# Forum Forum Help Desk Introduce Yourself  Are you working on an old Australian house?

## RoseC

Hi there, 
Im a history student researching Australians restoring, renovating and conserving older Australian houses since the 1960s to the present. I just came across this forum and thought it might be a great place to meet people who have worked on older houses.  
I am interested in how and why older houses have been rejuvenated by everyday Australians. What motivates people to take on these projects? How have they preserved or changed their old houses? What challenges did they face? 
Im based in Sydney, but am searching for projects from across Australia. Im going to Melbourne from the 2nd to 9th of October to do some research and so am particularly keen to hear about projects in Melbourne. 
Please feel free to ask any questions. Im doing a PhD at the University of Sydney. Im completing oral history interviews, as well as collecting smaller anecdotes about restoration/conservation projects. 
If you have a story to share about restoring or conserving an old house sometime in the last fifty years, no matter how small or large, Id love to hear from you! Any tips or suggestions for things to look at would be very welcome too! 
Thanks :Smilie:

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## David.Elliott

Hi Rose, 
Love to help if I can...
In your opening sentence you mention from the "60s to the present". By that do you imply you are seeking stories about houses from that period only? 
Currently refurbishing an 1890's timber millers cottage, if that's of interest please PM me... 
David

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## RoseC

> In your opening sentence you mention from the "60s to the present". By that do you imply you are seeking stories about houses from that period only?

  Hi David, 
Sorry it was a bit unclear - I meant people doing work on older houses anytime from the 1960s onwards, not that the houses need to be from 1960s. They can be from any historic period! 
Thanks for responding so quickly. Your millers cottage sounds lovely and interesting. I'll send you a message.
Thanks

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## OBBob

Hi Rose, I've done a couple in Melbourne too. Talking about it could be therapeutic ... restoration always seems a great idea at the start! Ha ha ...

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## phild01

Grew up in a 60's weatherboard home, not sure what might be of interest to you as it was fairly conventional.  Back then trussed roofs were uncommon where internal walls provided a lot of support.  Hardwood framing was common.  Aluminium windows did not feature and gas vents were still a hangover from the past.  Zero insulation and paint quality wasn't what it is today.  Gal water pipes to house and copper internal to the house.  Clay sewerage pipes and brass water traps to sinks.

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## OBBob

Ha ha... I've spent a fair bit of effort changing the things you grew up with!

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## RoseC

Hi Bob and Phil - thanks for your replies! 
Sorry I seem to have still been confusing - I'm looking at houses pre1960s, but I am interested in people restoring houses after 1960 up to the present... So any restoration projects to old houses (of any historic period) that have taken place in the last 50 years.  
I'm interested in your comment about paint quality not being so good - did it peel more quickly? not so resistant to weathering? 
Thanks again!

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## phild01

Oil enamels predominated pre 1960.  Recently I played around on a house, I would say was 1958, and it had Calcimine paint on the ceilings.  The only old paints I know of were Balm, Anzol and some of the more current brands.  The exterior paints did not hold up well compared to the newer water based ones.

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## RoseC

Ah thanks Phil, that is interesting.

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## phild01

You may also be interested in the old Miner Cottages, plenty in Newcastle that BHP workers lived in. Kitchens more like out houses rather than being integral with the house and with open air bath facilities.  My grandparents housing in Katoomba were serviced by water tanks, so not a new innovation by any means.  Best water I ever drank.

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## toooldforthis

> Oil enamels predominated pre 1960.  Recently I played around on a house, I would say was 1958, and it had Calcimine paint on the ceilings.  The only old paints I know of were Balm, Anzol and some of the more current brands.  The exterior paints did not hold up well compared to the newer water based ones.

  not to mention lead based paints. 
people don't realise it might be a health hazard when renovating. esp if using a heat gun.

