Queen Anne 1895 > 1910

Derived from English and American styles that revived elements from the architecture of Queen Anne’s reign (1702-14), these picturesque houses were deliberately complex, creating a kind of vigorous grandeur.

Most were freestanding and set well back from the street, but terraced versions do exist. Houses usually had complex roof forms and asymmetrical floor plans. The roof form was a key feature of these houses.

Social history

Federation inspired a search for an identifiably Australian architectural style which was less ornate than the Late Victorian ‘boom’ architecture. The Art Nouveau style became popular and influenced architecture, art and decoration.

In contrast with the Victorians’ love of stucco, in the Queen Anne period people showed a preference for natural building materials like red brick and timber. Marseilles tiles, initially imported from France, became the typical material for roofs.

By 1890 cable trams extended from the city centre to emerging suburbs and housing development continued along these lines.

Click Here to watch a video of architect Peter Crone talking about renovating Harold Desbrowe-Annear’s Chadwick house.

Click Here to watch architect and academic Harriet Edquist talk about the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.