Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store
| Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store | |
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Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store, 2013
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| Location | 63 Elderslie Street, Winton, Shire of Winton, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 22°23′22″S 143°02′18″E / 22.3895°S 143.0384°ECoordinates: 22°23′22″S 143°02′18″E / 22.3895°S 143.0384°E |
| Design period | 1914 - 1919 (World War I) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Official name: Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600965 |
| Significant period | 1910s (fabric) 1916-1987 (historical use) |
| Significant components | cold room/cold store, shed - storage, furniture/fittings |
 Location of Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store in Queensland
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Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store is a heritage-listed former general store and now visitor centre at 63 Elderslie Street, Winton, Shire of Winton, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1916. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
The current 1916 building is the latest in a succession of Corfield & Fitzmaurice stores on the same site which established the main street of Winton.
The first pastoral run in the area was taken up around 1866 and the first lease was granted in 1873. Robert Allen, who also acted as an unofficial postmaster, had established a store and a basic hotel at Pelican Water Hole in 1876. This area proved to be subject to flooding, so when a site was surveyed for a township in 1878, a place about a mile away was selected. It was called Winton, after Allen's home in England. William Henry Corfield, who had been in the carrying business since the mid 1860s, formed a partnership with Robert Fitzmaurice to set up a store and hotel in the proposed new town.
The partners left Townsville in July 1878 with a load of goods and set up a primitive store of saplings and tarpaulin, placing it by agreement in line with Allen's relocated building and Lynett's store. This row of buildings became the basis for the main street of Winton. Corfield returned to Townsville with a backload of wool and came back with timber, iron and a billiard table for a new hotel, to be known as the North Gregory Hotel. Fitzmaurice then went to Townsville to collect his wife and child and to bring the materials necessary to construct a more permanent store building. Both buildings were completed by 1879 and did well. Winton was gazetted as a town in the same year and the streets were named after surrounding runs including Elderslie Street where the store is located.
In 1880 the first land sales were held and Corfield and Fitzmaurice purchased the block on which their store stood. Winton flourished and soon had two stores, three hotels, a court house, bank and post office. By 1883 the population was 300 and increasing rapidly. In 1884 Fitzmaurice lost his sight and Corfield bought him out, selling the hotel on. He then went into partnership with W.M. Campbell. The transport company of Cobb and Co set up a depot in Winton in 1885 and Corfield became their agent. In 1888 he entered politics as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Gregory, but in 1898 his partner became ill and Corfield returned to active participation in the business. Additions were carried out to the Corfield and Fitzmaurice store in 1899 by the Townsville architects Tunbridge and Tunbridge. This store was destroyed by fire in 1916 and was rebuilt. After Campbell's death, Thomas James O'Rourke went into partnership with Corfield and was still so in 1921 when Corfield wrote the book 'Reminiscences of Queensland.'
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