Baroona Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baroona Hall
Baroona Hall, 2009
Location	15-17 Caxton Street, Petrie Terrace, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1883 - 1884
Architect	Richard Gailey
Architectural style(s)	Classicism
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Baroona Labor Hall, Caxton Street Hall, Josephsons Clothing Factory, United Brothers Lodge
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600277
Significant period	1883-1884 (fabric) 1884-1916, 1918-1936, 1949-1980s (historical) 1884-ongoing (social)
Significant components	shop/s
Builders	James Stuart Martin
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Baroona Hall is a special old building in Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland. It's located at 15-17 Caxton Street. This two-storey brick hall was built a long time ago, between 1883 and 1884.

A famous architect named Richard Gailey designed it. The building was originally made for a group called the United Brothers Lodge. This group was part of the Oddfellows, a friendly society. Baroona Hall is also known as Caxton Street Hall. It's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's an important part of Queensland's history.

The Story of Baroona Hall

Baroona Hall was built in 1884. It was designed by Richard Gailey for the United Brothers Lodge. This group was part of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows. They needed a bigger place as more people joined. They also wanted a building that showed how strong and lasting their group was.

What Were the Oddfellows?

Oddfellows societies started in England in the 1600s. Back then, there were no safety nets if you got sick or hurt. People didn't have much money or help. So, friendly societies like the Oddfellows formed. Members would pool their small savings. This money would then help members who became ill or injured. It was like an early form of community support.

These groups often built their own halls. These halls were used for meetings. But they were also used by the community. People could hold events, lectures, and public meetings there.

Oddfellows in Australia

The biggest Oddfellows group was the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows (MUIOOF). It started in England in 1813. It quickly grew across England and then around the world.

The first Oddfellows lodge in Australia began in Sydney in 1840. In Brisbane, people wanted to start a lodge too. An advertisement was placed in the newspaper in 1847. Soon, a lodge was formed. By 1874, there were 22 lodges across Queensland.

Building Baroona Hall

The Loyal United Brothers Lodge was started in Brisbane in 1873. It had eleven founding members. Many of them worked at Smellies Foundry. Others were draymen, wood carvers, and coachmen. Their first meetings were held in a hotel and then a Baptist Hall.

In 1878, the lodge bought land on Caxton Street. They decided to build their own hall because their membership was growing. They borrowed money for the construction. The building was designed by Richard Gailey. It was built by James Stuart Martin, who was also a leading member of the lodge. Building started in 1883. The hall officially opened in February 1884.

The building had two shops at the front. The main hall was at the back. You could enter the hall from a lane at the side. Inside, the hall had a stage and a balcony. Upstairs, above the shops, there was a special room for the lodge meetings.

The Architect: Richard Gailey

Richard Gailey was one of Queensland's most active architects. He was born in Ireland in 1834. He moved to Australia in 1864. He designed many important buildings in Brisbane. These included shops, homes, and other society halls. He also designed an Oddfellows Hall in Fortitude Valley and a Masonic Hall in Toowong.

Changes Over Time

For many years, the hall was used by the lodge and the community. The shops at the front were always busy. They housed bakers, stationers, hairdressers, and other small businesses.

However, in the 1890s, there was an economic downturn. This made it hard for the lodge to keep up with costs. So, they had to rent out the building to a business.

In 1918, a clothing maker named Isidor Josephson leased the hall. He had a big clothing business. His factory at Caxton Street was known as a bright and airy place to work. The lodge continued to meet upstairs until 1916. Then they moved to a different building.

The society sold the hall in 1928. But Josephson stayed as a tenant until 1936. After that, the building was empty for a while. During World War II, it was used by the Defence Department. Later, in 1949, one shop was rented by a tailor. The rest of the building became the Baroona Labour Hall.

Over the years, the building has been used for different things. It was a Sunday Market for a time. The lodge room was used by a legal service from 1976. By 1980, one of the shops was changed to become the main entrance to the hall.

