Masel Residence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Masel Residence |
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Masel Residence, 2015
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| Location | 98 High Street, Stanthorpe, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1937 - 1938 |
| Built for | Dr Harry and Una Masel |
| Architect | Charles William Thomas Fulton |
| Official name: Masel Residence (former), Diamond Residence | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 7 February 2005 |
| Reference no. | 601552 |
| Significant period | 1930s (fabric, historical) |
| Significant components | pathway/walkway, trees/plantings, fence/wall - perimeter, garage, terracing, laboratory, wall/s - retaining, wall/s - garden, lawn/s, gate - entrance, wading pool, consulting rooms, furniture/fittings, garden edging/balustrades/planter boxes, driveway, residential accommodation - main house |
| Builders | Kell & Rigby |
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The Masel Residence is a special old house located at 98 High Street in Stanthorpe, Australia. It is protected as a heritage site because of its unique design and history. The house was designed by a well-known architect named Charles William Thomas Fulton and built between 1937 and 1938 by Kell & Rigby. It is also sometimes called the Diamond Residence. This important building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on February 7, 2005.
Contents
History of the Masel Residence
This large, two-story brick house was built in Stanthorpe between 1937 and 1938. It was made for Dr. Harry Masel, a local doctor, and his wife, Una Masel, and their family. The house was designed in 1936 by Charles William Thomas Fulton. He was working for Donoghue and Fulton Architects at the time. The builders were Kell & Rigby, a company from Sydney.
A Modern Design for its Time
The Masel Residence was very modern for its era. It was inspired by a style called "modernist architecture" from Europe. This style focused on simple shapes, clean lines, and practical spaces. It was one of the first buildings in Queensland to show these new ideas. In 1938, the house even won an award for excellent architecture. This was part of Queensland's very first architecture awards!
A Doctor's Home and Office
Stanthorpe became a town around 1872 because of tin mining. Dr. Harry Masel was a general doctor there. In 1936, he bought the land on High Street where the house now stands. Dr. Masel's wife, Una, was very interested in modern architecture. She asked architect JP Donoghue to design their family home.
The house was special because it also included rooms for Dr. Masel's medical practice. This meant it had a waiting area, a consulting room, and even an X-ray room and a laboratory. It was common for doctors in the early 1900s to work from their homes. Dr. Masel was especially interested in X-rays. His surgery had a large X-ray machine, which was usually only found in hospitals.
The Architects and Builders
JP Donoghue was already working in Stanthorpe, designing the main part of the Stanthorpe Hospital in 1936. This might be how he met Dr. Masel. Charles Fulton, who designed the Masel Residence, worked for JP Donoghue at the time. Later, they started their own company, Donoghue and Fulton. The Masel Residence was one of their first projects together. The builders, Kell & Rigby, were also working on the hospital, so they likely built the house too.
Modern Architecture in Australia
In the 1930s, most houses in Australia were built in traditional styles. These included styles like Spanish Mission or Tudor Revival. However, a few houses were built in styles inspired by European modernism. Modern architecture aimed to create new ways of building. It focused on practical design rather than old traditions.
Modernist houses often had flat roofs hidden by walls, large windows, plain brick walls, and rounded corners. They also featured concrete awnings and balconies that stuck out without support. Gardens often had low brick walls, hedges, and large lawns. The Masel Residence brought many of these new ideas to Queensland.
Charles Fulton's Influence
Charles Fulton was born in Sydney in 1906. He studied architecture and traveled to Europe to see buildings. He was very interested in the work of a Dutch architect named Willem Marinus Dudok. In 1933, Fulton moved to Brisbane. He later partnered with JP Donoghue.
Charles Fulton was a very important architect and teacher in Queensland. He taught architecture for 33 years. The Queensland University of Technology even named its architecture school after him. Many of his designs, including the Masel Residence, won awards. His firm also designed many hospitals, known for their modern and practical layouts.
Changes Over Time
The Masel family owned the house for less than 10 years. Dr. Masel moved to Brisbane after World War II to focus more on radiology. They later became friends with the Fultons and Charles Fulton designed another house for them. The Masels sold their Stanthorpe house to Dr. DT Rushton Smith. In 1949, the Diamond family bought the property, and they still own it today.
About the Masel Residence
The former Masel Residence is a brick and concrete building with a well-kept garden. It is located on the main street leading into Stanthorpe. Other houses are to the east, while shops and other buildings are to the west. A school is now next to the property on two sides.
