Technically, my job title is ‘architectural historian’. Clients come to
me wanting to know more about the history of their house – when
it was built, previous owners, how it might have changed over time,
and the families that lived there. It’s usually people who’ve recently
bought a house, but I also have clients who’ve lived in one for years
and are curious, or they want to make changes, but do it in a way
that’s sympathetic to its history.
I set up my business, The House Detective, about six years ago.
On a day-to-day basis, I visit archives, libraries, search online and
chase up previous house owners, trying to find as much information
as I can. I search through records that might be relevant, and look
over historical certificates of title for the property. The majority of
my time is spent looking at online newspapers, as well as sites like
ancestry.com, putting together family trees. I’m glad I didn’t do this
20 years ago – so much more is online now!
Generally, the fancier the house and more wealthy the residents that
lived there, the easier it is to find information, because they showed
up in the papers a lot. They tended to be more prominent figures,
so there’ll be photos of them and often of their house, too. When it’s
more of a budget house – say, an old worker’s cottage – often it can
be quite difficult to find out about the people who lived there, because
they didn’t show up on land ownership records. Sometimes you hit
the jackpot and there’s an amazing photo or architectural plan or
something. That’s why I love it – I never know what I’m going to find!In high school, all I wanted was to be a forensic scientist,
so I studied chemistry and science. After working in chemistry
for a few years, I realised it wasn’t for me. I started volunteering
with museums and the National Trust, because I’d always
been interested in history and heritage. I absolutely loved that,
so I went back and did a part-time graduate diploma in applied
history, then found work with the Queensland Government and
Queensland Rail in their heritage units. Eventually, I left to work
for myself and focus on historical research. It’s funny that the
detective work I loved from forensics is exactly what I’m doing
now, but it’s much more pleasant. The people I’m dealing with
have been dead a lot longer!
I often get asked if any of the houses I’ve been in are haunted. One
lady had some paranormal investigators out to see if they could sense
any spirits, and they apparently detected an old guy named Jack who
died in the kitchen. She got in touch with me to see if the historical
research backed up what they’d found. It turned out there was a Jack
who owned the house, and he did die suddenly, but he’d moved by
that time. Plus, Jack was a very common name back then.
To be a house detective, you need to be very curious. You also need
to be a bit pedantic, in that you can never take a fact at face value- you have to cross-check everything and double-check dates and
figures. You need to be passionate, not only about architectural
history, but social history, too – what families were like, how things
worked, and how lifestyles affected the designs of the houses,
depending on the era.
Sharing the history of these houses highlights the importance
of keeping them – that’s the most satisfying thing. You see an
old house, and someone will be like, “Oh, that’s a tumbling
down wreck, let’s demolish it.” But when you tell them the story
of who lived there and all the incredible features inside, it helps
build appreciation. The funny thing is, I’ve never researched my
own house. It’s a typical case of the cobbler’s children having
no shoes. I’ve got all the documentation, I’ve just never gotten
around to doing it.
on the job
MARIANNE TAYLOR IS
A HOUSE DETECTIVE.
Interview Sophie Kalagas
PhotoSavannah van der Nietnine to five