In the late 1980s, Baroona Hall was turned into a nightclub. It has changed owners and names a few times, but it is still used as a nightclub today.

What Baroona Hall Looks Like

Baroona Hall is on the corner of Caxton and Cathie Streets. It's made of brick. The front of the building has a special finish called cement render. It also has classical-style decorations. The building is on a sloped piece of land. This means it looks two storeys high at the front, but only one storey at the back.

It stands out among the other old buildings on the street.

The Front of the Building

The front of the building has two main parts. There's a shop on the side closest to Cathie Street. It has a recessed entrance and steel-framed display windows.

The other side of the front has the entrance to the hall. This entrance is next to a central pillar. A curved metal awning hangs over the footpath. It's held up by three timber posts.

Above the awning, the building is very balanced. It has pillars on the sides and in the middle. Between these pillars are pairs of arched windows. Above this section, there's a panel with the words "UNITED BROTHERS LODGE" carved into it.

At the very top, there's a decorative stone ledge. Above that is a low wall called a parapet. It has a circular pattern. The parapet is divided by short pedestals with large decorative tops called finials. Between these are two triangular shapes called pediments. They have fancy scrollwork. You can still see the faded letters "MUI" on one and "OOF" on the other. These letters stand for the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows. The top of the pediments have circles with symbols of the Oddfellows, like a dove and shaking hands.

The Sides and Back

The side of the building facing Cathie Street shows the exposed brick. It has a series of round and arched windows. There are three doors below some of these windows. One of the doors has been bricked up. Further along, there are four tall arched windows.

The back of the building is one storey high. It has a triangular gable end. There's a central door with two arched windows on either side. These windows are boarded up. A new brick toilet block hides them. The roof is new and made of corrugated iron. It has two decorative vents along the top. You can also see a chimney towards the front of the building.

Inside the Hall

When you go inside, a new entrance leads to stairs. These stairs take you up to the main hall. The walls are plastered and painted. The floor has new timber boards over the old ones. The ceiling is made of wooden boards. It's flat in the middle and slopes up at the sides. Soundproofing materials, air conditioning ducts, and lights now cover the ceiling.

There's a new stage at the back of the hall. It's built over new toilets. A bar is located along the Cathie Street side. It has a second level above it.

Stairs, possibly with their original wooden railings, lead to the old lodge room. This room has plastered walls and a new wooden ceiling. There's a chimney in one wall. A bar is also located on either side of the wall at the Cathie Street end. Many of the original wooden details are still in the hall.

Why Baroona Hall is Important

Baroona Labor Hall was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's a very important building.

A Look into Queensland's Past

The hall was built between 1883 and 1884 by the United Brothers Lodge. This group helped working-class people who had no protection against injury or illness. The building shows how important friendly societies were in Queensland in the 1800s and early 1900s. They provided much-needed services to the community.

Unique Features

The building is also special because its cement-rendered front is unpainted. This is uncommon. It also has surviving 1950s-style signs on its awning.

A Typical Oddfellows Hall

Baroona Hall shows what a typical Oddfellows Hall was like. It has symbols of the society. It also has the usual layout: a main hall, a balcony, a stage, and a special lodge room. It was also common for community halls to have shops at the front.

Beautiful Design

Baroona Hall is very beautiful. It stands out on the street. Its design, the way it was built, and the materials used are all of high quality.

Important to the Community

The hall has a special connection with many people. This includes past and present members of the United Brothers Lodge. It's also important to community groups who used it, like the Caxton Street Legal Service. It has a special link to the Australian Labour Party too. They used the hall as their local headquarters from the mid-1940s. They still own it today.

Richard Gailey's Work

Baroona Hall is also important because it's an example of the work of architect Richard Gailey. He was a very busy architect. He designed many famous commercial and residential buildings. He also designed other society halls, like the Oddfellows Hall in Fortitude Valley and a Masonic Hall in Toowong.