Australian Estates No.1 Store is a heritage-listed former

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

and now apartments at 50 Macquarie Street, Teneriffe, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Montague Stanley and built from to 1927 by Stuart Brothers (Sydney). It is now known as the Saratoga Woolstore Apartments. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

Part of the site (lot 3) of the Australian Estates No 1 woolstore was purchased originally in 1847 by the Government Resident, Captain

John Clements Wickham John Clements Wickham (21 November 17986 January 1864) was a Scotland, Scottish explorer, naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was first lieutenant on during its Second voyage of HMS Beagle, second survey mission, 1831–1836, un ...

. The property passed through the hands of several important companies, namely the Brisbane Stevedoring & Wool Dumping Co. Ltd by 1907, Moreheads Ltd in 1914 and the Union Trustee Co. of Australia until 1961, when it was acquired by Australian Estates. The other part (lot 4) was purchased by the Financial Guarantee & Agency Co. of Queensland in 1888, and acquired by the Australian Estate & Mortgage Co. by 1926. The design was by Montague Talbot Stanley, a Queensland architect and structural engineer, with the construction by the Stuart Bros of Sydney. When officially opened in 1927 by the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

of York, this woolstore had the largest showroom in Australia, capable of displaying 24,000 bales. For this reason it was the venue for the vice-regal Ball in honour of the

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester ( ) is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...

in 1934. In 1978 the property was acquired by Service Nominees (Qld) Pty Ltd, which belongs to the Mayfairs group of companies, and leased in 1980 to Chevron Discount Furnishers for bulk storage and furniture display. Later it became part of the Wool Store furniture complex in conjunction with the adjacent

Elder Smith Woolstore Elder Smith Woolstore is a heritage-listed warehouse at 64 Macquarie Street, Teneriffe, City of Brisbane, Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, ...

and Australian Estates No. 2 Store. In 1986, this property was zoned in the

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC, also known as Council) is the local government of the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The largest local government in Australia by population, BCC's jurisdiction includes 2 ...

's Teneriffe Development Plan (1986) for continuation of current usage or residential. In 2003, the building had been converted into the Saratoga Apartments.

Description

Australian Estates Co. Ltd No 1 Woolstore with of floor space is the largest single store in the Teneriffe precinct. It is a three-storey brick and timber structure of the Interwar era with restrained Renaissance detail. In keeping with other woolstores and commercial buildings of this period, a tripartite division of base, shaft and

entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...

is apparent in its functional form. Its red brick piers and triple window openings separated by downpipes provide a strong degree of verticality. Nevertheless, the dominant emphasis above and below the upper floors is horizontal. This is achieved by means of a

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

line surmounted by a rendered

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

displaying the company name and "erected 1926", and a parapet of decorative brickwork. A prominent string course separates upper levels from the ground floor. However, the base of this building is distinguished more by its piers and openings which provide a covered way for the railway line and loading bays beneath a wide frontal projection. Its angular appearance is ameliorated by a curved and columned entrance

porch A porch (; , ) is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance to a building. A porch is placed in front of the façade of a building it commands, and forms a low front. Alternatively, it may be a vestibule (architecture), vestibule (a s ...

and

balcony A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...

which protrude from the southern corner. As usual for woolstores in Teneriffe, the ground floor is concreted, while the upper floors employ timber posts, beams and flooring and the roof of this building is of corrugated asbestos and reinforced glass. To ensure sufficient level ground for the construction of this store, extensive excavations were carried out and a high retaining wall of reinforced concrete constructed. Rather than a rear

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of Acrylic fiber, acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tight ...

for road transport, there is a tunnel running under through the width of the building reducing the ground floor area by 20,000 square feet (1,800 square metres). Inside the front entrance are a passenger elevator and timber

stairs Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical direction, vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps wh ...

providing access to other floors. The second floor includes the usual woolstore offices and client facilities constructed of

tongue and groove Tongue and groove is a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with wood, in flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar constructions. A strong joint, it allows two flat pieces to be joined strongly together to mak ...

timber surmounted by opaque glass panels. The showroom on the top floor has square vents with timber louvers beneath the windows, and the customary sawtooth roof which is supported by three rows of tubular metal

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

and is aligned from east to west for optimum

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...

. Fire protection was provided from the beginning by a complete system of fire alarms. Overhead walkways from Level 2 form a link to the Australian Estates No. 2 Store on the south and

on the north.

Heritage listing

Australian Estates No.1 Store was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The Australian Estates No 1 woolstore is most significant in its own right and for its heritage contribution to the Teneriffe precinct. It reflects important developments, technological features and marketing procedures in Queensland's wool industry since the 1920s as well as the history of quayage along the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...

and of the pastoral companies concerned. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. In form and fabric, this structure is an excellent example of the broad class of brick and timber woolstores which were built in Australian ports, including Teneriffe, to serve the wool industry. In company with two other woolstores of similar vintage (

Mactaggarts Woolstore Mactaggarts Woolstore is a heritage-listed wool warehouse at 53 Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1926 by Stuart Brothers (Sydney). It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 Octob ...

), it illustrates particularly well the 1920s stage of development in an industrial process which is now redundant. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. This Interwar structure also has considerable visual impact due to its substantial form, cohesive design and Renaissance detail, particularly the decorative parapet, frontal colonnade, and covered railway siding. The place is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. Its special combination of function and style was achieved by Montague Talbot Stanley, who was a fellow of the

Queensland Institute of Architects The Queensland Institute of Architects was a professional society for architects in Queensland, Australia. It operated from 1888 until 1930, when it became a chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. History The Queensland Institute of ...

by 1900 and the son of

Francis Drummond Greville Stanley Francis Drummond Greville Stanley (1839–1897) was an architect in Queensland, Australia. He was the Queensland Colonial Architect. Many of his designs are now heritage-listed buildings. Early life Stanley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1 ...

. He was also architect for the adjacent

. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. That this woolstore, with its links to important pastoral companies and royal occasions, is a valued asset and a riverside landmark, has been recognised by its inclusion in the Teneriffe Development Plan.

References

Attribution

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Australian Estates No. 1 Store Queensland Heritage Register History of Brisbane Teneriffe, Queensland Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Apartment buildings in Queensland Warehouses in Queensland