Roof Restoration in Drayton
The first big settlement
Drayton was the first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs, started in 1842, and it was known as The Springs from about 1840 to 1847. Thomas Alford opened a store there in August 1842. By the 1860s the centre of population had moved to Toowoomba, which had better access to water. Drayton had 1,813 people in 2021.
An inn from 1847
The Royal Bull's Head Inn was first built in 1847 or 1848 by an English convict, William Horton, and the present brick and plastered timber building was substantially complete by 1858. It stopped being an inn in 1879, and the National Trust bought it in 1973. Heritage buildings have special rules, so ask the council what applies to a roof near one.
Houses from three eras
Wikipedia says Drayton has a core of homes from the 19th century and many homes and commercial premises from the mid-twentieth century, plus detached homes and multi-unit dwellings built in the 1990s and 2000s, mostly for students of the nearby University of Southern Queensland. A restorer should check what roof type you have, not guess from the suburb.
Asbestos on older roofs
The Queensland Government says asbestos is common in houses built before 1990 and is not dangerous in good condition. A mid-century Drayton house falls into that period. Ask each business how it handles suspected asbestos sheets, and do not let anyone pressure-clean, scrub or break sheets until you have a clear answer.
The school and the heritage list
Drayton State School, founded in 1851, is one of the oldest state primary schools in Queensland, and the heritage list also includes St Matthew's Anglican Church, the Royal Bull's Head Inn and O'Shea's Drayton Cottage. If your own roof is on a listed place, ask the restorer whether they have worked under a heritage condition.
Terracotta and old tiles
The guide says unglazed terracotta does not need paint to stay weatherproof, and glazed terracotta should never be painted because coatings do not bond to the glaze. Old profiles can be hard to match, so salvaged tiles are often best. Ask a restorer where replacement tiles would come from and what a spare tile costs.
Trains and Anzac Avenue
The South Western railway forms Drayton's south-western boundary, and the southern part of Anzac Avenue is the axis of a growing industrial and commercial district. Roof work near a rail line raises access questions. Ask a restorer how a crew would reach the site, and where ladders, lifts or skips would be placed.
Summer sun
The airport station records 36.5 days a year at 30 degrees or more and a mean daily solar exposure of 24.9 megajoules per square metre in January. Ask what the coating is rated for in that sun, and ask for the warranty in writing before you pay a deposit.
Older than Toowoomba
Drayton settled before its neighbour, but in the 1860s Toowoomba grew faster and the centre of population shifted, leaving Drayton a south-western suburb. The South Western railway marks the south-west boundary and Drayton station serves the area. Mount Peel rises to 711 metres in the north-west. Wikipedia says homes here date from the 19th century and from the mid twentieth century.
When was Drayton settled?
It was first established in 1842 as the first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs.
Who built the Royal Bull's Head Inn?
An English convict, William Horton, first built it in 1847 or 1848.
Who was Steele Rudd?
The author Arthur Hoey Davis, born in Drayton in 1868.
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Nearby
Westbrook
South Toowoomba