Reading the Interior of the Queenslander

Layers of vinyl, linoleum and oilcloth rugs - a history in floor covering, 1991 (Allom Lovell & Marquis-Kyle Architects)

The current growing interest in interior details and finishes of Queensland houses is relatively new, despite the importance of interiors as evidence of how they were lived in and how they functioned. There is still a comparative lack of knowledge about historical interiors.

A great number of historical sources can be examined to discover details of interior fittings and furnishings. But much of the evidence can also be found by examining the house itself. First, try to understand the overall picture by looking at walls that may have been introduced or removed. Understand how the house has been extended or changed, including how some material might have been reused.

Sometimes archival sources and physical examination do not provide enough information, so that a broader understanding of the general tradition of interiors should be developed. In looking further afield, it is necessary to understand the effect of four essentials in any house:

• the geographic location – the effect of climate on furniture and interiors;
• the period in which the house was constructed – detailing is often very different from one period to another;
• the scale of the house – large, expensive houses will be detailed differently from smaller, poorer ones; and
• the hierarchy of rooms – front rooms were detailed differently from service rooms.