Many thanks for all the information on pre-fans- sorry I haven;t got back to
everybody individually. It is all grist to the mill

davey galletti

>===== Original Message From HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]> =====
>I have been watching this discussion at the sides. Ian and Denis have
>provided a lot of information about the prefabs in Australia. Just for
>additional information we have a number of the prefabricated cottages
>listed in the Victorian Heritage Register (check our web site
>www.heritage.vic.gov.au).
>
>Some were imported from Asia and are known as Singapore cottages. The
>description of two of them match Denis' description of being constructed of
>dedaru and meranti timbers with a variety of Chinese characters painted or
>marked on the timber members for assisting in the construction. These tend
>to be early 1850s coinciding with the first gold rush
>
>Other cottages are corrugated iron with timber trusses. There is a set of
>four paired in Brunswick and also a number in South Melbourne included the
>Bell house:
>The Bellhouse iron house was erected in c. 1853 at 40 Moor Street, Fitzroy
>for Samuel Boswell. It was constructed according to the British patented
>system of iron founder Edward Taylor Bellhouse of Manchester. The only
>other surviving building on this system, or by this manufacturer, is the
>former ballroom at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, originally ordered from
>Bellhouse by Prince Albert.
>
>Others have been uncovered in the country often used for stockman's or
>shearers houses.
>
>We have recently uncovered a wooden one from Glasgow which was hidden by
>being built around in the Edwardian period. It is the only one we are aware
>of which has survived.
>The pre-fabricated cottage at 18 Douglas Street, Toorak was designed by
>Robert
>Walker of Glasgow, and is of a type patented in 1852 as a system for the
>construction of portable houses of wood and iron 'suitable for emigrants'.
>The patented system consists of cast iron pillars with grooves or slots
>vertically on four sides, bolted to a base plate into which tongued and
>grooved boards are inserted to form walls. Other components of the system
>include cast iron door and window frames and the timber doors and windows
>themselves. This cottage has probably been on the present site since 1856
>and
>may have been brought to Australia by Robert Anstruther Balbirnie, the
>owner
>of the land at that time, when he made a trip to England in 1854. This two
>room cottage has been hidden by a brick Edwardian addition at the front,
>and
>timber additions at the rear and at one side.
>
>Professor Miles Lewis at Melbourne University has written on prefabricated
>housing.
>
>In regard to Eucalyptus In addition to railway sleepers, Iron bark (an
>extremely hard eucalyptus wood) was used in blocks around tram tracks. Wood
>laid nearly 100 years ago is now being replaced with concrete. The timber
>blocks were preferred as it was extremely long wearing, able to be repaired
>easily and handled the expansion and contraction of the tram tracks very
>well. It appears that cement is now being used as it is the current
>engineers material of choice and most of the large trees capable of being
>used have been logged. Iron bark is also very hard to work and it is likely
>that cement is also preferred due to cost issues.
>
>Leah
>
>
>Dr Leah McKenzie
>Manager, Heritage Approvals and Assistance
>Heritage Victoria
>22/80 Collins Street
>Melbourne VIC 3000
>
>www.heritage.vic.gov.au

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