Oak Lodge and Spreydon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oak Lodge and Spreydon |
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Oak Lodge
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| Location | 7 Warra Street & 30 Rome Street, Newtown, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1890s - c. 1923 |
| Built for | Robert Walker Filshie |
| Architect | James Marks and Son |
| Official name: Oak Lodge and Spreydon | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 1 October 2003 |
| Reference no. | 601312 |
| Significant period | 1890s, 1920s (fabric) 1890s, 1908-1917 (historical, social) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, residential accommodation - main house, garden/grounds |
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Oak Lodge and Spreydon are two old, beautiful houses in Newtown, a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. They were built a long time ago, starting in the 1890s. What's interesting is that they were designed by a famous local architecture firm called James Marks and Son. Originally, they were just one big house! But around 1923, it was split into two separate homes. These houses are now protected as important historical sites.
Contents
History of the Houses
Oak Lodge and Spreydon were first built in the 1890s. They started as one large house facing Warra Street in Newtown, Toowoomba. It's thought that the well-known Toowoomba architects, James Marks and Son, designed this house. It was built for Robert Walker Filshie, who was a plumber and also sold timber.
The original house was a big timber building with a steep roof. It had two parts that stuck out at the front, facing Warra Street. In the early 1920s, this large house was divided into two sections. The southern part, with one of the sticking-out sections and a hallway, was moved around the corner to face Rome Street. It was then made bigger towards the west.
Robert Filshie's Story
Robert Filshie was born in Scotland. He became a plumber and moved to Queensland in 1862. After trying his luck at the Gympie gold fields, he came to Toowoomba in 1868. In 1870, he started his own plumbing business, which he ran for over 30 years.
Filshie is also known for his timber business. In 1884, he teamed up with James Broadfoot and James Marks to buy a sawmill. Their company, Filshie, Broadfoot & Co., became very successful. By 1912, it was one of the biggest timber companies in Queensland.
Like many successful business people, Robert Filshie was involved in his local community. He served on the local council. He also helped start the Toowoomba Caledonian Society and was an important member. He was also a freemason.
In 1885, land in Newtown was divided into smaller blocks for homes. Filshie bought several blocks, including a large area facing Warra, Rome, and Russell Streets. This land was put in his wife's name. After she passed away in 1887, the property was managed by Robert Filshie. In 1893, it was given to his oldest daughter, Janet Filshie.
By the early 1900s, Robert Filshie had built two houses on Janet's property. Both faced Warra Street. One was the large timber house at the corner of Rome and Warra streets (which became Oak Lodge and Spreydon). The other was Auchentoshan, at the corner of Russell and Warra streets.
The house at the corner of Warra and Rome streets was big and impressive. It had beautiful details and would have looked very appealing. Because of its unique design and Filshie's connection with architect James Marks, it's believed that Marks or his firm designed the house. James Marks was Filshie's business partner in the timber company, which likely supplied the wood for building the house.
The Marks Architects
James Marks was born in England. He learned to be a carpenter and taught himself about building and architecture. He moved to Queensland in 1866 and started working as a builder and architect in Dalby. In 1874, Marks moved to Toowoomba.
In 1892, his older son, Henry James (Harry) Marks, became his partner. They formed the firm James Marks and Son. This company was very important in architecture in Toowoomba for over 50 years. Some other houses designed by James Marks in Toowoomba include Weetwood (1888) and Redlands (1888-89). Houses designed by James Marks and Son include Smithfield House (around 1895) and Vacy Hall (around 1900).
In April 1893, the land at the corner of Warra and Rome Streets was rented to George Burnell. He imported musical instruments. It's possible the house was already built by this time, and Burnell lived there.
Spreydon Girls' College
We don't know much about who lived in the house until 1908. In 1907, three sisters, Elizabeth, Jessie, and Margaret Thomson, moved from Melbourne to Toowoomba. They wanted to start a girls' school. Toowoomba had been a center for education in southern Queensland since the mid-1800s.
The Thomson sisters rented the Filshie house at the corner of Warra and Rome Streets. They also rented over an acre of land. On February 4, 1908, they opened the house as Spreydon Girls' College. It was a school for both boarding and day students. The school taught classes from kindergarten up to high school levels. Elizabeth and Jessie Thomson were the main principals, and Margaret looked after the boarding students. The house was used for the principals' and boarders' rooms. A school room, kindergarten, and tennis court were built facing Rome Street. Later, the house was used for offices, dining, and teaching.
The Thomson sisters asked the Presbyterian Church in Brisbane for their support. This was granted in May 1909. The number of students grew steadily. In early 1911, new dormitories had to be built. The school had about 16 boarding students out of 60 total pupils.
At Spreydon Girls' College, the Thomson sisters ran the school like the Melbourne Presbyterian Ladies' College. All teachers were specialists. Students achieved high academic results. Girls were also active in sports. The Misses Thomson made sure students had good manners and Christian values.
