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Stunning iron lace work on a three storey veranda hotel in Rockhampton. Built in the 1890s to rival any hotel in Brisbane. It was the Commercial.

Image by denisbin
Brief History of Rockhampton.
Rockhampton (and Ipswich) were the first towns gazetted outside of Brisbane once self government for Queensland was obtained in 1859. When the Archer brothers, Charles and William arrived at the Fitzroy River where Rockhampton now stands in 1853, it was home to the Darumbal Aboriginal people. Their clan totem was the water lily, reflecting the abundance of this plant in the billabongs and lagoons that characterise this region of Central Queensland. The Archers saw the pastoral prospects of the region and the site’s potential as a major city port. They soon established their run called Gracemere, but rocks prevented them from sailing further upstream, hence the name of the town. Two bush pubs opened near Gracemere and in 1857 the town site was surveyed. It was gazetted as a government town in 1859.

A small gold rush in 1858 saw 8,000 diggers travelling through Rockhampton. The river and Keppel Bay were alive with more than 70 ships. Rockhampton settled into a period of remarkable growth and prosperity. In 1861 the town had 700 people. By 1865 construction of the railway linking Rockhampton to the interior of Central Queensland had begun.
The economic development of Rockhampton progressed in the 1870’s with the first meatworks opening in 1871, followed by a soap works, a brewery, a couple of foundries, bakeries, and sawmills. A bridge across the Fitzroy River was in place in 1881 by which time Rockhampton was a major city with government offices, a Supreme Court, and impressive banking and commercial buildings.

In 1882 gold was discovered at Mount Morgan, 45 km southwest of Rockhampton. This provided a stimulus for massive growth in Rockhampton. A building boom in Rockhampton followed this – the grand Customs House with its copper dome and spacious interior is an example (and now the Information Centre which we will visit this morning), but we will look at other magnificent Victorian buildings on our historical walk along the Rockhampton waterfront. The city also became the administrative headquarters for both the Anglican and the Catholic churches in Central Queensland. By the mid 1890’s some prominent business leaders were calling for the establishment of a new colony of ‘North Queensland’, although a separate state movement had begun as early as 1861. Prosperity continued into the Federation Period and by 1901 the city had a population of 15,500. In 1909 the city’s tramways opened, making it one of the few regional Australians cities with trams. The Second World War gave new growth to Rockhampton as thousands of military personnel were based here. This led to the establishment of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area nearby.

Also the opening up of the brigalow scrub country to the west of Rockhampton made it the beef capital of Australia. Why is it the centre of the beef industry? Because there are over 4 million cattle in the region and the city has two major abattoirs processing works and it has the biggest turnover of beef cattle in Australia in its sale yards. The city processes half a million beef carcasses every year, worth over 0million in sales. Teys Meat Group currently employs around 900 people and is the city’s largest single employer.

Coal mining in the hinterland from the 1960s onwards made Rockhampton an even bigger city. There are now 6 major coal mines in the Rockhampton area. This helped the population to grow to 50,000 people by 1975. The 16,000 hectares of irrigated cotton from the Emerald district also is shipped from Rockhampton. The region now has 100,000 people, including 18,000 students enrolled at the University of Central Queensland (many are external students learning by distance education).

Archer Park Railway Museum (Corner of Denison, Cambridge and Archer Streets.).
The museum of Rockhampton trams and railways is named after the city founders. It is located in the old historic railway station of Rockhampton which is a charming Victorian building. The station was designed by Henrik Hansen and is similar to the Emerald station which he also designed. It is a single storey chamferboard structure dating from 1899 with the roof behind a parapet. The veranda has cast iron columns and brackets. It has changed little since it was erected.

Rockhampton Botanic Gardens.
In 1869 land was set aside for a botanical garden in Rockhampton. It was planned to acclimatize new plants and determine plants of economic benefit to the region. It soon became a pleasure garden. It has excellent specimens of palms, cycads and ferns, some of which are over 100 years old now. The gardens were managed by just three curators over a span of 84 years. Once trams were introduced to Rockhampton in 1909 they brought visitors to the Botanic Gardens.