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## toooldforthis

fwiw.   1902 weatherboard cottage in Fremantle. sympathetically restored and extended using recycled materials during the mid 1980's1938 art deco brick & tile. minor renos including a full bathroom makeover that the selling agent thought was original. done around 19901960's carpenter's factory - renos included installing 2 mezzanines and minor bathroom/kitchen makeovers late 1990's1953 brick & tile - full makeover inc new kitchen and bathroom 20051963 retro cottage - current project. needs full reno inc structural work due to termite & damp rot damage - wanna help?  :Biggrin:   
next time I get the 7 year itch can you slap me?

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## RoseC

Newcastle is somewhere I need to explore. Surviving miner's cottages would be intriguing...

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## RoseC

Toooldforthis you've done a lot of older houses! I haven't got to Perth yet, but hope to come over late this year or early next. Would be great to hear more about your projects :Smilie:

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## OBBob

Fremantle rocks if you're into old houses!

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## toooldforthis

> Fremantle rocks if you're into old houses!

  yes, the art deco house was in Fremantle as well, which was pretty unusual for that area/era and very under appreciated by the locals - in fact when it was sold I sold all of my art deco furniture to a Melbourne dealer who appreciated and valued it - i tend to furnish in keeping with the period. when the 1902 was sold all my Freo mates snapped up the colonial furniture  :Smilie:  but couldn't appreciate the art deco  :Frown:

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## shauck

Hi Rose. I don't think you'd have to work too hard to get lots of stories from this forum. In case you want another one, I'm in Daylesford (Hepburn Springs actually) Vic. Miners Cottages are very popular here and ours was a mess when we bought it. Took me the last 4 and a bit years to reno. Every time I had a few weeks here and there, I'd do another stage. Have kept it looking like a miners cottage on the outside but a more modern look on the inside. It's been a trip, that's for sure. You can check it out on this forum in the Go to Whoa section. Here's the link http://www.renovateforum.com/f176/18...ge-reno-91902/ Feel free to ask any questions.

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## goldie1

G'day Rose 
I am in the early   stages of a 1936 weatherboard in Melbourne SE.  Place was pretty much in the original 
 condition  when I started.

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## RoseC

> yes, the art deco house was in Fremantle as well, which was pretty unusual for that area/era and very under appreciated by the locals - in fact when it was sold I sold all of my art deco furniture to a Melbourne dealer who appreciated and valued it - i tend to furnish in keeping with the period. when the 1902 was sold all my Freo mates snapped up the colonial furniture  but couldn't appreciate the art deco

  I wonder if they would appreciate the art deco furniture now, but in the early 1990s it wasn't fashionable or still wasn't old enough to be appreciated...

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## RoseC

> Hi Rose. I don't think you'd have to work too hard to get lots of stories from this forum. In case you want another one, I'm in Daylesford (Hepburn Springs actually) Vic. Miners Cottages are very popular here and ours was a mess when we bought it. Took me the last 4 and a bit years to reno. Every time I had a few weeks here and there, I'd do another stage. Have kept it looking like a miners cottage on the outside but a more modern look on the inside. It's been a trip, that's for sure. You can check it out on this forum in the Go to Whoa section. Here's the link http://www.renovateforum.com/f176/18...ge-reno-91902/ Feel free to ask any questions.

  Wow Thanks for the link Shauck - there's so much great detail. I'll read it carefully and see if I have any questions. Thanks again...

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## RoseC

> G'day Rose 
> I am in the early   stages of a 1936 weatherboard in Melbourne SE.  Place was pretty much in the original 
>  condition  when I started.

  Hi Goldie - I'd love to hear more about your 1936 weatherboard in Melbourne - If you'd be happy to tell me...

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## barney118

Hi my house was built post WWII, heres my story here http://www.renovateforum.com/f176/se...version-92000/. I suppose the house requirements today is 1 bedroom per child, 2 bathrooms, open plan living, study, BIW. My house has 2.7m ceilings and 2.4 downstairs. Given the materials of the time my house is supported by railway lines/beams in sections. Back then there were no standards, so today you have to build as per BCA.