However, at the end of 1914, the Thomson sisters faced money problems. They decided to resign and return to Melbourne. The Presbyterian Church then decided to take full responsibility for the school. A private company, The Presbyterian Ladies College Limited, was set up. The school's name was changed to The Presbyterian Ladies College, Toowoomba. It opened in January 1915.
Even though student numbers dropped after the Thomson sisters left, the school directors made a new 10-year lease with Janet Filshie, the property owner. The new principal, Miss Amy Carson, faced challenges like drought, war, and epidemics. But the school quickly became popular and needed a bigger place.
A new property called Fairholme was bought on the east side of Toowoomba. A branch school opened there in July 1917, fully controlled by the Presbyterian Church. This school is now known as Fairholme College. The rest of the students and some of the Spreydon College buildings were moved to Fairholme by the start of the 1918 school year. However, Miss Filshie refused to cancel the 10-year lease on the Warra Street property. She insisted on getting her monthly payments until the lease ended in December 1925.
The Division of the House
After Janet Filshie passed away in January 1922, her property went to trustees. They had the power to sell it. These trustees seem to have been responsible for turning the former girls' school into two separate houses. Around 1923, they moved the southern part of the building, which had a gabled roof, to face Rome Street (30 Rome Street). This section had two rooms under the gable and a small front room, entrance area, and hallway. Once it faced Rome Street, two more rooms and verandahs were added to the western side of the hallway.
The remaining two-thirds of the building still faced Warra Street. It was named Oak Lodge. This name was likely inspired by a large Silky Oak tree on the property.
In 1923, William Cattanach moved into Oak Lodge in May. Mrs. Martha Hogg and Misses Jessie and Jean Hogg moved into 30 Rome Street in September. Oak Lodge was valued at £1,300. Both properties were still under the Presbyterian Church lease until December 19, 1925.
Spreydon's Later Life
The ownership of 30 Rome Street (Spreydon) was transferred in October 1924 to William and Richard Hogg. They paid £800 for the property, which was still leased to the Presbyterian Church. It stayed in the Hogg family until 1970. Then, Dr. and Mrs. James Syme bought it. They renovated the house and named it Spreydon. Since 1987, the house has had several owners.
Some changes have been made to Spreydon over time. Verandahs have been enclosed and turned into rooms. The kitchen has been updated, and a new deck was added at the back. In 2001, two new rooms with dormer windows were created in the roof space.
Oak Lodge's Later Life
The ownership of 7 Warra Street (Oak Lodge) was transferred in May 1925 to Charlotte Cattanach, William Cattanach's wife. It was also still subject to the Presbyterian Church lease. Dentist John Erskin Brown MacLean and his wife Laura bought the house in October 1925. It remained their family home until 1947. Since then, Oak Lodge has had several owners.
A newspaper article from The Toowoomba Chronicle in 1973 said that Oak Lodge was about 35 squares (a measure of house size). It still had beautiful cedar woodwork, three fireplaces, and high ceilings (13 feet). The large living room, over 21 feet long, had fine timber panels with no visible joins. The wide verandahs facing Warra and Rome Streets had been enclosed. The original pantry was now part of the modern kitchen.
Another article from The Chronicle in 1998 described Oak Lodge as a grand home. The formal living room had a fireplace and a bay window with a window seat. Large bedrooms with timber walls were on either side of the main entrance. The dining room opened to the kitchen. Windows that you could step through led to the enclosed side verandah. Many windows allowed light to shine on the polished pine floors.
A conservation architect, David Roessler, described Oak Lodge in 1999. He noted that when part of the house was removed, it was done so carefully that it's hard to notice. The main rooms are large. The front room under the gable roof was divided into two a long time ago. The hall and front rooms have timber panels on the lower part of the walls, deep cornices, and large architraves and skirting boards. The two front bay windows have timber-paneled ceilings. He especially noted the impressive timber entrance just inside the front door. It looks like a Greek temple with its classical design. All three timber fireplaces are simpler than expected and were painted. The building was renovated in 2000.
Oak Lodge was identified in a 1995 study as a place of special importance. The area around Rome and Warra Streets was listed as valued by the community.
Description of the Houses
Oak Lodge
Oak Lodge is a large, single-story timber house. It has a beautiful, artistic design. It sits on a big block of land at the corner of Warra and Rome Streets in Newtown, Toowoomba.
The house doesn't have a perfectly balanced shape. It has a steeply pitched roof. Wide gables (the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof) stick out from the main front and on the eastern side. A corner bay window goes up into the main roof. Two tall brick chimneys stick out through the corrugated iron roof. The main roof has decorative cast-iron on its ridge.
