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Horatio Jones house facts for kids

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Horatio Jones house
General information
Address Blackwood St, Tecoma Vic
Coordinates 37°53′52″S 145°20′37″E / 37.89765°S 145.34356°E / -37.89765; 145.34356
Completed 1920s
Technical details
Material timber, kerosene tins
Floor count 2
Floor area 48.75 square metres (524.7 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect Horatio Jones

The Horatio Jones house is a very special home located in Tecoma, Victoria, Australia. It was built around 1920-1926 by an Australian inventor and engineer named Horatio Thomas Jones. What makes this two-story house unique is that it's made from flattened four-gallon kerosene tins. Horatio even used tools he made himself to build it!

Who Was Horatio Jones?

Horatio Thomas Jones was a clever inventor and engineer. He was known for creating new things and designing how they work.

Before building his house, Horatio served in World War I. He was part of the Gallipoli Campaign, where he got injured. After returning home, he decided to end his engagement.

In 1920, Horatio bought land in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges. He then built this special house for himself and his two sisters, Christina and Annie. Horatio never married.

A House Made of Tins

Imagine building a house not from bricks or wood, but from old kerosene tins! That's exactly what Horatio Jones did. He flattened many four-gallon kerosene tins and used them as the main building material. This shows how resourceful and inventive he was.

The house has two stories. It covers an area of about 48.75 square meters. Building a home from recycled materials like kerosene tins was very unusual for its time.

A Special Heritage Home

The Horatio Jones house is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. This means it's recognized as an important historical building. It's described as a "substantially intact and rare example of shanty construction."

This house is a great example of how people built homes in the early 1900s using whatever materials they could find. It shows a unique part of Australia's building history.

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