Athol Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athol Place |
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Athol Place, 2013
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| Location | 307 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1860s |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Official name: Athol Place | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600167 |
| Significant period | early 1860s - present |
| Significant components | residential accommodation - terrace house/terrace, cellar, basement / sub-floor |
| Builders | Alexander McNab |
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Athol Place is a very old and special house in Spring Hill, Brisbane, Australia. It's a type of building called a terrace house, which means it's one of several houses joined together in a row. Built in the 1860s by a builder named Alexander McNab, Athol Place is now considered a heritage site, meaning it's important to Queensland's history. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
The Story of Athol Place
Athol Place was built in the early 1860s, not long after Wickham Terrace became a place where people could build homes. This group of three stone terrace houses was built by Alexander McNab. He was a building contractor who kept them to rent out to others. McNab lived next door in a house called Athol Cottage, which is no longer there. Both properties were named after McNab's hometown in Scotland, Blair Atholl.
Famous People and Changes Over Time
One of the first people to rent a space here was a well-known doctor, Dr. Joseph Bancroft. He opened his consulting rooms in 1866, shortly after starting his practice in Brisbane. Later, McNab's own son, Alexander, lived there. He started a law firm called Chambers McNab.
Brisbane Girls High School, which is now called Somerville House, also used one of the residences as a boarding house for students. In 1916, a family named Ryan bought Athol Place. They lived in one of the houses. In 1929, the Ryans moved out and changed the property into six separate apartments, or "flats."
Modern Use and Restoration
The Ryan family sold Athol Place in 1972 to an engineering company. Then, in 1979, two doctors, Dr. John Herron and Dr. Jon Cohen, bought it. They worked to bring the outside of the building back to its original look. They also updated the inside. They created two doctor's consulting rooms and a reception area on the ground floor. Upstairs, they made three flats.
What Athol Place Looks Like
Athol Place is a row of three terrace houses built in a style called Colonial Georgian. This style was popular in the past. The building has two floors and is made from a strong local stone called Brisbane tuff. The original roof was made of wooden shingles, but now it has a corrugated iron roof.
Outside Features
A wooden verandah, which is like a long porch, stretches across the front of the building on the top floor. It has pretty cast-iron railings. From the outside, the three houses look like one big building with a single sloped roof.
Inside Layout
Inside, most of the walls are covered with plaster. The back parts of the building have walls made of wooden planks fitted together.
On the ground floor, there's a central waiting room. Doors from this room lead to the doctors' consulting rooms on each side. Behind each consulting room is an examination room. French doors, which are doors with many glass panes, open from the reception and consulting rooms into a hallway. This hallway runs across the whole width of the building. On the other side of the hall are a kitchen and offices. Three stairwells lead up to the flats on the first floor.
Each flat upstairs has an open kitchen and bathroom area at the top of the stairs. There's also a wide hallway with a living room on one side. Two bedrooms open through French doors onto the front verandah.
Lower Level and Original Design
Because the land slopes down at the back, there's a lower level called a sub-floor. This area has three rooms and three cellars. Before it was renovated, each terrace house originally had two reception rooms on the ground floor, each with a fireplace. There was also a section at the back with a kitchen and other service rooms. A staircase on one side of the front room led up to the bedrooms.
Why Athol Place is Special
Athol Place was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's recognized as an important part of Queensland's history and culture.
Showing Queensland's Past
Athol Place is important because it shows how Queensland's history developed. It was built soon after Wickham Terrace was opened for building. It is one of the earliest stone terrace houses with Georgian style elements built in Brisbane.
A Rare Find
This building is one of the few original homes left on Wickham Terrace. It shows the kind of houses that were once common when this area was mostly residential. Terrace houses were not as common in Brisbane as in other big Australian cities. Many have been pulled down, making the early ones like Athol Place even rarer. Most two-story terrace houses in Brisbane were made of brick or timber. Because Athol Place is made of stone, it is even more special.
A Great Example of Its Kind
The building is a wonderful example of a Colonial Georgian terrace house. It also adds to the historic look of Wickham Terrace, along with other buildings like Bryntirion nearby.
Beautiful and Important
Athol Place is considered beautiful and adds to the charm of Wickham Terrace.
Connected to Important People
Athol Place is also important because of its connections to key people in Queensland's history. Alexander McNab, a successful early Brisbane developer, built and owned it for many years. His son, Alexander, who became a well-known lawyer, lived here. Also, Dr. Joseph Bancroft, a pioneering doctor, had his surgery here for a time.
