Raymont Lodge

General

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Also known as

Drysllwyn; Raymont Residential College

Classification

State Heritage

Register status

Entered

Date entered

21 October 1992

Type

Residential: Villa

Theme

6.4 Building settlements, towns, cities and dwellings: Dwellings

Architect

Chambers, Claude William

Builder

McDonald, Alex

Construction period

1904–1905, Raymont Lodge (c1904-5)

Historical period

1900–1914 Early 20th century

Location

Address

47 Cadell Street, Auchenflower

LGA

Brisbane City Council

Coordinates

-27.47779628, 152.99312749

Significance

Criterion AThe place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history.

Raymont Lodge is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial federation style residence.

Raymont Lodge is important in exhibiting aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular, the quality and craftsmanship of its main interior spaces and the streetscape contribution of the building and grounds.

Raymont Lodge has a special association with the life of mining entrepreneur William Davies, the domestic work of architect Claude Chambers and the benevolent work of the Methodist Church.

Criterion DThe place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

Raymont Lodge is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial federation style residence.

Criterion EThe place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

Raymont Lodge is important in exhibiting aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular, the quality and craftsmanship of its main interior spaces and the streetscape contribution of the building and grounds.

Criterion HThe place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland’s history.

Raymont Lodge has a special association with the life of mining entrepreneur William Davies, the domestic work of architect Claude Chambers and the benevolent work of the Methodist Church.

History

This large, two-storeyed brick residence was built c. 1904-05 for mining entrepreneur William Davies. Around the turn of the century Davies, who had been involved in the gold industry in Gympie, moved to Brisbane, and in 1903 he purchased the Auchenflower site.

Architect Claude Chambers whose Brisbane work spanned fifty years (1885-1935) won a competition to design the residence. The building was large and spacious, and the main interior spaces were richly decorated. The ground floor contained dining, breakfast and drawing rooms, library, kitchen, bathroom laundry and storerooms. On the first floor were located a main bedroom with dressing room and bathroom, two other bedrooms, another bathroom, a visitor's room, and servant's bedroom. Verandahs on two levels enclosed the building on three sides. The grounds contained a formal garden.

During the 1930s part of the property was subdivided for residential development. The Davies family resided at Drysllwyn until February 1942, when it was leased to the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association for use by Somerville House as a day school. Somerville House had been forced to vacate temporarily their property at South Brisbane for use as Administrative headquarters for the United States Army.

In 1944-45 the property was acquired by the Methodist Church, and converted into a hostel for country girls studying in Brisbane. The hostel was opened in August 1945 and the building renamed Raymont Lodge, in honour of Mrs E Raymont who had made a substantial bequest to the Methodist Church.

The hostel was run under the auspices of the Central Methodist Mission. A parsonage for the Superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission was erected in the western corner of the property facing Cadell Street. By the 1960s a new dormitory wing had been added to house both male and female students.

During the 1980s major changes occurred on the site with the Uniting Church relocating its state headquarters and Trinity Theological College in the grounds. A three storey brick office building was erected at the rear of Drysllwyn and facing Bayliss Street. As well, a new residential building was built to promote accommodation for tertiary students. Conservation work was undertaken on Drysllwyn during this period.

Drysllwyn currently provides office space, meeting rooms and a student common room for the Trinity Theological College.

Description

Situated on the crest of a rise overlooking Auchenflower, Raymont Lodge is a large, two-storeyed red brick residence built in the Federation style. The building has a half-gabled roof of broad profile, rolled edge iron sheeting with a projecting hipped bay to the northeast and southeast, a pedimented entry porch to the northwest and elaborately detailed chimneys.

The building has deep verandahs with arched masonry arcades and timber balustrade to the north, east and west. The entry porch is approached via a wide flight of steps and has paired columns to the first floor supporting the pediment. French doors with fanlights and step-out sash windows open onto the verandahs. The timber panelled main entry door is set in a large arched brick opening with stained glass fanlight and sidelights. A bathroom opening off the southeast verandah has a similarly elaborate doorway.

The interior features decorative stained glass, ornate plaster mouldings and finely detailed cedar staircases, joinery, panelling and fireplace surrounds.

The building is approached via a paved drive and turning circle from the northwest, with most of the recently constructed buildings being located to the north, east and south of the building leaving the Cadell Street aspect intact. The grounds contain a number of mature trees, with an inground concrete swimming pool to the northwest.

Although much of the site has been subdivided and sold for suburban housing, remnants of the original landscaping survive, as does a section of masonry perimeter fence, with iron entrance gates, which extends to the corner of Cadell Street and Park Avenue, returning along the latter.

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