Holy Cross Laundry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Cross Laundry |
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Building in 2015
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| Location | 60 Bridge Street, Wooloowin, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1888 - 1905 |
| Architect | Francis Drummond Greville Stanley |
| Official name: Holy Cross Laundry | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600359 |
| Significant period | 1888-1889, 1899, 1905 (fabric) |
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The Holy Cross Laundry is a special old building in Wooloowin, Brisbane, Queensland. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. This building was constructed between 1888 and 1905. It is important because it helped many people over the years. Today, it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Contents
History of Holy Cross Laundry
How the Laundry Began
The Holy Cross Laundry was built in 1888-89. It was an extra part of the Holy Cross Retreat in Wooloowin. The retreat was built for the Sisters of Mercy. It honored the work of James Quinn, who was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Brisbane.
The main building was next to the Church of the Holy Cross. It was designed by Francis Drummond Grenville Stanley. He used to be the Queensland Colonial Architect.
Helping Those in Need
The place was also known as the Magdalen Asylum. It offered a safe home for women who needed help. This included women who were struggling or needed special support. It also helped people with intellectual disabilities.
The laundry next door helped support the home. It made money and taught useful skills to the women. This helped them learn discipline and prepare for life.
Laundry's Growth and Changes
The first laundry building had a single floor. It had rooms for ironing and mangling clothes. A southern part held the sorting room and washhouse.
In 1899, a new brick section was added. It had a timber verandah. This part was a modern ironing room. It had special stoves that could heat many irons at once. Large roller presses were used by 1902. Electric irons were installed in 1917.
The laundry always used steam-powered machines. At first, a gas boiler made the steam. Later, an oil burner was installed in the 1980s. The old chimney from the boiler room was taken down.
A Big Business
In the 1890s, the laundry got contracts to wash clothes for ships. By the 1920s, it became one of the biggest commercial laundries in Brisbane. It was a very busy place.
In 1977, the main dormitory building was taken down. But the steam laundry building stayed. It continued to be a place where women and men with disabilities could work. It was a "sheltered workshop."
In 2014, the laundry offered jobs to people with disabilities. It also had general employment. Most workers had special agreements for their jobs.
Modern Redevelopment
In 2020, the Sisters of Mercy sold the site. A company called Cedar Wood Properties redeveloped the area. The large site became a new community called Greville.
It now has 84 new terrace homes and 189 new apartments. The old laundry building was also changed. It now has 7 heritage apartments inside it. The laundry area is used for living spaces. A new two-story part was added to the back. This part has bedrooms and garages. The new community is named Greville to honor Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. He was the original architect of the laundry.
What the Laundry Looks Like
The Holy Cross Laundry is a single-story building. It is made of brick and timber. It has a roof made of corrugated iron. The older parts of the building sit on brick supports. They were probably not painted on the outside at first.
Original Sections
The brick part from 1889 still looks mostly the same. Some walls have been changed. The ceiling is now lined, and the outside has been painted. The roof has also been replaced. This part still holds the washing room, part of the ironing room, and the boiler room. A newer brick section was added to the east. This is now the sorting room.
Later Additions
The wall between the old part and the 1899 brick addition was removed. This made one big ironing room. The newer section was built to have lots of fresh air. It has a high ceiling with wooden boards. It also has tall sash windows and verandahs along each side. There are large vents in the roof for air.
The verandah used to look like the main dormitory building. The posts and arches on the western verandah are mostly new. But they look like the original ones. The eastern verandah has been closed in and changed.
In 1905, a part of the eastern wall was removed. A timber extension was built for the packing room. This part has been made bigger to include offices. The area where goods were loaded has also been closed in recently.
Old Equipment
None of the very first laundry machines are still there. But two large steam rollers are still working. One was made in 1936 and the other in the 1940s. They show how the laundry used to operate.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Holy Cross Laundry was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it is a very important historical place.
Showing Queensland's History
The Holy Cross Laundry is important because it is the oldest charity laundry still working in Brisbane. It shows how places like this helped people in the 1800s. It is a rare example of a "workhouse" tradition. This was a place that offered refuge to women who needed help.
Unique Cultural Heritage
This laundry is special because it is one of the few places left that shows this type of history. It helps us understand how people were cared for in the past.
Building Style and Design
The Holy Cross Laundry is also a good example of how buildings were made in the late 1800s. It shows how they were designed to suit the weather in Queensland. This was important for an industrial building like a laundry.
Connection to Important Groups
The laundry has a strong link to the Sisters of Mercy. They were very important in starting and running charity places in Queensland. This building shows their hard work and dedication.
Images for kids
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Holy Cross Church, circa 1895
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Magdalene Asylum, 1937
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Roof detail, 2015
