Smithfield House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smithfield House |
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Smithfield House, 2002
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| Location | 8 Panda Street, Harristown, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1895 - |
| Architect | James Marks and Son |
| Official name: Smithfield House | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600854 |
| Significant period | 1890s (fabric, historical) |
| Significant components | garden/grounds, steps/stairway, residential accommodation - main house |
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Smithfield House is a special old house in Harristown, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a heritage-listed villa, which means it's protected because of its history and unique design. The famous architects James Marks and Son designed it around 1895. Smithfield House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992, recognizing its importance.
Contents
A Look at Smithfield House History
Who Built Smithfield House?
Smithfield House was designed in 1895 for James Taylor. He was a very rich landowner from the Darling Downs area. The building work was done by a contractor named Sydney (Harry) Andrews.
James Taylor was a key person in the growth of Toowoomba. He bought a lot of land there in the late 1850s. Taylor helped Toowoomba grow in many ways. He gave land to different groups and churches. People even called him "the King of Toowoomba." He was the Mayor of Toowoomba in 1890. He also served in Parliament from 1860 to 1893. Smithfield was the third house James Taylor built. It was on a large piece of land, about 300 acres, near the town of Drayton.
The Architects: James Marks and Son
James Marks was a very important architect in Toowoomba. He worked from the late 1860s into the early 1900s. Later, his son Harry Marks joined him in 1892. Together, they were the top architects in the Darling Downs for over 50 years.
James Marks designed famous buildings like St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Toowoomba. He also designed St Matthew's Anglican Church in Drayton. Smithfield House was designed by James Marks & Son. Other buildings they designed include the Bandstand in Toowoomba Botanical Gardens, Ascot House, and Vacy Hall. Their work, including Smithfield House, left a big mark on Toowoomba's buildings.
Early Residents and Uses
Interestingly, James Taylor never actually lived at Smithfield House. He lived at Clifford House. The first person to live in Smithfield House was Oscar Flemmich, around 1907. He was described as a German industrialist or an Austrian nobleman. He built large stables on the property. However, he left Smithfield during World War I. This was due to pressure from people in the area.
Part of the Taylor estate was sold in 1908. During the Second World War, the house was used as part of a private school. Later, it was sold to the Anglican Church. It became part of the Glennie Memorial School until 1962. From 1962 to 1966, the Minter family rented the property.
Changes and Restoration
In 1966, the property was sold to be divided into smaller blocks. During this time, the house started to fall apart. It was also damaged by vandals. Luckily, it was restored in the 1970s.
In 1974, Barwick and Ceisolka bought Smithfield Homestead. They wanted to turn it into a restaurant. Some people in Toowoomba didn't like this idea. They wrote letters to the editor of The Toowoomba Chronicle. But the restaurant still opened in 1975. In 1978, Kelvin and Thelma Roche bought it. They kept running it as a restaurant. Later, Paul Hughes and Brian Pozzey leased it in the early 1980s. Smithfield Homestead was a very popular restaurant in Toowoomba. It hosted many events, like weddings.
The property has been sold a few more times since then. It was sold in 1995, 2002, and 2003. In 2017, it was listed for sale again.
What Smithfield House Looks Like
Smithfield House is on the corner of Panda and Cheviot Streets in Toowoomba. It sits on flat land. The house has beautiful, well-kept gardens. These gardens are what's left of the original large property.
Building Materials and Design
Smithfield House is a single-story home made of stone. Its strong foundations are made of bluestone. These foundations go about 4 meters deep. The sandstone used for the house came all the way from England. The bluestone was found locally. The outside walls have bluestone blocks. They also have rough-cut sandstone blocks, called quoins, around the doors and windows.
The main part of the house has a complex roof. It is made of corrugated iron. There are four tall, decorated sandstone chimneys. The roof has special brackets under its edges. This gives the house an Italianate style, which was popular in Italy.
Verandahs and Windows
Verandas wrap around the north, east, and west sides of the house. They are about 3.6 meters deep. They are made of crows ash timber. Sandstone steps lead from the front garden to a fancy entrance area called a portico. This portico goes through the front verandah.
Two large bay windows stick out onto the front verandah. These windows are very big. They have an upper part with many small glass panes that doesn't open. The lower part is a sliding sash. The verandah roof is separate from the main house roof. It is held up by decorative twin timber posts. The front door is in the middle, between the two bay windows. The shapes of the windows are copied in the main roof. The front door also has pretty leadlight glass panels around it.
Inside the House
When you enter, you step into a wide hallway. It runs through the whole original house. Rooms are placed evenly on both sides of the hallway. The hallway has two fancy arched doorways. It also has decorative moldings, called cornices, where the walls meet the ceiling.
The front room on the east side was the main bedroom. It has a fireplace with a decorative mantle. The timber floors have special timber patterns around the edges. Across from this room is another large room, used as a lounge. It has similar features. Both these rooms can be accessed from the front verandah through the large bay windows.
Inside, the walls are smooth plaster. The timber work, like door frames, is of high quality. The floors are made of wide hardwood boards.
Modern Additions
A new section was added to the back of the original house. This happened in the 1970s when it was a restaurant. This new part has weatherboard on the outside. You can't see it from the front of the house. The original back wall, made of bluestone, is now inside the house. It shows where the new addition begins. The new part has plasterboard walls. It includes a big dining area, a kitchen, bathrooms, and a laundry.
Why Smithfield House is Special
Smithfield House was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's officially recognized as an important historical place. Here's why:
Showing Queensland's History
Smithfield House helps us understand how Queensland grew. It shows how the Darling Downs changed from a quiet farming area to a rich and important region in the late 1800s. It's one of many beautiful homes that show Toowoomba's leading role in developing the Darling Downs. It's a great example of a home built for wealthy landowners back then.
The land Smithfield House sits on is also historically important. It's a large property surrounded by smaller suburban blocks. This shows how land was settled in Toowoomba before it was divided into many small blocks from the mid-1900s onwards. Smithfield originally covered 300 acres, and the current property is what's left of that big early estate.
A Great Example of Its Kind
The house also shows the main features of a large, well-off home from the late 1800s in Queensland. It's a good example of how wealthy people lived and the kind of houses they built.
Beautiful Design
Smithfield House is very beautiful. It's a big, well-designed house with excellent craftsmanship and details. Its large gardens make the house look even better. They create a feeling of balance between the big house and its surroundings.
Connected to Important People
Smithfield House has a special link to the work of James Marks, a famous Toowoomba architect. It also has a special link to James Taylor. He was a very important person in Toowoomba's growth and was the Mayor in 1890.
