Baddow House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Baddow House |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Baddow House, 2009
|
|
| Location | 366 Queen Street, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1883 |
| Architect | Willoughby Powell |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Official name: Baddow House | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600690 |
| Significant period | 1880s (fabric) 1880s-1900s (historical) |
| Significant components | garden/grounds, tank - water (underground), terracing, residential accommodation - main house |
| Builders | F Kinne |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Baddow House is a beautiful, old house in Maryborough, Australia. It was built in 1883 for Edgar Thomas Aldridge and his family. The house was designed by architect Willoughby Powell and built by Fritz Kinne. It sits on a high piece of land next to the Mary River. This special house is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place.
Contents
Discovering Baddow House's Past
Baddow House has a rich history, starting with the very first settlers in Maryborough. Let's explore how this grand home came to be and what happened to it over the years.
The First Maryborough Settlement
The original town of Maryborough was not where it is today. It was about eight kilometres upstream on the Mary River. In 1847, George Furber built a wharf and a store there. This spot helped sheep farmers transport their wool. The river was named Mary River in 1847.
Edgar Aldridge: A Pioneer's Story
Edgar Aldridge, who built Baddow House, was born in Essex, England. He named his new home "Baddow" after his birthplace. Edgar came to Australia and became a hotel owner. In 1849, he married Maria Sarah Slater and they had two children. Later that year, the family moved to Maryborough.
The Aldridges set up a store and the town's first hotel, the Bush Inn. They settled on the northern bank of the river. Other settlers soon joined them. The early years were tough due to conflicts between settlers and Indigenous people. Edgar asked the government for help to encourage more people to settle. Maryborough officially got its name in 1849.
Moving the Town
In 1850, a surveyor named Hugh Roland Labatt arrived. He was asked to find the best place for the town. Labatt chose a new site further east. This upset the settlers who had already built their homes and businesses. But a new government wharf was built at the new spot. It could handle bigger ships. Soon, the old town was abandoned, and Maryborough moved to its current location.
Edgar Aldridge bought land in the new town and moved his businesses there. He also bought land at the old town site, where he built a timber house. This land overlooked the river and his old businesses. The Aldridges grew many plants, including sugar cane. This showed that sugar cane could be a successful crop in the area. By 1863, the area around Aldridge's house was called Baddow.
Maryborough's Golden Age
The 1880s were a time of great growth for Queensland. Maryborough became a very important port and centre. It was known for its wool, sugar, gold from Gympie, timber, and coal mining. Many grand buildings were constructed in Maryborough during this time. These included the Maryborough Court House (1877) and the Maryborough Railway Station (1880).
Wealthy families built large, fancy homes called suburban villas. These homes showed off their owners' status in the community. They were often built on the edge of town with big, beautiful gardens. Baddow House was one of these impressive villas.
Building Baddow House
Construction of Baddow House began in 1883. It cost a lot of money back then, about £6600. The new house replaced Edgar Aldridge's old timber home. However, the old detached kitchen was kept and used with the new house.
The house was designed by Willoughby Powell, a skilled architect. He came to Maryborough in 1882 because of the building boom. Powell had designed other important buildings like the Toowoomba Grammar School. Baddow House was one of his first projects in Maryborough. The house was built by Fritz Kinne, a local builder. Kinne built many other buildings in Maryborough and later became the Mayor.
Changes Over Time
Maria Aldridge, Edgar's wife, passed away in 1886. Edgar died in Baddow House in 1888. His son, Harry, lived in the house with his family until 1910. After Harry's death, the house was sold in 1912.
Over the years, Baddow House had many different owners. In the 1940s, the verandahs were removed, and the gardens were cleared. During this time, the house might have been used as a boarding house for girls. In 1950, the government took over the house. It was meant to be a place for migrants, but it stayed empty and was damaged by vandals.
Later, the Boy Scouts Association used Baddow House as their meeting hall. They tried to repair some of the damage. The old kitchen building was torn down, but its cellar remained. In 1967, Donald and Daphne Scott bought the house. Then, John and Lois Hastings bought it in 1973.
