Austral House

Austral House, located at Nos 51 and 53 on Well Street, was built between 1865 and 1869, likely by Eli Milnes. This large five-storey building features chambers with warehousing at the rear. Unusually for the "Little Germany" area, the exterior showcases bold Gothic detailing. The structure is made of millstone grit ashlar with finer sandstone dressings and intricate carvings. It has ten window bays on the main block, with slight breaks of two bays flanked by steep gables. The building is topped with sharply modelled plinth capping, sill courses, and narrow carved machicolations at the eaves. Above, there are masonry gablets with wrought iron work in between. The ground floor is marked by large polished pink granite columns with foliate caps, while grey granite corner shafts frame the window bays on the first floor. Each floor features incised, stencil-patterned bands and window arches, with unique carvings. The top floor is designed as a gallery, highlighted by polished grey granite shafts, and there is a richly carved tympanum over the main doorway.