The Garden features include a Japanese garden, a large fernery dating from 1939 which is in the shape for a cross, and a cenotaph built in 1924 to commemorate World War One. It is now the local war memorial for all wars. Seeds from the Lone Pine at Gallipoli were obtained from the Turkish Government in 1988 and these pines now form a small avenue to the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is surrounded by Canary Island Date Palms and is made of grey granite. It also has an excellent collection of over 200 species of palms and cycads. One of the prettiest features is Murray Lagoon. In the early days it was used as a swimming hole until the public baths were opened in 1883. The lagoon also supplied Rockhampton with water. Since 1902 it has been home to a large variety of fish, and Eastern Long-Necked Turtles, Chelodina longicollis. This small snake-necked turtle produces a carapace of about 20cm in length when the animal is in captivity. The species is widely distributed and found from Adelaide and the Murray River to Cape York and Central Queensland. Chelodina longicollis is a very hardy turtle and is able to tolerate lower temperatures than most other turtles of the genus. In colder regions of Australia the turtles may hibernate.

Some Historic Buildings in Rockhampton.
Rockhampton has one of the best historic precincts in Australia with over 20 buildings along Quay Street, facing the Fitzroy River, and they are on the register for the National Estate. More are on the QLD state register. The mainly commercial buildings reflect the prosperity that came to Rockhampton after the gold discoveries at Mt Morgan mine.

•150 Quay Street, corner of Fitzroy St. Criterion Hotel. This substantial three storeyed brick hotel from 1898 has elaborate facades with three levels of verandas, with six bay arcades. The end bays are symmetrically arranged. The crowning feature is the almost weird corner tower like structure with fancy awnings and a small roofed lookout atop. A Victorian extravaganza unlike the other classical Quay St structures.

•162 Quay St. Former Bulletin Building. This is a later building erected in 1929 but still with some classical features in terms of symmetry, pilasters running up the building to divide the facade etc. It also has some Art Deco features and is in the striped classical style. This was the third home of the Rockhampton newspaper.

•166 Quay St. The Rockhampton Club. This was the social club of the big and wealthy investors of the Mt Morgan Mine. It is a two storey brick painted building with a double storey veranda featuring ornate iron work, and timber louvred panels. Above the main entrance is a transom light window with etched glass lettering.

•170 Quay St. Trustee Chambers. This was built in 1877, before the mines started. Unlike other buildings this was the home of a local doctor until 1919 when it became lawyers’ chambers. It is two storeys high, with a double storey veranda, cast iron columns with Doric capitals on the pillars, and made of brick. The facia board says :Trustee Chambers. More like a colonial home but with some classical features. Dr Callaghan, the first owner used to sit on the veranda in the evenings and speak to the strollers taking a promenade along Quay Street.

•174 Quay St. C.J. Edwards Chambers. This was purpose built as a motor car garage, one of the first in Rockhampton early in 20th century. Note the ridge ventilators along the U shaped roof ridge.

•178 Quay St. Former Rees and Jones Building. Built in 1886 for a legal firm, this is a single storey building with symmetrical facade, and cement render quoins on the corners and around the entrance. The original windows have been replaced.

•180 Quay St. Cattle House. A Federation building erected in 1903 as the Union Bank and later the cattle industry headquarters. It has classical features with a double storey arcaded loggia (veranda) facing the street. It is a five bay loggia with triangular pediments above the end bays and the main entrances. Along the roof is a parapet with Italianate balusters. Note the cartouche by the end pediment with floral and acanthus plaster work.

•182 /4Quay St. Luck House – Australian Estates. The 1861 building on this site was re-modelled in 1884. It is one of the oldest buildings in the street. It has an asymmetrical faced of rendered cement. Note the spherical designs around the upper windows, which are fitted into round arch openings.

•186 quay St, corner of Denham St. Rees and Jones Building. Erected in 1880 for the QLD National Bank. An outstanding classical building of great quality. A classical façade, with balustrade roof line. It is two storeys with arcaded loggias, with three bays each side of the central entrance. Entrance is topped with a triangular pediment. The double length pilasters are Corinthian with acanthus leaves atop.

•194 Quay St. Former Royal Bank. The bank was built around 1890 as a two storey structure, with paired panelled doors with arched fanlights above. The first floor arcaded balcony has four arches and cast iron balustrades. It is topped with a triangular pediment with a keystone.

•206 Quay St. Fortier Archer Chambers. This was built in the 1870s for the founders of the city. It is a single storey structure with a symmetrical facade, awnings above the windows, and a parapet to hide the roof line.

•208 Quay St. Former Customs House now the Information Centre. This is one of the finest government buildings in Australian. Completed in 1901(Federation year) in the Greek classical style with a magnificent circular dome roof, a full semi circle of Greek columns for the porch, and elliptical windows above the arched and decorated main windows. It cost £16,500 to build.

