Weemalla

Weemalla is a single-story timber house with wide verandahs and steep roofs showing the characteristics of Arts and Crafts design. A central entry hall connects to bedrooms on one side and living spaces on the other, which helps move air through the entire house naturally.

The house was built between 1908 and 1909 by architect Robin Dods for Robert Moore Steele, the Queensland manager of Victorian Insurance Company. It was constructed during a period when Brisbane was growing as a commercial center and new homes were being built for successful businessmen.

The house shows how early 1900s Queensland adapted British architectural ideas to work with the hot and humid subtropical climate. The wide verandahs and timber construction were practical ways to keep the interior cool and comfortable during the warm months.

You can enter the house from the front at 62 Ruthven Street where the raised piazza provides easy access. The open layout makes it simple to move through all rooms since they connect from the central hallway.

The front piazza frames specific views across the surrounding landscape and keeps the original character from 1909 intact. This raised verandah was not just practical for cooling but also allowed the residents to see across the neighborhood.