If you own a heritage home, have a beginning interest in architectural history or just want to increase random facts that you know about property so as to make yourself seem well educated, then this 7 part blog series is for you.
Part 2 of this series is focused on the Victorian Period in Australia, a lot of changes and styles emerged in this time frame as the settlers were becoming more comfortable with the climate, what was readily available but still taking influence from Europe and still predominately the U.K.
There are quite a lot of styles to cover in this little blog piece, so I will try to keep to the most important information and get you the best bang for you buck (or limited time to read my Blog).
As with the previous style, it gets it obvious name from the Monarch of the time, Queen Victoria.
Gothic Revival was lesser seen in houses than it was in churches and other buildings of notoriety. Australia in this period of time was largely Anglican and therefore was influenced by the Cambridge and Oxford movements. Characteristics of these buildings were: steeply pitched roofs often made of slate, narrow doors and windows resolving in a Gothic pointed arch at their height (known as lancet windows), diamond pane glazing to windows imitating a stained glass affect, and intricate parapets, often of a religious nature, with a cross. In non-terrace houses, the drawing room was often pulled forward, adding a bay window to the front of the home.
Queenslander Style is probably one of the most easily recognisable styles in Australian Architecture, especially for someone who has little knowledge of architectural history. Mostly seen in Northern Australia not limited to Queensland as Northern NSW who has a similar climate adopted this style also. The Queenslander is known for a few key identifying factors such as being set on stilts to allow airflow, being entirely made from painted timber and the wide verandah that will run the length of the house. The verandahs often have gabled roofs in Corrugated Iron and sometimes enclosed with shutters. This is the first (and probably only) home style we see that has been designed solely around the climate of Northern Australia, rather than being a carbon copy of a European style.
Georgian or in this case Georgian Revival so as not to be confused with Old Colonial Georgian, was similar in style to its 18th Century counterpart however it was more modern, simple yet still being formal and elegant. Keeping the columned balcony as an eye catching identifying feature.
Regency was the same premise of the transition of Georgian into this period of time. A modernised version of the Old Colonial Regency with the columned Portico.
Filigree is the style that really started the decorative movement. As with many things surrounding affluence, the more affluent the more decorative your home would be, sometimes resulting in an entire fretwork screen. The functional side of Filigree as it was used as shading for the verandah, traditionally in cast or wrought iron. This style of fretwork is still used to this day in some traditional revival homes.
Many homes with this feature are also considered Italianate style, the Filigree element being the Iron balcony.
Italianate style developed as a result of French painters who idealised the Italian landscape and turned it into their version of Arcadia. Their influence was long-lasting and eventually led to the Italianate architectural style of the 19th century. The style featured asymmetry and, usually, a tower of varying size. In Australia, the addition of the verandah, sometimes with a series or arches (arcaded) but later in Filigree (wrought iron), gave a regional flavour to the style.
Free Gothic basically describes the liberties that architects took the with Gothic Style. They weren't concerned with historical correctness and hence became popular in this period as it gave them more freedom in their designs. Traditionally seen mostly in religious buildings but occasionally made an appearance in a home or few. Gothic tends to be very decorative, every edge generally has some sort of feature rather than being plain. High pitched roofs, arches, vaulted ceilings and towers are typical of this style.
Tudor style grew out of a nostalgia for older English concepts, particularly focused on the days of Queen Elizabeth I and Henry VIII. Its role in Australia began when the English architect Edward Blore designed Government House in Sydney in 1834. The style spread all over Australia and also influenced later styles like Federation Queen Anne and Inter-War Old English.
Rustic Gothic style developed out of a "cult of the picturesque" which largely focused on rural images and especially the picturesque "rustic house", which became known as the cottage orne. In Australia, this style had a great appeal to British settlers who still carried with them a hankering for things English.
Classical or Neoclassical was an incorporation of classical influences such as ancient Greece and Rome. Classical tends to be very linear in design and quite flat. This period of time influenced city planning with grid systems, large boulevards and logical layouts.
Second Empire was preferred for grander mansions. For the rich, particularly in the wealthier parts of the larger city areas, the style evoked images of French aristocracy. Although rare, examples can be found in the bigger cities. Distinctive features include towers, quoining, mansard and slate roofs, square domes dormer windows, iron cresting and rich classical details. In the Australian setting, domestic interpretations of the style often combined filigree elements such as cast iron verandahs.
In this time, Australia was really starting to expand rapidly so these types of structures are a lot more common than those of the Colonial Period. I would love to hear from you if you live in one of these homes.
If you want to undergo a period true restoration and you need help, please don't hesitate to contact me for a consultation to make sure you are in good hands.
Bec xx
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