Townsville Customs House
| Townsville Customs House | |
|---|---|
Townsville Customs House, 2008
|
|
| Location | Wickham Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 19°15′20″S 146°49′19″E / 19.2556°S 146.8219°ECoordinates: 19°15′20″S 146°49′19″E / 19.2556°S 146.8219°E |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1900 - 1902 |
| Architect | George David Payne |
| Architectural style(s) | Romanesque |
| Official name: Townsville Customs House | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 7 February 2005 |
| Reference no. | 600937 |
| Significant period | 1900s (fabric) 1900s-1980s (historical) |
| Significant components | dome, safe, residential accommodation - quarters, tower - observation/lookout, strong room |
| Builders | Crawford & Cameron |
 Location of Townsville Customs House in Queensland
Location of Townsville Customs House in Queensland
|
|
Townsville Customs House is a heritage-listed former customs house at Wickham Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by George David Payne and built from 1900 to 1902 by Crawford & Cameron. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 February 2005.
The former Townsville Customs House, the fourth customs building in Townsville, was constructed in 1901/02 to a design prepared in 1899/1900 by architect George Payne of the Government Architect's Office in the Queensland Department of Public Works.
Townsville had been established in the mid-1860s by pastoralist John Melton Black and his Sydney business partner, Robert Towns, as a port to service Station. There were already ports at Bowen and Cardwell but during the wet season Woodstock and other stations to the west were often cut off from these centres by floodwaters.
In November 1864 Black's employees Andrew Ball and Mark Reid set up camp close to the mouth of Ross Creek on Cleveland Bay and in the next few months Black and Towns invested in the construction of a warehouse and wharf. A residence was constructed for Melton Black on Melton Hill overlooking the fledgling port.
At this period Robert Towns, with interests in banking, pastoral, shipping and commercial industries, was one of Australian's most influential businessmen. Having invested heavily in the early establishment of this new Queensland port facility, Black and Towns lobbied the colonial government to declare the new township a port of entry. They received support from the Queensland Collector of Customs and on 17 June 1865 Cleveland Bay was proclaimed a "Port of Entry and Clearance". At that time a small Customs service was established in the township. Staff included the Sub-Collector of Customs who, for an annual fee of |300, served as the Police Magistrate, Clerk of Petty Sessions, and Harbour and Port Master. Two staff were employed as customs and harbour workers, boatmen and constables. The construction of a bond store and customs warehouse was also authorised at that time.
...
Wikipedia