Frognall, Melbourne facts for kids
Frognall is a large, old mansion located at 54 Mont Albert Road in the Melbourne suburb of Canterbury. It was built during a time in the 1880s when Melbourne was growing very quickly.
History of Frognall
Frognall was designed by an architect named James Gall in 1888. It was built between 1889 and 1891 for a wealthy timber merchant, Clarence Hicks. However, Mr. Hicks had to sell the house soon after because of a financial crisis in 1893.
In 1901, the Laycock family bought Frognall. They lived there until 1942. During World War II, they offered the house to the Australian Government to help with the war effort. Frognall then became an important part of the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) communication system. The RAAF used the house for over 40 years after the war ended.
What Frognall Looks Like
Frognall is built in a style called Italianate. This style was very popular for large houses in Melbourne during the 1880s. Frognall is special because it has a lot of fancy decorations made from cement. These include arched walkways and decorative railings.
The house looks very grand with its special entrance and deep, decorated roof edges. It also has a tower with unique broken pediments on each side. Frognall is one of many large mansions built in Melbourne's eastern suburbs during that time.
What makes Frognall quite rare is that it still has almost all of its original land from 1859. It also has most of the beautiful garden that was first created when the house was finished. Another special thing is that it still has its original service wing (where staff would work) and the stable and coach house, which are also in their original condition.
