Vacy Hall

General

Classification

State Heritage

Register status

Entered

Date entered

21 October 1992

Type

Residential: Villa

Theme

6.4 Building settlements, towns, cities and dwellings: Dwellings

Architect

Marks, James

Builder

Mayes, Alexander

Construction periods

1899, Vacy Hall (1899 - 1899c)

1899, Vacy Hall - Main house (1899 - 1899c)

1899, Vacy Hall - Service wing (1899 - 1899c)

1899, Vacy Hall - Steps/stairway (1899 - 1899c)

Historical period

1870s–1890s Late 19th century

Location

Address

135 Russell Street, Toowoomba

LGA

Toowoomba Regional Council

Coordinates

-27.55751151, 151.94662685

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Significance

Criterion AThe place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history.

Vacy Hall, erected in 1899, is important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history, in particular the development of Toowoomba as a prestigious residential location for Darling Downs pastoralists.

Criterion DThe place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

It is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial, late 19th century masonry Toowoomba residence, and exhibits a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular the contribution of the building and grounds, through form, scale, materials and plantings, to the streetscape of Russell Street and to the Toowoomba townscape; and the quality and crafting of the materials and finishes, including decorative brickwork, parquet floor, cedar joinery, plasterwork, and step-out bays.

Criterion EThe place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

It is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a substantial, late 19th century masonry Toowoomba residence, and exhibits a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular the contribution of the building and grounds, through form, scale, materials and plantings, to the streetscape of Russell Street and to the Toowoomba townscape; and the quality and crafting of the materials and finishes, including decorative brickwork, parquet floor, cedar joinery, plasterwork, and step-out bays.

Criterion HThe place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland’s history.

It has a special association with the work of prominent Toowoomba architect, James Marks, who designed a number of residences in Toowoomba; and with James Taylor and Gilbert Cory who were influential in the early development of Toowoomba as a major rural centre.

History

Vacy Hall, a single storeyed substantial brick residence was erected in 1899 for Gilbert Gostwyck Cory and his wife Ann Sophy, daughter of the Hon. James Taylor. It is one of a number of substantial residences erected along Russell Street, including Taylor's own residence, Clifford House (QHR 600857). Designed by notable/prolific Toowoomba architect James Marks, and built by Alexander Mayes, a prominent Toowoomba builder and three-times Mayor of Toowoomba, it was the second residence to be erected on this site.

European settlement of the Toowoomba area, traditional country of the Giabal and Jarowair people, commenced in 1840 when squatters occupied pastoral runs on the Darling Downs. The small settlement of Drayton evolved from 1842, but was soon surpassed by a more desirable location six kilometres to the northeast, known as Toowoomba from the 1850s. Better suited to market gardening, with a more reliable water supply, and supported by squatters and land speculators, Toowoomba was incorporated as a municipality in 1860. Its rapid economic and social development was influenced by local residents who strongly promoted the prospects of the town, and political representatives who successfully lobbied for government funding for civic improvements.[1]

Toowoomba expanded rapidly from the late 1860s, becoming the main urban centre of the Darling Downs by 1888. The arrival of the railway in 1867 secured the town's development and subsequently made it the hub for the Southern and Western railways. The Selection Act 1868 brought selectors to the district, improvements to freehold estates, and revived trade with western areas. Toowoomba’s economy diversified to include numerous small-scale manufacturing firms, while the majority of administrative, service and other government and education functions for the surrounding region were established in the town. Its progress was reflected in improvements to the physical environment, through important capital works projects, including the draining of its swamps, improved water supply, gasworks for lighting, extensive tree plantings and the initial development of Queen's Park. Earlier temporary structures were replaced with more permanent and impressive buildings.

Toowoomba experienced an urban land boom throughout the 1870s and 1880s. Newtown, its first working-class suburb, was created in the 1880s, while speculators extended the ‘shopkeepers’ residential areas to the north east of Ruthven, Russell and Margaret Streets, the commercial core of the town. Prosperous Darling Downs landowners, business-owners and professionals established residences in Toowoomba; and from the 1880s, the town acted as a summer resort for those seeking a cooler climate, including Queensland Governors.[2]

Gilbert Gostwyck Cory arrived in Toowoomba in the late 1850s, and was employed by James Taylor at Cecil Plains Station. Cory later became Taylor's partner and was involved in other pastoral ventures in Queensland. Cory was an active member of the Toowoomba and district community, serving on both the Jondaryan Shire Council, Toowoomba Municipal Council; Mayor of Toowoomba in 1891; a longstanding member and President of the Royal Agricultural Society; member of the Toowoomba Hospital committee; and a founding member of the Toowoomba Turf Club.

