Musgrave House, historic site in Queensland, Australia
Musgrave House is a low-set timber building on a corner block facing Cabbage Tree Creek at 8 Allpass Parade, Shorncliffe. Designed by architect Richard Gailey, it has a high-pitched hipped roof and a deep verandah shading a central entrance hall with a ward to either side; kitchen and service areas sit in a separate rear wing.
Designed by Richard Gailey, the timber building was completed in 1884 at a cost of £400, but fundraising delayed its formal opening until 1888. Lady Lucinda Musgrave secured the Shorncliffe land and furnished one ward herself. Since 1939 it has run continuously as a men's boarding house.
The name honours Lady Lucinda Musgrave, the first patroness of the Hospital for Sick Children, who attended monthly committee meetings and personally secured the Shorncliffe land from the government. She furnished one ward herself, while other ladies gave furnishings and equipment for the second ward, which held six children in cots and beds.
Musgrave House stands at 8 Allpass Parade in Shorncliffe, on a corner block facing Cabbage Tree Creek. The building has operated as a boarding house for men since 1939, so it is a private residence and the interior is not open to visitors; the timber exterior, deep verandah and hipped roof are seen from the street and the surrounding grounds.
The building was designed according to 19th century health theories, with wide verandahs and tall windows arranged for ventilation that were considered vital for children's recovery at the time. These architectural features show how innovative health concepts shaped the way the structure was built.
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