Rockhampton Customs House
| Customs House, Rockhampton | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Customs House, Quay Street, 2009
|
|
| Location | 208 Quay Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 23°22′42″S 150°30′53″E / 23.3783°S 150.5146°ECoordinates: 23°22′42″S 150°30′53″E / 23.3783°S 150.5146°E |
| Built | 1899 - 1900 |
| Official name: Customs House Rockhampton | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 7 February 2005 |
| Reference no. | 600817 |
| Significant period | 1860s-1900s (fabric) 1860s-1940s (historical) |
| Significant components | stables, dome, customs house, store - bond |
| Builders | Caskie and Thompson |
 Location of Customs House, Rockhampton in Queensland
Location of Customs House, Rockhampton in Queensland
|
|
The Rockhampton Customs House is a heritage-listed customs house at 208 Quay Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1899 to 1900 by Caskie and Thompson. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 February 2005.
The Rockhampton Customs House was constructed in 1899 as the third Customs House in Rockhampton. It is one of a group of Customs Houses built in Queensland at the turn of the century to the design of innovative and skilful architects of the Public Works Department. The architect responsible for the design of the Rockhampton Customs House is thought to be Thomas Pye with the assistance of George Payne.
The Archer brothers made a private expedition to the Rockhampton district in 1853, and were the first Europeans to record and chart the Fitzroy River. They built a small wharf to allow for the transport of wool bales from their property, Gracemere station. West of the place chosen as the wharf a large bar of rocks prevented further movement upstream for sailing vessels, thereby dictating the siting of the eventual Port of Rockhampton. The short lived Canoona gold rush of 1858 and its massive influx of over eight thousand diggers provided "the landing place" with its first major activity of loading and unloading of vessels.
In 1858 Rockhampton was officially proclaimed a port by the Government of New South Wales (the separation of Queensland did not occur until 1859). The collection of Customs duties and the storage of bonded goods was carried out in a prefabricated timber building which was despatched from the Government of New South Wales. A reserve was declared where the Customs House of 1899 was built, and another timber building was constructed as the Queen's warehouse. The area of the Customs House formed a focal point for transaction of commerce with frontages onto both Quay Street and Little Quay Street (later Quay Lane), and dominating the strip of properties with water frontage.
...
Wikipedia