The Mansions

Architect Mr GHM Addison, who was the architect for the old Queensland Museum (or Exhibition Building) and the Albert St Methodist Church, also designed the building we see today - The Mansions on George St. In 1889, the building was constructed as an investment by a group of Queensland politicians, including the then Premier of the state, Mr Morehead. It consists of six attached (or terraced) houses, and amongst the early tenants was Queensland's first female doctor, Dr Lilian Cooper. Like the Museum, this building also has classical lines, and this time Addison uses arcades to provide shelter from the Queensland sun while still allowing the flow of air through the rooms. Here is a photograph of the building from 1962.

(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #lbp00192)

The building has had a varied life since its early days. By the time of WWI, it was being used as a boarding house. It was bought by the State government in the 1950s and put into use as offices, but was subsequently refurbished in the eighties to be tenanted by shops and a restaurant as well as offices.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)

One of the other interesting things about the architecture of this building is the ornaments on the upper parapet - I don't know whether they would be called gargoyles or something more technical. This is what they look like. Could they be "fat cats"? :-)
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)

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tff

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