Ashgrove's houses and history
The tram brought the houses
Estates such as Hawthorn Park (1914) and the Greenwood Estate (1917) were sold before the tram line was extended to Ashgrove along Waterworks Road in 1924. The line closed in August 1968.
Protected character
Brisbane's planning scheme protects houses substantially built in 1946 or earlier in its Traditional building character overlay. Ashgrove's 1920s and 1930s houses are well inside that date.
Mostly houses, some units
At the 2021 Census, 77.3% of homes were separate houses and 20.6% flats or apartments. 26.9% were rented, and the average home had 3.4 bedrooms.
Close in, on Energex
Ashgrove is about 5.1 km north-west of the GPO, in the City of Brisbane. Energex takes outage calls on 13 62 62.
Signs the wiring in an old Ashgrove house needs a look
- Ceramic fuses you pull out and rewire, instead of circuit breakers.
- No switch with a test button on the board, which means no safety switch.
- Light switches or power points that feel warm, crackle or have scorch marks.
- Lights that flicker when something else turns on.
- Cloth-covered or perished rubber cable visible in the roof or under the house. Look, but don't handle it.
Common jobs in an interwar house
Rewiring in stages or all at once. An electrician can test the existing circuits and tell you which can stay. If you're renovating, a full rewire of old wiring is easier while walls and ceilings are open.
Ceiling fans in tall rooms. Fans are a natural fit for high ceilings, but each one needs a fixing point strong enough to hold it and a proper circuit, so it's licensed work from start to finish. Ceiling fans in Brisbane covers what to ask.
Safety switch first. Queensland stops electricians doing new installation work in a home with no approved safety switch on the power points, unless the job includes one.
If it were our Ashgrovian
We'd have the whole house tested before choosing light fittings or fans. Knowing which circuits are original tells you if it's a few repairs or a full rewire, and it's far better to find that out before the painters arrive.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.