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Federation Queen Anne Homes (c1895-1915)

Posted on June 2nd 2018

Many people think of “Federation” houses when thinking of period homes in Australia. However the Federation period has within in a number of different styles including the Queen Anne style. Derived from revived elements of the English architecture of Queen Anne`s reign (1702-14), these homes are deliberately lavish, creating a kind of vigorous grandeur. Most are freestanding and set well back from the street. They came about during Australia’s coming of age as a nation. As a consequence detailing often depicts native flora and fauna such as Kookaburras and Kangaroos together with the Rising sun (of Federation).

Federation Queen Anne style floorplans invariably have one room projected forward creating a gable end and often with others projecting sideways from the main body of the house.  They most commonly display Mock English Tudor timber and render to these gables and dormer windows.

Most have white-painted window frames, front verandahs with decorative timber features, tiling on the patio floor and entry paths. The brickwork is usually a deep red or dark brown, often with a mix of the two. The roofs are typically terracotta tiles with decorative gables (sometimes adorned with finials), motifs, timber features, tall chimneys and fretwork. Decorative leadlight windows are also common, as are circular windows (known as bulls-eye windows).

This ornate period was a sign of prosperity, and finished at the start of the First World War due to the high cost of building such ornate houses.

Some key features of Federation homes are:

– Elaborate verandahs which are integrated into the roof of the home
– Asymmetrical design with multi-faceted roofs.
– Federation era homes often feature red bricks
– Timber detailing to verandah and porticos
– Rendered chimneys topped off with a terracotta chimney pot
– Timber framed windows with intricate leadlight
– High ceilings with highly decorated plasterwork

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