A short set of stairs without railings leads to a wide verandah. This verandah wraps around to the northern side of the house. It has a three-rail dowel balustrade (a row of small posts) and a curved, bullnose roof that is lower than the main roof. The verandah porch has angular timber decorations that form triangles. This "stick-style" pattern is also on the main gable. Under the gable is a bay window with a curved awning supported by large decorative timber brackets.
The old Silky Oak tree (Grevillea robusta), which gave the house its name, still stands tall at the front corner. Other old and new plants around the house make it look even nicer from the street.
Spreydon
Spreydon is a single-story timber house that sits low to the ground. It faces north on a large block on Rome Street, Newtown. It's next to Oak Lodge but around the corner.
The house's layout and shape are not perfectly balanced. It has wide gables at the front and back that stick out from a high-pitched roof. Single decorative timber brackets support the roof on either side of the front gable and on the eastern side. Above a bay window in the front gable, a rectangular box rises, decorated with timber stick patterns. The bay has windows and doors that open onto a narrow verandah with a bullnose roof, which follows the shape of the bay. The side and back verandahs have skillion roofs (a single-sloping roof) that are lower than the main roof. These verandahs are enclosed with narrow weatherboards and glass.
On either side of the front entrance porch are windows. The one on the east is an 1890s double-hung sash window with a curved roof supported by decorative brackets. The window on the west is a 1920s-style rectangular bay window with a hipped roof. Wide steps lead to the arched porch and the front door, which is set back. Small windows on the sides (sidelights) and above (fanlights) frame the four-panel front door.
The front door opens into a passageway that is one room deep. From here, a door on the right opens into a small 1920s front room. At the end of the passageway, a door on the left opens into an arched, internal vestibule. From this vestibule, doors open to the large 1890s front room on the left, to the nearby 1890s front bedroom, to the back verandah, and to a large 1920s room on the right. A solid timber archway with a central hanging decoration divides this space. There is a skylight on the side of the back verandah.
Inside, all walls are lined with timber boards. The most detailed timber work is in the front gabled room (built in the 1890s). The molding above the dado (a decorative panel on the lower part of a wall), and around the fireplace, door, and windows, is very detailed. The deep cornices (decorative moldings where the wall meets the ceiling) are also intricate. The cedar corner fireplace has tiles around the iron part where the fire burns. The box-like bay window, which opens onto a small verandah, has two hinged doors on either side of a central window, topped with fanlights.
The 1890s walls of the passageway and vestibule are made of vertically-jointed timber tongue-and-groove boards. They have a molded belt rail and cornice, which is also in the small front bedroom. The southern wall has French doors with timber and glass panels. The eastern and northern 1920s walls do not have these moldings. The long back bedroom from the 1920s has been changed into a stairwell and a smaller bedroom. The roof space has been turned into an attic with two new dormer windows.
The kitchen is at the southern end of the 1890s gabled section. It shares a corner chimney with the main front room. It has an eastern-facing casement window. The original door from the kitchen to the vestibule has been closed up. The main part of the kitchen has the same 13-foot high ceilings found throughout the house. However, changes have created two different ceiling heights. The kitchen and the skillion-roofed rear verandah stretch from the kitchen to a western room. This long room is a casual area with doors to the back verandah and laundry. Both the kitchen and back verandah open onto a timber deck at the back.
The front yard has a painted picket fence with a gabled gateway that is set back. A path leads from here to the front door. At the Warra Street end, a short driveway leads to a later double carport with a gable roof, near the back of the house. Behind this is a separate office, and to the side is a large back garden.
Heritage Listing
Oak Lodge and Spreydon were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 1, 2003. This means they are considered important historical places in Queensland.
Why are they important?
- They show how Queensland's history developed. Oak Lodge and Spreydon were built in the 1890s as one large home. They were designed by important architects, James Marks or James Marks and Son, for a successful businessman, Robert Walker Filshie. Around 1923, the big building was split into two separate homes. These houses show how Toowoomba grew and expanded with new homes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- They show the main features of a certain type of historical place. They are good examples of a large, well-designed, and detailed timber house from the 1890s. They are located in an area that attracted middle-class residents during that time. The design details in Oak Lodge are also seen in the oldest part of Spreydon.
- They are beautiful. Oak Lodge is a very attractive and detailed timber building. With its old trees, it makes the street look much nicer.
- They are valued by the community. People in the community value Oak Lodge and Spreydon for how beautiful they make the street look since the 1890s. They are also important because of their connection to the famous Toowoomba architects James and Harry Marks, the Filshie family, and Fairholme College.
- They are connected to important people or groups in Queensland's history. Because of its size and good location, the home was used as Spreydon Girls' College and The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Toowoomba, in the 1910s. This makes the place important for its connection to the start of Fairholme College, which is a significant school in Queensland.
Images for kids
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Oak Lodge
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Pupils and staff of Spreydon Girls' College, around 1914
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Spreydon
