Monday, 18th January 2010 - Queenslander architecture

Queenslander (or Old Queenslander) architecture is an architectural style common throughout Queensland, Australia. It is also found in the northern parts of the adjacent state of New South Wales. The style was common from the 1840s through to the 1960s and used mainly for residential construction, although some commercial edifices such as hotels were also built in the similar Victorian Filigree style, found throughout Australia.

Queenslander buildings are identifiable by large verandahs and large double doors which open onto these verandahs. They are typically raised on vertical "stumps," made of timber or concrete. The use of timber stumps was banned in the mid 1950s and any replacements must now be steel or concrete. The stumps served two purposes, firstly to elevate the houses for ventilation and secondly to protect them from floodwaters, as well as termites and other pests. Queenslanders are always constructed of mostly wood, although some are restored with prefabricated plastic cladding. In the days before air-conditioning, it was designed to increase air-flow throughout the house by way of large doors and windows, which lined up internally. This is so that the air literally passes through the house, rather than entering through one window and stagnating in the room. Roofs are generally made of corrugated iron or tin, and external walls are sided with timber, often painted in mild pastel colours. Raising the house on stumps meant the under floor area could be used for an old form of refrigeration. A net would hang from under the house, away from the sun, drenched in water. Meats and milk could be stored there for short periods of time (up to a day or two) and kept relatively cool. Floors are generally wooden throughout the house, as is the rest of the construction. Windows are often louvred to allow for air circulation during Queensland's frequent rainstorms, frosted to diffuse and soften the harsh tropical sunlight, or both. Commercial buildings and houses built by wealthier people often feature elaborate wrought iron ornamentation such as balustrades.

Typically, this design is most suited to the sub-tropical climate of Queensland, an area with average temperatures in the range of 23-36 degrees Celsius, although it is not uncommon for the temperature to be much higher in the Summer.