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## SilentButDeadly

Still working on a house that was originally built as a four room fibro house with a rear lean-to in a north western Victorian vineyard sometime back in the 1910's or 20's and modified at least twice (perhaps thrice) since then before we got it. And one of those times was...hopeless. 
We only renovated ours because a) the house was very close to its original design footprint; b) it was quite liveable and c) it was uneconomic to knock down and rebuild because it would have overcapitalised the property substantially given its rural location. 
We changed it mostly to give the house a modern external life (by adding a 50 sqm screened verandah), replace a broken section (original back verandah that was badly converted to kitchen/bathroom and subsequently structurally failed) and present a cohesive facade (matching recycled windows; new cladding). 
Major challenges were matching new to old components; repairing significant hidden structural issues; programming and implementing works while living on-site; managing improvements without over capitalising; managing flexible timeframes due to the use of recycled materials and the constraints of a normal working life; and managing the bureaucracy associated with owner building... 
One day...we might even finish it!  http://www.renovateforum.com/f176/wi...erandah-55270/

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## goldie1

> Hi Goldie - I'd love to hear more about your 1936 weatherboard in Melbourne - If you'd be happy to tell me...

  No probs. It was built as  your typical  four rooms with a central  entry corridor with kitchen cookout 
at the back. Timber frame with weather board cladding and red tile roof on low red gum stumps. Hair plaster 
interior cladding with three meter ceilings.  Dunny out the back and a  freestanding fibro garage built  
at the rear in the 50s.  Not sure what you want to know  but any questions fire away.

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## EdwardThirlwall

What a delightful forum. It's really great to see so much camaraderie just on the hosues that we've worked on and even grown up in. I'm sure that your paper on the heritage hosues will come out great Rose! Remember not to keep it in storage and share with us once you're done writing it!

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## energyexpert

> Hi there, 
> Im a history student researching Australians restoring, renovating and conserving older Australian houses since the 1960s to the present. I just came across this forum and thought it might be a great place to meet people who have worked on older houses.  
> I am interested in how and why older houses have been rejuvenated by everyday Australians. What motivates people to take on these projects? How have they preserved or changed their old houses? What challenges did they face? 
> Im based in Sydney, but am searching for projects from across Australia. Im going to Melbourne from the 2nd to 9th of October to do some research and so am particularly keen to hear about projects in Melbourne. 
> Please feel free to ask any questions. Im doing a PhD at the University of Sydney. Im completing oral history interviews, as well as collecting smaller anecdotes about restoration/conservation projects. 
> If you have a story to share about restoring or conserving an old house sometime in the last fifty years, no matter how small or large, Id love to hear from you! Any tips or suggestions for things to look at would be very welcome too! 
> Thanks

  I work in a company that works with the house owners who want to renovate their old houses. I have found 3 underlying reasons why people take on the renovation project.  
1) To satisfy their aesthetic needs or desires 
2) To make their homes more comfortable to live 
3)  Save energy - slash bills  
Now if you live in an extreme climatic conditions, the need to upgrade the house becomes almost inevitable. It becomes a necessity rather than a desire because you normal life is affected very badly. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Rite Pty Ltd. Firbreglass Insulation Batts Supplier
181 Gladstone Street, 
Fyshwick ACT 2609

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## Anthony1915

Hi Rose,
When You make it to Perth  :Wink: , I got a 1915 workers cottage that I am attempting to bring back into life in Mt Lawley.  There are plenty of houses that have been renovated around here so if you need any more places I'm sure many of these people would be more than happy to tell their stories. 
energyexpert. You also missed two big reasons we do this:
1.  We are all romantics and struggle to sit back and live with a place that's not shining in all its glory.
2.  We are suckers for punishment. 
Hope you grab the info you require from here. As it was mentioned above we are all pretty much willing to help with any questions.

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## RoseC

Hi Anthony, 
Sorry my reply has been so slow - I seem to have missed the alert to this response and just checked into this forum after months. 
Thanks for replying to my post. I do really hope to make it to Perth in a couple of month's time so I'll let you know when I do - I'd love to hear about your 1915 worker's cottage and all the romance and punishment it is putting you through! How is it going? 
Many thanks again for responding and I'll write again when I have dates for my trip to Perth. I think it will be sometime in May. 
Best wishes,
Rose

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## RoseC

Thanks for these interesting points - really appreciate your insights.
(Really sorry my reply has been so overdue - lost touch with this website and the reminders weren't appearing in my inbox.)

