GSA Guide - Commandants House (about 1825-26) Claimed

Commandants House

Courtyard at rear of 84 William Street.

History

The photograph above shows a model, constructed from the original plans, which is in the Commissariat Store Museum at 115 William Street

The Commandants House, which was apparently pre-fabricated in Sydney, was initially erected at Redcliffe in 1824. It was then moved to Brisbane Town in 1825. Brick chimneys and a free standing brick kitchen were subsequently added. The building was later dismantled prior to the construction of the Government Printing Offices.

The original location of the building is marked by bricks and sandstone laid in the courtyard at the rear of 84 William Street. During construction of an underground car park, bricks from an old building were recovered and given to the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. These bricks are on display at the Commissariat Store Museum.

 

Recent investigations indicate that the mortar surrounding these bricks and the porphyry blocks in the Commissariat Store retaining wall contain burnt shells. As the wall was constructed between 1825 and 1827, it is likely that these bricks were recovered from the site of the Commandants House.

Building materials

Clay for the bricks was probably derived from Wheat Creek in the Brick Fields which was an area between what are now Roma and George Streets. This site became the first water supply for the settlement. A brick kiln was recorded near the western end of North Quay in 1825, and a sketch of the area between the river and the Windmill dated about 1835 shows a brick kiln on the slope below the windmill in the vicinity of what is now Roma Street Station.

Construction: Convicts of Moreton Bay Penal Colony.