▁journ als , ▁of ▁pre - cut ting ▁mort iced ▁and ▁ten oned ▁house ▁frames . ▁In ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Queensland ▁Past oral ▁Supp lies ▁( Q PS ), ▁a ▁company ▁which ▁sent ▁mail ▁order ▁catalog ues ▁to ▁country ▁customers ▁and ▁with ▁whom ▁Alfred son ▁had ▁worked ▁previously , ▁he ▁started ▁manufact uring ▁pre - cut ▁houses . ▁The ▁houses , ▁their ▁tim ber ▁bund led ▁together ▁and ▁st enc illed ▁for ▁ease ▁of ▁assembly , ▁were ▁des patch ed ▁on ▁rail ▁cars ▁from ▁Co or an ▁railway ▁station . ▁They ▁were ▁delivered ▁with ▁all ▁their ▁components ▁from ▁the ▁st ump ▁caps ▁up , ▁with ▁quantity ▁lists ▁and ▁plans , ▁m ould ings , ▁doors ▁and ▁windows , ▁hardware ▁and ▁roof ing . ▁ ▁Pre - cut ▁houses ▁are ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" p ref ab ric ated ", ▁but ▁more ▁advanced ▁forms ▁of ▁pre fab ric ation ▁involve ▁whole ▁walls , ▁sections , ▁or ▁the ▁complete ▁house ▁being ▁manufact ured ▁off ▁the ▁building ▁site , ▁before ▁transport ation ▁and ▁assembly ▁on ▁site . ▁Although ▁pre fab ric ated ▁houses ▁represent ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁cost ▁effic ien cies ▁of ▁the ▁factory ▁assembly ▁line ▁to ▁the ▁building ▁sector , ▁they ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁popular , ▁other ▁than ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁absolute ▁necessity . ▁ ▁However , ▁pre - cut ▁( or ▁k it ) ▁houses ▁have ▁been ▁commer cially ▁successful ▁in ▁Australia ▁since ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁they ▁provided ▁an ▁answer