It was designed by an architect named Frank Longland and built in 1912 by George Edward Day. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on April 23, 1999. This means it's protected and important to Queensland's history.
Contents
Discovering Acme Engineering Works
Early History of the Building
This brick building has only one floor. It was built in the second half of 1912. It was made for a company called Smith and Balls' Acme Engineering Works. Sarah Balls, a widow, bought the land for it in the same year.
The building was constructed during a time when Queensland's economy was growing fast. This was between 1903 and 1914. It shows how the area known as Frog's Hollow kept developing. Frog's Hollow is the land between George and Edward Streets. It became a busy area for businesses and small factories.
Frog's Hollow: From Farms to Factories
Frog's Hollow used to be low and swampy. In the 1820s and 1830s, convicts farmed there. Later, in the 1840s and 1850s, a few small houses were built on higher ground.
After Queensland separated from New South Wales, the area became more crowded. People started filling in the swampy land. Small shops, workshops, boarding houses, and hotels were built.
In the 1880s, during a time of great growth, bigger commercial and industrial buildings replaced these smaller ones. Frog's Hollow was close to the wharves (docks) along Eagle Street and Petrie Bight. This made it a perfect spot for light industry and storage. Many factories and workshops opened or grew there. They made things like clothes, shoes, furniture, and metal products. By the late 1880s, engineering and metalworking companies were very common in this area.
Development slowed down in the 1890s during the Depression. But it picked up again in the early 1900s.
Acme Engineering's Role in the Area
The Acme Engineering Works building, built in 1912, helped make Frog's Hollow a strong industrial area. It was built next to the Watson Brothers Building (1887). That building was a plumbing and metal works shop. So, Acme Engineering Works was in a good spot for metal-working businesses.
The Architect: Frank Longland
Brisbane architect Frank Longland asked for bids in June 1912 to build the brick premises for Acme Engineering Works. George Edward Day won the bid.
Longland learned from a famous architect named FDG Stanley. He had a successful architecture business in Brisbane from 1893 to 1924. He was also a leader in the Queensland Institute of Architects. The Acme Engineering Works building is one of the few buildings he designed in the 20th century that still stands. He was a modern architect for his time.
What Happened to the Building Over Time
By 1913, Smith and Balls' Acme Engineering Works had moved into their new building. They were engineers who worked with metals like copper, brass, and iron. They also did general engineering. Alex J Smith managed the company. They used to be on Charlotte Street and specialized in milk condenser work.
The company stopped doing business around 1928. The property was then transferred to the Jeays family. Charles Joshua Jeays, who sold building and plumbing supplies, used the site until about 1943.
After World War II, Gardiner Batteries used the building for a while. In 1958, HB Sales, a company that sold chemicals, moved in. The Jeays family sold the property in 1963. Orb Holdings Pty Ltd bought it in 1978.
In 1999, when it was heritage-listed, the building was an internet cafe called The Hub. By 2012, a cycling store rented it. However, in October 2013, it was empty and available for rent.
What the Building Looks Like
The Acme Engineering Works building is next to the Watson Brothers Building on Margaret Street. It's a brick workshop with a metal extension at the back.
The front of the building is very neat and balanced. It has a wide opening in the middle. On each side of this opening are arched windows. All three openings have canvas awnings (shades).
At the edges of the front, there are flat columns called pilasters that go up to the top wall, called a parapet. On each pilaster, there's a downpipe for rainwater. The rainwater heads have the date "1912" on them. Above the central opening, the name "HB SALES" is written in raised letters.
The parapet has a raised part in the middle. It has a decorative edge called a dentilled cornice. This supports a unique triangular shape with a curved top, called a pediment. Behind this, a gable roof runs along the length of the building. At the back, there's a small toilet block. The metal extension was added by 1913.
Inside, there's an early upper level, called a mezzanine. It has been made bigger towards the front of the building, with a new staircase.
Why Acme Engineering Works is Important
The Acme Engineering Works was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on April 23, 1999. This means it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
The building was built in 1912 during Queensland's first big growth period in the 20th century. It helps us understand how Frog's Hollow became the main area for storage and light industry in Brisbane's city center. This role lasted from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
Unique Aspects of Queensland's Heritage
The Acme Engineering Works is special because it's one of the few old industrial workshops left in Brisbane's city center. It's also one of the few known buildings designed by architect Frank Longland from the 20th century that still exists. Its unique front design was, and still is, rare for an industrial building in Brisbane.
Showing Key Building Features
This building is a great example of a small brick workshop from the Federation era (early 1900s). It was designed to look impressive but also to be built economically.
Its Beautiful Design
The Acme Engineering Works adds beauty to Margaret Street. Its decorative front design is still complete. Even though the bricks have been painted, the building still looks very appealing.
