Lamb Houses near-death experience ends but new heritage laws needed

The businessman restoring Brisbane’s Lamb House from a “near-death experience” says Queensland’s heritage protection laws need urgent review to prevent the state’s heritage from being lost through neglect.

Racing and finance couple Steve and Jane Wilson paid $12.75 million and will spend $15 million over two years to restore the six-bedroom Lamb House at Kangaroo Point â€" also known as Home â€" from the derelict, Queensland heritage-listed sore to the grand, Federation-style timber home with a sweeping drive and gardens.

Lamb House was designed by a Wilson family ancestor, architect AB Wilson.

Restoration of Kangaroo Point’s Lamb House, or Home as it is correctly named - has begun in August 2021. Credit:Tony Moore

In a sight that will gladden many Brisbane residents, scaffolding has finally gone up around Lamb House to repair the roof and begin the essential structural repairs.

“I think what this whole saga has shown is that we need stronger heritage legislation,” Mr Wilson AO said.

“We need ‘carrots and sticks’ because this glorious home ... has had a near-death experience and even now I say it is still in the critical care ward.”

Lamb House - or Home - and how it appeared in mid 2020.Credit:Tony Moore

Mr Wilson said Lamb House should never have been allowed to deteriorate so badly.

“On the ‘stick side’ it is time for us to stiffen our protection of houses rules, but on the ‘carrot side’ we need to look at incentives, so people are encouraged to buy and restore these buildings, otherwise you will have more destruction by wilful neglect.”

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said grants of up to $40,000 were available “to conserve places on our heritage register”.

Ms Scanlon said the new heritage advisory panel was looking at ways to bolster existing heritage processes.

“The panel is now reviewing those processes and ways we can actively promote and encourage communities to apply for places of historical significance to be placed on the heritage register,” Ms Scanlon.

The main central staircase inside Home at Kangaroo Point appears in reasonably good condition, despite 119 years of use.Credit:Tony Moore

Ms Scanlon said she expected recommendations from the heritage advisory panel “later this year”.

“The review includes looking at how places of state and local heritage significance can be protected, how legislative frameworks can be strengthened, best practice heritage principles as well as feedback from groups like the Toowong Residents Group.”

At Kangaroo Point, dozens of skips of rubbish has been removed, weeds have been cleared and tangled vegetation removed to allow the restoration to begin.

One of the main downstairs drawing rooms inside Home at Kangaroo Point.Credit:Tony Moore

Lamb House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in October 1992.

Previous owner Joy Lamb, whose family had built and owned the property for 118 years since 1902, moved from the property in 2015.

Mr Wilson said Lamb House should have been protected between 2015 and 2021.

“The six years since no one has been there, has wreaked havoc on its structural integrity,” he said.

“Even now, every time it rains, damage is occurring.”

Rubbish and overgrown gardens have been cleared to allow the restoration of Home to begin.Credit:Tony Moore

A Queensland Residents group has surfaced on Facebook, also arguing for a review of Queensland’s heritage and planning legislation after a Queensland heritage-listed home â€" Toowong’s Linden Lea â€" was demolished in March 2021.

In the past month, the Wilsons have appointed heritage architect David Gole from Conrad and Gargett architects â€" who is also overseeing the restoration of the old Thomas Dixon boot factory into new headquarters for Queensland Ballet â€" to project manage Lamb House restoration.

James Davidson Architect â€" now restoring Woolloongabba’s Princess Theatre â€" and heritage builders Chapman Builders complete the main construction team.

“By having the right team upfront; we are aggressively aiming for a two-year restoration program,” Mr Wilson said.

They have begun to receive messages and emails from people offering to return “souvenired” furnishings from Lamb House, believing it would be destroyed.

The Wilsons will modify Lamb House and live in it as their private residence, but will open it for public visits, probably through the Open Homes program.

“It’s a six-bedroom house, but it has one bathroom. It was built in the days when you had maids and the kitchen was out the back and there are servants’ stairs,” Mr Wilson said.

“We need to build it for the next 100 years, so we will add some new structures, which modernise the house, but do it in ways which are subservient to the house itself.”

Tony Moore is a senior reporter at the Brisbane Times

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