Qld Housing Styles

Brisbane features its own unique architecture, with “Queenslander” houses built to capture breezes and keep cool in the sub-tropical environment. Many of the pre-war houses in Brisbane’s inner-city suburbs are in Character Residential areas and Demolition Control Precincts, and cannot be demolished or removed. These areas retain much of their original character, and the old houses are popular with renovators who like to raise them and build-in underneath, or add extensions and decks at the rear.

Below is a summary of some of the typical housing styles in Brisbane:

Queenslander (1900 – mid 1930s)

A traditional timber home built on stumps, with tin roof, chamferboard or weatherboard walls, front gable, wide internal hallway, and French doors opening onto front and side verandahs. Internal features include front door with leadlight side-lights, high ceilings, VJ (vertical join) or tongue and groove walls, breezeways above doors, decorative arches, pressed metal ceilings, and polished pine floorboards. Queenslanders vary in size and grandeur, and can be on 24 perch (607 square metres), 32 perch (809 square metres), or even larger blocks of land.

Colonial (pre 1900)

Colonials are also often called Queenslanders as they are quite similar in appearance and display similar features. The main difference is that Colonials are surrounded by verandahs on two or three sides, and do not have the front gable, typical of a Queenslander.

Workers cottage (1870s – mid 1930s)

A workers cottage is a small version of a Queenslander or Colonial, and generally has four main rooms with a central hallway, and a single verandah across the front of the house. They usually had a back verandah which has typically been built-in to accommodate the kitchen and bathroom for modern living. Workers cottages tend to be on 16 perch (405 square metres) blocks of land. The land usually has a narrow 10-12 metre frontage, and local Council laws dictate how houses on these “small lots” may be renovated and extended.

Queensland Federation (1900 – 1920s)

The Queensland style Federation houses reflected the Art Nouveau movement of the time, but are very different from their Southern counterparts in that they were constructed of timber and weatherboard and have fewer chimneys. They are free-standing, single storey and high-set on stumps, like a Queenslander, and feature a multi-gabled roof which may be terra-cotta tiles or tin, and bay windows with lead lighting. Internally they are very decorative with dark timber panelled walls with “plate rails”, ornamental plaster ceiling roses and even domes. Federation homes are generally quite grand, and can be on 32 perch (809 square metres), or even larger blocks of land.

Ashgrovian (mid 1920s – 1940s)

An Ashgrovian house is a multi-gabled high-set house, with flat-roofed square bay windows, internal VJ walls, and either VJ or decorative plaster ceilings. They were characterised by tall imposing stepped vertical timber batten balustrades to the front entry stairs, but many of these have been replaced with simpler styles in modern times. Ashgrovians gain their name from the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove, where they are commonly found. Ashgrovians are usually on 24 perch (607 square metres), or 32 perch (809 square metres) blocks of land.

Post-war (constructed after 31 December 1946)

Post-war houses are so named as they were built in the years following World War II. They feature simple lines and were generally constructed of weatherboard with tin roofs. Most have plaster internal walls, plain timber casement windows and hardwood floors. However some may have asbestos in the internal or externals walls or roof, which is hazardous and expensive to remove. There are fewer constraints on post-war houses as they can often be removed or demolished without special Council permission, making them sought after by developers. They are also poopular with renovators looking for a less espensive housing option. They can be on 16 perch (405 square metres), 24 perch (607 square metres) or 32 perch blocks of land.

Reproduction Queenslander (modern)

There is good demand for builders to construct houses designed to look like a traditional Queenslander or worker’s cottage. However they feature new conveniences such as an ensuite, better use of floor space to suit modern lifestyles, plenty of power points and cabling, insulation, a large entertaining deck, air-conditioning, stainless steel appliances, and secure garaging for cars. Most Reproduction Queenslanders are on “small lots” of 16 perches (405 square metres) to make the most of inner-city living, with relatively fewer located on larger lots.

Contemporary house

With the emergence of small lots in inner-city areas, and constraints on development in Demolition Control Precincts, a new style of "tin and timber" house has emerged in Brisbane, utilitising light-weight materials reminiscent of older homes, but producing a very contemporary style of house. Most contemporary houses are on “small lots” of 16 perches (405 square metres) in the inner-city suburbs; they can also be constructed on larger lots of 500 square metres or more, generally further away from the city centre.