In 1986, Barrie and Janice Christison bought Baddow House. They lived upstairs and opened the downstairs as a museum. The museum was very popular and helped make the house well-known in Maryborough.
In 2003, Ian Russell and Anne De Lisle bought the house. They spent three years carefully renovating it. They rebuilt the verandahs and added a new section with a kitchen and garage. They also restored the gardens. The house is still a private home today. It is sometimes used for special fundraising events.
Exploring Baddow House's Design
Baddow House is a large, two-storey home built in a style called Neo-Georgian. It sits on a big piece of land next to the Mary River. It's one of the biggest houses in Maryborough.
Outside the House
The house is made of brick, covered with a special plaster to look like stone blocks. It has a sloped roof made of corrugated metal. A timber verandah wraps around three sides of the house on both levels. This verandah has decorative cast-iron railings. The house has three large chimneys on the roof.
The front of the house faces Queen Street. A wide staircase leads up to the verandah. On either side of the main entrance are two octagonal (eight-sided) bay windows. The front door is large and arched, with glass panels on the sides and above. The windows are tall and have double-hung sashes.
The verandah was rebuilt to look like the original. It has a timber floor and fancy metal decorations. The back of the house has a central back door and a service area. This area once had a roof-level water tank. This tank was filled by a hand pump connected to underground water tanks.
Inside the House
The inside of Baddow House has a similar layout on both floors. A T-shaped hallway leads to five main rooms. A beautiful timber staircase connects the two levels. The walls are plastered, and the floors and ceilings are made of timber boards.
The doors are made of timber with four panels. Many rooms have fireplaces with decorative timber mantelpieces. On the ground floor, some rooms have large folding cedar doors. These doors can open up to create bigger spaces. The ceilings on the ground floor are very high, and those on the first floor are also tall. The house features beautiful cedar wood throughout.
Some furniture and paintings in the house might have belonged to the Aldridge family. The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum has a collection of items donated by the Aldridge family. These items help us understand what life was like in Baddow House long ago.
During World War II, the decorative ironwork from the verandahs was removed. It was used to help with the war effort.
The Gardens and Water Tanks
The garden shows signs of its past design, including terraced areas. There are two large, brick, underground "beehive" water tanks near the house. These tanks are very old and were part of the house's water system. A Canary Island Date Palm tree stands near the front steps.
Archaeologists believe there might be old items buried in the grounds or under the house. These could tell us more about the first settlers in Maryborough or the early gardens of Baddow House.
Why Baddow House is a Heritage Site
Baddow House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place for several reasons.
Showing Queensland's History
Baddow House helps us understand how Queensland developed, especially during the economic boom of the 1870s and 1880s. Maryborough grew into a major town and centre for farming, industry, and trade. The house, along with old photos and documents, shows us how wealthy families lived during this important time.
Learning from the Past
Baddow House can teach us more about daily life for rich Queenslanders in the 1880s. By studying the house's structure and old records, we can learn a lot. For example, its old water system, with underground tanks and a hand pump, was very advanced for its time. This system shows how clever people were at providing modern services.
The house also helps us understand how the 1870s-1880s boom affected Maryborough. There might be archaeological clues under the ground from the 1850s to the early 1900s. These could include evidence from Edgar Aldridge's first house or early garden designs. Studying these clues could show us what the Aldridge family bought and used, giving us insights into their lifestyle and social status during a time of big changes in Maryborough.
A Great Example of its Kind
Baddow House is a fantastic example of a large, architect-designed suburban villa from the late 19th century in Queensland. It shows all the main features of such homes:
- It's a detached, two-storey house made of brick.
- It has public rooms downstairs, service rooms at the back, and bedrooms upstairs, with verandahs.
- It's set in a landscaped garden overlooking the river.
- It has beautiful details like external plaster, internal plaster, fancy cedar woodwork, and panelled doors.
The house still feels graceful and peaceful, just as it was designed to be. It's also a great example of the work of architect Willoughby Powell and builder Fritz Kinne, who were both very skilled and successful in their fields.
