Australian Bank of Commerce, Charters Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian Bank of Commerce |
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Australian Bank of Commerce (now The World Theatre), 2012
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| Location | 86 Mosman Street, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Francis Drummond Greville Stanley |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Australian Bank of Commerce (former), The Australian Joint Stock Bank, The World Theatre | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600407 |
| Significant period | 1890s (fabric) 1891-c. 1931 (historical use) |
| Significant components | banking chamber, residential accommodation - manager's house/quarters |
| Builders | Wyatt & Gates |
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The Australian Bank of Commerce building is a historic former bank located at 86 Mosman Street in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by famous architect Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built in 1891.
This grand building was once known as The Australian Joint Stock Bank. Today, it is home to The World Theatre. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992, meaning it's an important part of Queensland's history and worth protecting.
Contents
A Golden History
This impressive building was constructed in 1891. It served as the home for the Australian Joint Stock Bank. The bank was designed in a classical style, which means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. It was built during the exciting "boom years" of the Charters Towers gold rush.
Gold Discovery in Charters Towers
Gold was first found in Charters Towers in late 1871. A group of prospectors, including Hugh Mosman, George Clarke, James Fraser, and an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter, made the discovery. By 1872, thousands of people had rushed to the area, hoping to strike it rich. Charters Towers quickly became a major gold-producing area in Queensland.
The Bank's Early Days
The Australian Joint Stock Bank started because of the gold discoveries. It opened branches in many goldfields. In 1872, it opened a branch in Broughton, then moved to Charters Towers. Later, it moved to Millchester, where many businesses were setting up.
In 1874, a special business area was created in Charters Towers. The bank opened a smaller office there, which became a full branch in 1876. This area soon became the main business and social hub of the town.
Gold Mining and Money
The gold in Charters Towers was found in deep underground "reefs" or veins. Mining this gold needed a lot of special equipment and money. At first, small groups of miners and local business people funded the mines. But as the gold veins went deeper, more money was needed than what was available locally.
In 1886, Charters Towers showed off its gold samples at an exhibition in London. Some mines were producing huge amounts of gold! This attracted many investors from Britain, leading to a big investment boom. Even though this boom didn't last, the discovery of the famous Brilliant Reef in 1889 kept the goldfield strong. The promise of long-term gold production made the town very wealthy. This encouraged businesses to build strong brick buildings instead of wooden ones in the 1880s and 1890s.
Building the Bank
The Australian Joint Stock Bank bought land for a new building in 1884. In 1889, they approved plans for a beautiful new bank. They realized their first piece of land was too small, so they bought another block in May 1890.
The company hired Wyatt & Gates to build the new bank. The building was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. He was a very talented architect from Scotland. He had been Queensland's main government architect from 1873 to 1881. He also became the first president of the Queensland Institute of Architects in 1888. Stanley designed many important public and business buildings, including several banks. The new bank building opened in early 1892. It had banking facilities and a special "gold room" on the ground floor. The bank manager lived in an apartment upstairs, which was common for banks in regional towns.
Changes and New Beginnings
By 1892, the Australian Joint Stock Bank was the biggest bank in Queensland. It had 19 branches and bought the most gold in Charters Towers. However, the bank grew too fast. In April 1893, it closed during a big national banking crisis. Many banks had to shut down. After some changes, the bank reopened in June 1893 as the Australian Joint Stock Bank Limited.
Charters Towers continued to do well. Gold production reached its highest point in 1899. The town's population also peaked that year with about 26,500 people. Charters Towers was then the second most important city in Queensland.
In 1909, a new company called the Australian Bank of Commerce was formed. It took over the Australian Joint Stock Bank Limited. Business started in this building on January 1, 1910. By this time, gold mining in Charters Towers was getting harder and more expensive. The gold was too deep to mine profitably. The town's population quickly dropped as people moved to coastal areas.
A New Purpose
In 1931, the Australian Bank of Commerce merged with the Bank of New South Wales. The new combined bank moved to the Bank of New South Wales building on Gill Street. The old bank building was no longer used as a bank. It became living quarters for bank staff.
In 1937, Dr. W Stevens bought the building. He lived on the top floor and used the ground floor for his medical office. Later, he moved downstairs and rented out the top floor. In 1992, the local council bought the building. They wanted to turn it into a cultural center. The new theatre complex, called The World Theatre, opened in September 1996.
What Does It Look Like?
The former bank building now serves as the entry, gallery, and offices for "The World" Theatre complex. This modern theatre is built behind the old bank. It is connected by a roof and a courtyard, but the old bank building still looks separate.
From Mosman Street, the bank building looks like it stands alone. It has narrow paths on either side, separating it from other old buildings like Lyall's Jewellery Shop.
The former Australian Bank of Commerce is a two-story building. It is made of brick with a smooth, painted finish. It has a hidden corrugated iron roof behind a decorative wall called a balustraded parapet. The front of the building is perfectly balanced. It has a row of Doric columns on the ground floor. Above them, there's another row of Corinthian order columns. These are topped by a triangular shape called a pediment with fancy carvings inside.
The main entrance has small steps and its own little pediment. Inside, there are double doors leading to a large banking room, which is now the theatre's entrance lobby. The building's original shape is mostly the same. The offices on the sides are still used as offices. The main room gets light from a special ceiling window with colorful glass. Beyond this, doors lead to the theatre's courtyard.
You can go upstairs using a large staircase made of cedar wood. It has beautifully carved railings. The upstairs area is shaped like a "U" around the ceiling window and is now a gallery. You can see the high quality of the building's details everywhere. This includes fancy plaster designs, cedar wood doors and frames, and colorful encaustic tiles in the main rooms and stair area.
Why Is It Important?
The former Australian Bank of Commerce was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it meets certain important standards:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. Charters Towers was an incredibly rich goldfield. It played a huge part in Queensland's economy in the late 1800s. This bank building shows how wealthy and confident Charters Towers was during its busiest gold mining period. Many high-quality buildings were constructed then.
- It shows what a certain type of building looks like. Even though it's been changed a bit, it's still a great example of a high-quality bank building from its time. It was designed by one of Queensland's most important architects.
- It is beautiful. The building is well-designed and has fine details. It's an important part of a group of large 19th-century business buildings on Mosman Street. These include the Royal Hotel, the Stock Exchange Arcade, and the former Queensland National Bank (also designed by Stanley). They all help give the city center its unique character.
- It is connected to important people or groups in Queensland's history. The former Australian Bank of Commerce is a major building by F.D.G. Stanley. He helped shape many buildings in Queensland, both as the government architect and in his own business. It is also linked to the Australian Joint Stock Bank, which was once the biggest bank in Queensland.
See Also
- List of heritage-listed buildings in Charters Towers