•230 Quay St, corner of William St. Former Commercial Hotel. Built in the late 1890s as a luxurious hotel to revival any in Brisbane! Note the iron filigree lace work which adds to the aesthetic charm of the hotel. It is three storeys with verandas, some almost encased with wrought iron lace work.

•232-4 Quay St. Former Cahill’s Store. An early department store, this building was later used by Dalgety & Co as a station agent office. It is a single storey brick building with modelled classical motifs on the face, with a roof line parapet. The facade is divided into six bays.

•236 Quay St. Former Mt Morgan Gold Mining Company Headquarters. No other building has a closer connection to the gold boom of Rockhampton. It is an exquisite example of a classical style building- single storey but with perfect symmetry. The central entrance has 2 bays each side, with an arcaded loggia to provide shade. The roof line is hidden behind a balustrade parapet, and above the central door is a triangular pediment. Note the egg and dart mouldings on the external cornices below the pediment and the fine corner finials. The street fence complements the facade.

•238 Quay St. Former Goldsborough Mort Building. These wool merchant offices were built in 1899. It is a single storey building with two arched windows to either side of a central entry. The facade has pilasters, triangular pediments and a roof line parapet with ball finials.

•248 Quay St. Avonleigh Homestead. This is another home built in Quay Street in 1885 for Frederick Morgan one of the brothers who began the Mt Morgan Mine. It is a two storey structure built in Flemish bond with sandstone quoins, with decorative cast iron work on the verandas. Note the entrance is flanked with French doors, with arched fanlights and shutters. The first floor verandas have been enclosed with glass louvres and lattice timber work. Built with the proceeds from gold mining!

•250 Quay St, corner of Derby St. Walter Reid Court. This is a three storey warehouse structure with considerable bulk and presence in the street. It was built early in the 20th century in the stripped classical style. It has pseudo-pilasters to the roof line, and the symmetrical facade is divided by these pilasters. It has two entrances balanced by two end bays, and three central bays. It is now used for flats.

•288 Quay St. Former Harbour Board Building. It was erected in 1898 in the classical style. Note the words Harbour Board in the rectangular pediment above the main entrance. The facade is divided into thirds with wide arched verandas or loggias with a keystone at the centre of each arch. It has pilasters and a fine balustrade to hide the roof line. The ground floor has rectangular Doric pilasters and the upper floor Corinthian pilasters. More recently the Fitzroy Shire Council has occupied the site.

•Former Post Office, 80 East Street, on the corner of Denham Street. This impressive building was constructed in 1892 of local sandstone. It is in the Greek classical style but with Victorian features adapting it to the tropical climate. The upper and lower storey colonnaded veranda is outstanding, with classical columns, triangular pediments above major entrances, a fine balustrade to hide the roof line, and a dominant clock tower. This is topped with an amazing cupola supported by barrow columns. It cost £17,500 to build and is now part of the Central Uni of QLD.

•Town Hall, Bolsover Street, and Derby Street. This brick building sits in a reserve with Cuban Royal Palms and Traveller’s Palms. All facades are symmetrical in the classical style, but with projecting bay windows, a Victorian favourite. It has classical columns, balustrades, windows decorative surrounds etc. The brick is laid in Flemish bond with alternating headers and stretchers.

•Schotia Place, 201 Bolsover Street. This was erected as a market for the city in 1898. In 1977 it was converted to use as a community centre. It is another building in the classical style with added architectural elements- the brick half round pediment, the two cupolas on each side, and the fan light above the main door. It has good symmetry as all classical buildings do with pilasters, a triangular pediment above the main door, a balustrade, and the facade divided into three sections etc.

•Former AMP Society Building, 183 East Street by corner of Derby and William Streets. This classical building was built in 1888. The parapet had the Amicus statuary which was the symbol of the AMP but it is now been replaced by a Brahmin bull. It is a brick faced and cement rendered building, with an arcaded loggia for shade. The ground floor archways are framed with Doric columns. Note the fine decorative features around the windows and in the gable pediment. The upper columns are Corinthian. Cast iron gates close the archways to the street.

•Mater Misericordiae Hospital, 31 Ward Street, near the Botanic Gardens. Although not on our walking tour, this is an important building. It was built in 1894 as a grand private house in the Italianate style with no symmetry, a tower, bay windows, arched windows, but with some classical columns too. Some say it was designed to be the government house if the northern secession movement had succeeded. The house has grand entrance gates. In 1915 it was sold to the Sisters of Mercy for a hospital.

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