The land on which Vacy Hall stands had been granted to William Horton in 1852, and was acquired by Taylor in 1868, as part of a number of allotments purchased by Taylor and Henry Stuart Russell in the late 1860s. A residence is believed to have been erected in the mid 1870s, possibly as a present from Taylor to his daughter on her marriage to Cory in 1873.

Taylor died in 1895 and the property passed into the hands of trustees, which included Taylor's widow, two of Taylor's sons, and Cory. In 1897 the property was transferred to Ann Cory. The 1870s house was destroyed by fire in late 1898.

The house had been insured for £1400 and in 1899 Toowoomba architectural firm, James Marks and Son, was commissioned to design a new home. James Marks and Sons were comprised father and son architects James Marks (1834-1915) and Henry (Harry) James Marks (1871-1939). It operated from 1892 until 1910. James had commenced practice as James Marks, Architect in Toowoomba by the early 1880s and was successful, being responsible for notable and high profile buildings in the Downs region. Born and trained in Toowoomba, his son Harry was a highly creative and inventive designer, and together, the practice continued James’ success and was responsible for a variety of further impressive buildings. These included Rodway (QHR 600868), St James Parish Hall (QHR 600856), St Luke's Church Hall (QHR 600866), additions to the Toowoomba Maltings (QHR 600852), and Harry’s own family home ‘St Rest’ (known as Gladstone House in 2020 (QHR 601303)).[3]

Ann died in 1909, and the property passed to Cory, who remained at Vacy Hall until his death in 1924.Following Cory's death, Vacy Hall had a succession of owners. It remained a private home until the 1950s when it was converted to apartments, offices and finally a boarding house/hostel. By 1977 interconnected single-storeyed, concrete block hostel buildings had been constructed adjacent to the original building on the northwest side and along part of the northern property boundary.[4]

Following the sale of the property to new owners in 1986, Vacy Hall was refurbished for guest accommodation.  The hostel section adjacent to the original building on the northwest side was demolished by 1994 and a timber cottage, constructed of materials recycled from three derelict timber houses, was erected on the site between 1988 and 1989, which is used as the Reception office and manager's residence.   

In 2004 the property was sold and in 2021, Vacy Hall is in use as a boutique hotel.  

Description

Vacy Hall, set back from Russell Street to the south on a site sloping gently east, is surrounded by gardens and mature trees to the south and east with single-storeyed hostel buildings to the northwest.

This single-storeyed building, L-shaped in plan, has a twin hipped corrugated iron roof with a central box gutter, hipped projecting bays, a gable pediment to the south entrance and a central curved roof section to the northwest wing. The building is encircled by verandahs with lower skillion roofs, fluted square timber verandah posts and timber floors. The south elevation is symmetrical, and the entrance pediment, the central section of which is glazed in leadlight with the inscription VACY HALL, is supported by two large, rendered, square fluted columns framing concrete steps. Step out bays with sash windows and shutters open onto south, west and east verandahs from principal rooms. The panelled entrance door has a fanlight and sidelights with leadlight glazing.

The building has English garden wall bond brickwork, with decorative glazed brickwork features including quoining to corners, bays, windows and doors, arched headers to doors and windows, a circle pattern above the entrance door and stretcher courses to the base, below the sills and below the eaves. The building has six decorative brick chimney stacks and brick eave brackets.

The building has been refurbished for guest rooms and associated facilities. Internally, the building has cedar joinery including panelled doors with fanlights, architraves, bays with seats, fireplace surrounds and skirtings. The octagonal shaped central hall has ornate plaster mouldings and cornice, faux marble finish to arches and wall panels and a radiating parquet which continues into the front and rear halls. Walls are plastered masonry with wallpaper to dado or picture rail height. Ensuite rooms have been added.

Along part of the northern property boundary is a single-storeyed, partially rendered concrete block building.

A single-storeyed weatherboard reception building, with a hipped corrugated iron roof and concrete stumps, is located adjacent to the building on the west.

The grounds include a gravel drive from Russell Street with a turning circle and brick edging, mature trees to the south and east, hedges along the south and east boundaries and an expanse of lawn with gardens to the southeast.

References

[1] Entry on Queensland Heritage Register, The Downs Club (QHR 650257)
[2] Entry on Queensland Heritage Register, Harris House (QHR 650237)
[3] Entry in Queensland Heritage Register, The Downs Club (QHR 650257)

 
[4] Aerial image PF4019m – Lionel Coxen Collection, Local History and Robinson Collections, Toowoomba City Library.

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