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## RoseC

> What a delightful forum. It's really great to see so much camaraderie just on the hosues that we've worked on and even grown up in. I'm sure that your paper on the heritage hosues will come out great Rose! Remember not to keep it in storage and share with us once you're done writing it!

  Will do. It will be another year and a half at least as I'm also working, but will let you know when it's done :Smilie: 
(Sorry again this response is so late)

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## Anthony1915

Hi Rose,
Interesting time you have replied in.
We just moved in on the weekend after 13 months of reno's.
Not finished yet of course but got it to a liveable state.
I've got a few weeks of adjusting and finding all the issues and then back into fixing them all again. 
Hope you study is going well. 
Anthony

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## RoseC

> Hi Rose,
> Interesting time you have replied in.
> We just moved in on the weekend after 13 months of reno's.
> Not finished yet of course but got it to a liveable state.
> I've got a few weeks of adjusting and finding all the issues and then back into fixing them all again. 
> Hope you study is going well. 
> Anthony

  
Congratulations Anthony! Hope it is nice to finally be living in the house and there's not too much fixing to do! Let us know how you go...

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## Led

We're currently renovating a 1958 Modernist house in Cheltenham Vic, although just on the border of Beaumaris. I grew up in it then moved when I was older. After both my parents has passed my wife and I
bought my siblings out of their share and are reinstating it. Reasons are because we both like the Modernist era and are a bit over the whole divide, redevelop and sell for a quick profit thing which seems to be sweeping
suburbia. I grew up thinkingit was early 70's till we went through Council and got the records. Blonde brick, lot of glass, big stone fireplace, exposed beams and a pretty shallow (5 degrees) pitched roof.
Turns out that how I remembered the place as a kid was still fairly altered from the original design, but it's been fun pulling out false ceilings and gradually getting it back to it's original form.

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## RoseC

> We're currently renovating a 1958 Modernist house in Cheltenham Vic, although just on the border of Beaumaris. I grew up in it then moved when I was older. After both my parents has passed my wife and I
> bought my siblings out of their share and are reinstating it. Reasons are because we both like the Modernist era and are a bit over the whole divide, redevelop and sell for a quick profit thing which seems to be sweeping
> suburbia. I grew up thinkingit was early 70's till we went through Council and got the records. Blonde brick, lot of glass, big stone fireplace, exposed beams and a pretty shallow (5 degrees) pitched roof.
> Turns out that how I remembered the place as a kid was still fairly altered from the original design, but it's been fun pulling out false ceilings and gradually getting it back to it's original form.

  Hi, that sounds a lot of fun. So Council had the original plans? Are you taking it back to its 1958 form? What else are you removing/altering? Love to hear more...

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## RoseC

Also anyone out there working on an old house in Adelaide/Adelaide Hills or Hobart/Tasmania - I'm particularly looking at these areas in the next month and would be really please to hear from you… Many thanks

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## jezbond

Hi, just joined this form. My wife and I are renovating a 1870's cottage in Footscray....in apparently one of the first streets in Footscray. We also have an Instagram acc which we are using to document our adventures

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## Saltypete

I have 2 cottages from the 1880s in the Adelaide CBD.  We bought and did some work on a half cottage a year or so ago, but decided it was too small, but after working with it will not part with it.  Instead we kept it and bought another larger cottage that has been worked on (with care) about 15 years ago.  We are about to renovate the 1990s addition at the back and will give the original front four rooms a detail over the next few years - no hurry. These buildings get into your blood.  I have a huge respect for the building technology that the builders used and get real satisfaction working with it to restore them.  While some skills have been lost, and some things require advanced trade skills it is good to consider that they were built to be used and maintained by average folk. Having said that - without a really good brick and stone person life can be a lot harder... If we take the time to understand the technology and respect it, we can't really do too much that cant be fixed if it doesn't work out first time. Happy to give more info if you need it.

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