page_title: Lange Powell
section_title: Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board v R. Jackson Limited
hierarchical_section_title: Lange Powell / Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board v R. Jackson Limited
caption_attribution_description: English: Lange Powell
context_page_description: Lange Leopold Powell was a noted architect who designed many important buildings in Brisbane and the state of Queensland. He started practice in 1909; his major works included St Martin's War Memorial Hospital and the Masonic Temple, Brisbane
  Powell served as president of the Queensland Institute of Architects, as president of the Australian Institute of Architects, and as president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
context_section_description: During the early 1920s, the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage board was implementing the Brisbane Sewerage Scheme, which included the maintenance and replacement of sewerage systems in Brisbane CBD. A trunk sewer was scheduled to be laid in Eagle Street, but during excavation several surrounding buildings, including Powell’s client R. Jackson’s warehouse, subsided and cracked. The property owners, claimed for compensation from the Sewerage board, and Powell was requested by Jackson to use his prior knowledge of the site and his extensive knowledge of building practices to act as their structural adviser. In 1924, Powell presented his case to the Supreme Court, prompting one judge to speak very highly of Powell's unbiased handling of the case. The following information is taken from Powell’s declaration during the Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board v R. Jackson Limited case, published in "The Queensland State Reports 1924, Decisions of the Supreme Court, Queensland".
  The site Powell inspected was an irregular sized block constrained by the city’s grid system and the Brisbane River. The site contains several buildings: R. Jackson’s, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's, the Australian Estates, the Brisbane Stock Exchange and the United Insurance buildings. The owners claimed that during the scheduled tunneling, excavation and blasting operations in Elizabeth, Eagle and Creek Streets and adjacent lanes, the Board’s negligence had damaged their buildings. These operations, Powell declared, had interfered with and weakened the foundations on which the buildings had been erected and had altered the level of support given by the subsoil. Consequently, this resulted in the further settling of buildings, and numerous cracks and breaks in the wall and structural elements.
  Jackson and Powell also claimed that the damage would continue unless the Board paid to repair the buildings and prevent any further sinking. They also applied for compensation, claiming that both the land and buildings had greatly depreciated in value. The Board rebutted, stating that the owners knew the soil was insufficient for buildings of that size and that they had neglected to provide and construct adequate foundations. They also said the owners’ buildings were poorly constructed with inferior materials, and that the cracking of walls and structural elements was due to the lack of maintenance required.
  Whilst the initial hearing at the Magistrates Court was in favour of the Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board, Jackson appealed to the Supreme Court where Judge Lukin overturned the decision. Powell’s report in combination with independent expert analysis proved pivotal in the Supreme Court case, with Lukin stating ‘Mr. Powell has shown a considerable amount of ability, research and industry in supplying the Court with authorities in support of the opinions he has expressed." Compensation awarded for the New Zealand Loan was £600, for Jackson £250, and for the Australian Estates £160.
caption: One of R. Jackson's warehouses designed by Powell.
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