There is also a sense that Queensland is still a long way away, so far away it hardly matters. John Harms.
Queenslanders: houses identifiable by the large verandahs & the French doors that open onto the verandahs.
High set ~ to allow for air flow & escape the flooding; even on the high hills around Brisbane. No, the floodwaters don't reach so high. And for some strange reason ornamented so there are plenty of cracks & crannies for the redbacks to live [a poisonous spider whose bite can be fatal; at the very least it will make you very sick.
Set on 1/4 acrea blocks with ample room for the mandatory poinciana or jacaranda, the chook pen & veggie patch out the back side by side, back in the days, with the outdoor dunny. Originally the hallway from the front door travelled in a dead straight line to the back door [called a breezeway] to allow for the flow of cool air straight through the house...but unless the house is orientated to catch the prevalent breezes it's not much good.
In these days of downsizing the expense of maintaining & upkeeping these grand old homes is exorbitant & Queenslanders are rather notorious for abandoning their heritage to make room for new fangled monstrosities completely lacking any soul. Given how well the Queenslander burns, making a grand bonfire in the muggy sub~tropical conditions, brick & cement might seem a safer option. But safer options make Queensland just like everybody else. The old Queenslander is instantly recognizable by any Australian. Plagued by fire, eaten out by termites, expensive to maintain, these grande old dames are going the way of the dinosaur but where owners have the wherewithal to maintain them with dignity they reside in the splendour of their opulent gardens with genteel elegance like frowsty old ladies dozing away their last days in the sun; charming, slightly eccentric, a little tatty around the edges & with their less pleasant attributes politely hidden from view. I'd own one if I were a millionaire. I love them anyway.
Queenslanders: houses identifiable by the large verandahs & the French doors that open onto the verandahs.
High set ~ to allow for air flow & escape the flooding; even on the high hills around Brisbane. No, the floodwaters don't reach so high. And for some strange reason ornamented so there are plenty of cracks & crannies for the redbacks to live [a poisonous spider whose bite can be fatal; at the very least it will make you very sick.
Set on 1/4 acrea blocks with ample room for the mandatory poinciana or jacaranda, the chook pen & veggie patch out the back side by side, back in the days, with the outdoor dunny. Originally the hallway from the front door travelled in a dead straight line to the back door [called a breezeway] to allow for the flow of cool air straight through the house...but unless the house is orientated to catch the prevalent breezes it's not much good.
In these days of downsizing the expense of maintaining & upkeeping these grand old homes is exorbitant & Queenslanders are rather notorious for abandoning their heritage to make room for new fangled monstrosities completely lacking any soul. Given how well the Queenslander burns, making a grand bonfire in the muggy sub~tropical conditions, brick & cement might seem a safer option. But safer options make Queensland just like everybody else. The old Queenslander is instantly recognizable by any Australian. Plagued by fire, eaten out by termites, expensive to maintain, these grande old dames are going the way of the dinosaur but where owners have the wherewithal to maintain them with dignity they reside in the splendour of their opulent gardens with genteel elegance like frowsty old ladies dozing away their last days in the sun; charming, slightly eccentric, a little tatty around the edges & with their less pleasant attributes politely hidden from view. I'd own one if I were a millionaire. I love them anyway.
4 comments:
Yep. We would love one.
If I were a millionaire...I would love a house like that, although we would probably prefer a low maintenance brick at this point,...oh, and a matching large brick barn with stables filled with horses, too!
Kimba: Well we won't give you a heritage listed one, will we? ☺ We'd have to put in a flying fox. Now there's something I'd like to see; Kimba departing her house in the wheelchair via the flying fox. Ditz would be charmed I'm sure.
Seeking: I know. I'd hate all the maintainance. No~one said love must be practical.
They're beautiful houses, but I think I'll skip the spiders!! :O
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