THE DEANERY (ADELAIDE HOUSE) EASTERN FAÇADE

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Deanery was built in the early 1850s and is a heritage-listed detached house sitting within the grounds of St John’s Cathedral. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 and holds cultural significance as Queensland’s first Government House and the site where Queensland was proclaimed a colony. The verandah on the Eastern Facade is where the proclamation of Queensland was read. Today, it is home to the Dean of St John’s Cathedral.

The Deanery is also significant as an example of the work of architect and builder, Andrew Petrie, who constructed many of Brisbane’s early buildings.

In 2019, Barnes Construction & Joinery was engaged to conduct conservation works on the Eastern Facade of Adelaide House. The focus was on stabilising, preserving and rebuilding the Facade that had deteriorated significantly over time.

This was a complex project due to the need to separate all non-original fabric from the original fabric and rebuild the frame within the original dimensions without removing the original architecture. This showcases the difference between general builders, who would remove all original fabric and rebuild, from a conservation builder who is engaged to ensure the architectural history of the building is retained and rebuilt as authentically as possible.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• This was a complex and delicate project due to the need to separate all non-original fabric from original fabric. As the original fabric was dilapidated, we rebuilt the frame without expanding the original dimensions in a way that would make it compliant but not remove the original architecture.
• A significant achievement for this project was delivering it on budget while still adhering to the principles of conservation.
• For this project, we worked with Ivan McDonald (Architect) and Andrew Barnes from Acor Consultants (Consulting Engineer).