Outside the House
The house looks solid and strong, with a cube-like shape. It has two stories, with some parts that are only one story. These include the old doctor's office, a laundry room, a garage, and part of the living room. A curved stairwell with long, thin windows is a main feature at the front of the house. It has a horizontal awning that goes across it.
The outside walls are made of red-brown bricks. The brickwork is carefully done, even around the curved walls. The windows are made of steel and are often long strips or wrap around corners. The design mixes curved parts with sharp corners, and horizontal lines with the tall staircase. This creates a striking and interesting look.
The roofs are low and made of corrugated iron. They are hidden behind brick walls at the top of the house. Rainwater drains through these walls into special pipes. Metal ladders on the outside walls allow access to the roofs.
The Garden and Entrance
The house faces southeast across High Street. It is set behind a low brick fence. An original metal gate with a simple design opens onto a stone path leading to the main entrance. The metal gates on the driveway match this design.
The main entrance is at the bottom of the stairwell and leads into the family's living area. There was once another entrance further west, which led to the doctor's office. This entrance is now a balcony. Concrete awnings stick out to protect the entrances and most of the doors and windows.
Inside the House
On the lower floor, you'll find the old doctor's office and the main living areas of the house. The bedrooms and a bathroom are on the upper floor. A double garage is at the back of the house. The house still uses its original underground power and phone lines.
When you enter the house, you pass under a staircase with a solid wooden railing. A hallway leads from the entrance to the garage at the back. On one side of the entrance hall is a large living and dining area. This area opens onto a terrace that faces north. The living room has a brick fireplace and a curved window. French doors open from the dining and living area onto the raised terrace. An elegant curved brick stair connects the terrace to the garden. The kitchen was updated in the 1970s but still has some original cupboards.
The old doctor's office is now used as a living area. The walls that separated the waiting room, consulting room, and X-ray room have been removed. However, the old laboratory is still there.
The upper floor has three bedrooms, a nursery, and a bathroom. The main bedroom has its own private balcony. All bedrooms have built-in wardrobes with wooden doors. There's even a third level above the upstairs bathroom, which used to hold a water tank and hot water system.
The inside walls and ceilings are mostly painted plaster. The floors are carpeted over timber, except in wet areas. The dark wood of the doors and trimmings contrasts with the white walls. The house still has some original light fittings in the entrance hall and dining room. It also has an old electric bell system that connects the main bedroom to the former maid's quarters.
The layout of the house is typical of modernist designs from that time. The living and dining areas are open and flow into the garden. Private rooms are separate. The original plans show that the house was designed for specific furniture arrangements, including built-in furniture like a sofa and bookshelves near the fireplace. The bookshelves are still there, but the sofa was never built.
The Garden
The house is set in a large, well-established garden with lawns, hedges, shrubs, and old trees. Brick planter boxes near the terrace and entrance help the house blend into the garden. The land slopes gently towards the back. It has stone garden and retaining walls. The main lawn is on one side of the house, while the driveway is on the other. The driveway, which was once gravel, is now paved. Stone paths lead around the garden. The path to the front door has been rebuilt using the original stones. The backyard used to have a badminton court, and you can still see parts of a concrete wading pool near the garage. The garden has mature gum trees, English oaks, and white cedars.
Why the Masel Residence is Heritage Listed
The former Masel Residence was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on February 7, 2005, because it meets several important criteria:
A Key Part of Queensland's Architectural History
This house is one of the first examples of a modernist style house in Queensland. In the 1930s, most houses were built in older, traditional styles. The Masel Residence shows how new modernist ideas from Europe began to influence architecture in Queensland. This style later became very popular after World War II.
A Rare and Well-Preserved Example
The Masel Residence was designed in a style that was not widely used, especially outside of Brisbane. It is also unusually well-preserved for a house from its time. Both its architecture and its garden are still in their original condition.
Showing How Doctors Worked from Home
The house has a special surgery area with its own entrance. This shows how doctors often combined their work and home lives in the first half of the 20th century.
The Masel Residence is a great example of the "interwar functionalist style." It has many features of this style, such as its blocky, uneven shape, plain brick walls, steel corner windows, curved brick corners, flat awnings, and a hidden roof.
Beautiful and Unique Design
The house has a special beauty that stands out in the traditional country town of Stanthorpe. Its design and garden setting add to the unique character of the main street.
High Level of Creative Design
The Masel Residence is a very well-designed building. It even won an award for excellent architecture in Queensland when it was first built.
Connection to a Famous Architect
This house is an early example of the work of Charles William Thomas Fulton, one of Queensland's most important architects. It shows many features of his style, like its abstract, sculptural shape and simple interior design.
