Lister House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lister House |
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Lister House, Wickham Terrace, 2015
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| Location | 79 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1930 - 1948 |
| Architect | Raymond C Nowland |
| Official name: Lister House | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600171 |
| Significant period | 1930, 1948 (fabric) 1920s-1950s (historical) |
| Builders | J I Green & Son |
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Lister House is an old office building in Spring Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It's a special place because it's heritage-listed, meaning it's protected for its history and importance. People also know it as the Brisbane Clinic. A famous architect named Raymond C Nowland designed it. It was built between 1930 and 1948 by J I Green & Son. This building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
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The Story of Lister House
Lister House is a two-storey building made of brick. It was built in 1930 to be a special place for doctors' offices. A group of doctors called Lister House Ltd wanted a building just for medical use.
This building stands where the first Inchcolm building used to be. In 1929, Lister House Ltd bought the land from the Wharf Street Congregational Church. The church decided to build their new church somewhere else. Lister House Ltd then asked Brisbane architect Raymond Clare Nowland to design their new building. They wanted it to work like the famous Mayo Clinic in the United States. J I Green & Co. were the builders for this project.
Doctors Leslie John Jarvis Nye, John Bostock, and John Power used the American idea to create the first group of specialist doctors in Queensland. They called their practice the Brisbane Clinic. This clinic brought new ways of checking and treating patients. Doctors worked together, shared their facilities, and even had a reading group until the 1950s.
Lister House was one of several medical office buildings built on Wickham Terrace around that time. Other buildings included Inchcolm, Ballow Chambers, Wickham House, and Craigston. These buildings showed that Wickham Terrace was becoming a major area for specialist doctors in Queensland.
In 1948, the building was made bigger. They added a second reception area and staircase at the back. Six more offices were also added on each floor. Some updates were made to the building in the 1980s.
What Lister House Looks Like
Lister House is located near the eastern end of Wickham Terrace. It looks out over the city centre. This area has many buildings for doctors and other health professionals. Lister House is a two-storey brick building with a basement.
The main entrance has a large arch. This arch is surrounded by decorative plaster designs. These designs match the strong plaster blocks on the corners of the building. Above the doorway, you can see a crest. It has a lit torch, the year 1930, and the Latin saying Lux sanant, which means "light heals." On each side of the entrance, there are fancy bronze lamps. These lamps are in a Florentine design. There are also arched windows with large, decorative keystones.
On the upper level, there are three rectangular windows with noticeable decorative frames. A thick plaster cornice (a decorative molding) and a tiled roof complete the top of the building.
Even though the building was built in two stages, the inside of the newer part looks just like the first. Inside, you'll find beautiful silky oak wood details. The floors are made of parquetry, which is wood laid in patterns. The walls have a rough plaster finish up to the picture-rail height. The ceilings have plaster and different kinds of decorative mouldings. You can also see leadlight glass in the fanlights above doorways and in the arches of the main hallway.
The building has two reception areas and two staircases. The front staircase has silky oak steps and wrought iron railings. The basement was specially designed for an x-ray unit. It is still used for this purpose today. Lister House continues to be a building for specialist medical offices.
Why Lister House is Important
Lister House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it is considered very important for several reasons:
Part of Queensland's History
Lister House shows how Wickham Terrace became a major area for medical specialists in Brisbane. It also shows how specialist medicine grew in Queensland during the years between the two World Wars.
A Great Example of its Kind
Lister House is a well-built and complete building. It shows what a small, specially built medical office building from that time looked like. Its careful design also highlights the importance of medical specialists.
Beautiful to Look At
Lister House has a classic and stylish front. It looks great on Wickham Terrace, especially next to the nearby Inchcolm building. People in the community value its appearance.
Connected to Important People
The building has a special connection to Brisbane architect RC Nowland. It's an example of his work for private businesses. It also represents the new idea of the Brisbane Clinic, which was based on the famous Mayo Clinic in the United States.
