Labassa Site Recording Report

ABPL90301 Architectural Finishes Labassa Site Recording Report Ground Floor and First Floor Stair Hall Bixiang Zeng 363773 Junhong Huang 363777 Lin Luo 366038 Ye Zhang 571895

contents

Introduction & brief history - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 2 General plan and studying site - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 3 Site recording and problem analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 4-9 Sample studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 10-11 Restoration pespectives (estimation) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 12-15 References - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p 16

Labassa stair hall photos taken by group member

1

INTRODUCTION & BRIEF HISTORY The house that we see it today was designed by John Augustus Bernard Koch who was employed by Cobb & Co. millionaire Alexander Robertson to create a lavish setting for grand social occasions. The house was designed in a French Renaissance style with Germanic and Hellenistic influences. Embossed wallpaper and mahogany timber were largely used in interior and the illusionist ceiling enhances the Stair Hall.

In 1863, the Labassa was built by Richard Billing. It was called Sylliott Hill with only 8 rooms. However, by 1873, the house has been transformed into a 20-roomed house on an estate of 12 acres. When John Augustus Bernard Koch finished the renovation in 1890, the Labassa has become a 35-roomed mansion standing in 15 acres of park-like grounds. Its first four landowners – William Lyall, Judge Richard Annesley Billing, Alexander William Robertson and John Boyd Watson II – were significant figures in the early life of the State of Victoria. After the death of Watson II, the house was offered to an auction. However, the house remained unsold until 1980 when National Trust of Australia (Vic) purchased it. The house was sold for $282,500. Most of the interior of Labassa has been repaired and maintained by groups of professions and volunteers. However, due to the insufficient funds, only part of the Labassa has been repaired.

Timeline: 1863: Labassa was built 1873: transformed into a hotel 1887: Alexander Robertson brought Labassa 1890: J A B Koch renovated Labassa 1904: John Boyed Watson II brought Labassa 1980: Labassa was brought by N.T (Vic)

2

Labassa south elevation photo taken by group member

GENERAL PLAN & SITE

Source: National Trust Location of the stair hall

South wall

East wall

North wall

West wall

Samples collecting site

Labassa stair hall photos taken by group member

3

Site recording and problem analysis

East wall NO.

Description

E01

Wall paper already replaced, however the colors are quite different from the original

E02

Wall paper missing, maybe due to water

wall paper

E01

damage

E03

E03

Replaced wall paper

E04

Uncleaned wall paper

E05

Wall paper fell off

E06

Paint fell off

E07

Salinization of paints on wood skirting, salt

E08

from ground may raise this issue Carbonization, wall paper turned black might caused by fire or high temperature

E02

E09

Decorative panel color fade out

E10

Infilling painting on missing wall paper surface

E11

Holes on wood

E05

E04

LEGEND

E08

E10

E09 E11

E06

E07

E01 & E02

E06

E07

E10 & E08 & E04

E10

E03

4

E11

E09

E08

Site recording and problem analysis

West wall

W01

NO.

Description

W01

Wallpaper pealed off, need to stick them back

W02

W09

W02

Wallpaper repaired

W03

Color on metal faded out

W04

Wallpaper colour faded out

W05

Wallpaper missing

W06

Wallpaper that still need to be cleaned

W07

Wall panels colour faded out and some original colour could be found.

W08

Paint felt off from the skirting

W09

Repaint colour could be found and different from other colors

W10

Evidence of salinization

W04 W03

W05

W06

LEGEND W10

W07

W08

W06

W06

W07

W09 & W02

W01 & W02 & W04 & W05

W07

W03

W02

W01 & W09

5

Site recording and problem analysis

South wall

S01 S02

S03

S04

S05

S06

NO.

Description

S01

Structural cracking

S02

Wall paper fell off

S03

Replaced wall paper

S04

Missed wall paper due to water problem

S05

Wall paper fell off

S06

Wall paper fell off

S07

White paint on original color

S08

Trace of wall from previous hotel

S09

Structural cracking

S10

Holes from previous wall joinary

S11

Decorative panel’s color fade out

S12

Uncleaned wall paper

S13

Structural cracking

S14

Paint fell off

S13

S07

S14

S08

LEGEND S09

S12

S10 S11

S03 & S04 & S05

S11

S13 & S14

S04

6

S12

S07 & S08 & S09 & S10

S11

Site recording and problem analysis

North wall

N05

NO.

Description

N01

Wallpaper missing

N02

Broken glasses

N03

Wallpaper colour faded out

N04

Wallpaper missing

N05

Wallpaper repaired

N02

N01

N04

N03

LEGEND

N02

N01

N04 & N05

W07

N05

7

Site recording and problem analysis

Ground floor ceiling

GC03

GC01

NO.

Description

GC01

Visible white paint suggesting repair work has commenced

GC02

Visible ceiling cracking

GC03

Wallpaper fell off, need repair work

GC04

A dark trace and research has suggesting there was a wall

GC05

Visible white paint suggesting repair work has commenced

GC02

LEGEND

GC04

GC01 & GC02

GC03

8

GC05

GC01

GC01

GC02 & GC05

GC01 & GC04

Site recording and problem analysis

First floor ceiling NO.

Description

FC01

Ceiling drawing restored

FC02

Visible cracking on ceiling

FC03

Trompe L’oell falling, needs moisturize and repair

FC01

FC02

LEGEND FC03

FC01

FC01 & FC02 & FC03

9

restoration perspectives

10

This sample was taken from the underneath of gutter.

The wood substrate could be seen clearly. However, the paint layer was not that visible, probably because of the sample is too small. In this sample two layers are visible, one of them is the substrate, another one is the dark green colour. The dark green colour should belong to the coating of the timber.

From this image, we could identify there are 8 different layers in the sample. Since this sample was collected from the veranda wall, the top dark green layer is covered with dirts. Under the top layer, a even darker layer indicates the underlying light grey layer might be a finish coat. There is a thick grey layer with many sand size inside. The substrat layer of this sample might be plaster where there are two different colours can be recognised.

From this image, we could clearly identify that there are possibly 5 to 6 different layers in this sample. The first layer shown on the image is brown colour. The second layer is the white colour. On top of it, a dark green colour was identified as another layer. A dark grey colour layer was covering the dark green layer. As the latest layers, there were one to two layers covering the dark grey layer. The dark grey colour layer can possibly be part of the dirt with attached on the paint layer. The white thick layer could be the undercoating of the original paint.

11

restoration perspectives

12

13

restoration perspectives

14

15

REFERENCES

National Trust, ‘LABASSA: A Grand Victorian Mansion’, National Trust: Melbourne, 2004.

National Trust, ‘The History of Labassa’ handout.

Labassa stair hall photo taken by group member

16