Allgas Building is a heritage-listed

commercial building Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

at South Bank Parklands,

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the north-west, ...

, City of Brisbane,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It was built in 1885. It is also known as Caledonian House, Queensland National Bank, South Brisbane Gas & Light Co. Building and All Gas House. 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 a ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

The Allgas Building, a two-storeyed building in what was formerly central

Stanley Street Stanley Street may refer to: Streets: *Stanley Street, Brisbane *Stanley Street, East Sydney *Stanley Street, Hong Kong *Stanley Street, Liverpool * Stanley Street (Montreal) * Stanley Street, Singapore In fiction: *Stanley Street, the prime setti ...

, was erected in 1885 for the drapery and outfitting firm of Allan & Stark. It was built during the peak of South Brisbane commercial development and the reconstruction of Stanley Street premises, and was a reflection of boom era confidence. Along with a number of prominent South Brisbane firms, Allan & Stark moved across the river to higher ground (the

Allan and Stark Building The Allan and Stark Building is a heritage-listed row of contiguous but not identical retail buildings located at 110 Queen Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The architect was Andrea Stombuco. It was also known ...

in Queen Street) after the disastrous floods of 1893. Caledonian House was leased to the

Queensland National Bank The Queensland National Bank is a former bank in Queensland, Australia. History In 1872, the bank was established in Brisbane. In December 1914, the bank had its head office in Brisbane with branches throughout Queensland at Allora, Aramac, A ...

as a branch office (301 Stanley Street) in August 1897, and the South Brisbane Gas & Light Company sub-leased a section (305 Stanley Street) from October 1897. In 1909 the Queensland National Bank purchased the building for , with the South Brisbane Gas & Light Company maintaining its office and showroom there. Alterations, including changes to the street frontage, were carried out in 1931 under architects

Hall and Phillips In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the grea ...

, and included the erection of an awning and alterations to the shop front. The building was again extended in 1942. In 1943 the branch was closed as a war time economy, and 301 Stanley Street was leased to shirt and pyjama manufacturer Alfred Portrate until 1949. The corner premises were reoccupied by maintenance staff of the

National Bank of Australasia The National Bank of Australasia was a bank based in Melbourne. It was established in 1858, and in 1982 merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney to form National Australia Bank. History In 1858, Alexander Gibb, a Melbourne gentlema ...

(formerly the

) in 1949. In 1965 it was purchased by the South Brisbane Gas & Light Company ( Allgas Energy from 1971). In 1984 the building was resumed by the Expo Authority, renamed Central House, and functioned once again as a bank during World Expo '88. It also housed the Picasso Restaurant. The building was again refurbished in 1991 as part of the Southbank Parklands redevelopment, and now operates as an administration centre. Little remains of the original interior of the building. Externally, the northern facade remains intact above ground floor; the ground floor facade has been modified a number of times throughout the life of the building. New openings have been made to other facades.

Description

The Allgas building is a two-storeyed rendered masonry building with a parapeted facade and a simple rectangular plan. It has a picturesque front facade which is a remnant of a former streetscape. The northern facade above the ground floor and its western corner is richly decorated. It has a deep

string course A belt course, also called a string course or sill course, is a continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall. Set in line with window sills, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the ...

separating ground and first floors, and a deep

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

topped by

pediments Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pediment ...

and a miniature balustrade. The elevation has

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

of three windows with rusticated surrounds, which align with the

and console

brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...

under the

. Paired windows are flanked with fluted

pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...

with floriated

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

. At what was once the western street corner, the facade is truncated above ground floor level, and is topped with an arched pediment inscribed with the date 1885. Whilst little remains of the original building internally, the Allgas Building retains its overall external form and the rich decorative detailing of the northern facade.

Heritage listing

Allgas Building 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 picturesque front facade in particular, along with the nearby

Plough Inn Plough Inn is a heritage-listed hotel at South Bank Parklands, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Alexander Brown Wilson and built in 1885 by contractor Abraham James. In 1922, it was extended to a desi ...

facade, survives as a fragment of the former streetscape of Stanley Street, South Brisbane's principal commercial thoroughfare in the late 19th century. It is also significant historically as a rare surviving remnant of the commercial and shipping heart of South Brisbane in the late 19th century. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. It is also significant historically as a rare surviving remnant of the commercial and shipping heart of South Brisbane in the late 19th century. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The picturesque front facade in particular, along with the nearby Plough Inn facade, survives as a fragment of the former streetscape of Stanley Street, South Brisbane's principal commercial thoroughfare in the late 19th century. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. The Allgas Building at South Brisbane has a strong association with the early years of Allan & Stark, formerly one of Brisbane's most prominent retailing firms.

References

Attribution

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Allgas Building Queensland Heritage Register Heritage of Brisbane South Brisbane, Queensland Commercial buildings in Queensland Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Commercial buildings completed in 1885 Queensland National Bank 1885 establishments in Australia