Ay Ot Lookout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ay Ot Lookout |
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Ay Ot Lookout, 2009
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| Location | 63 Hodgkinson Street, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1890s |
| Architect | William White |
| Official name: Ay Ot Lookout | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600404 |
| Significant period | 1890s (fabric, historical) |
| Significant components | cellar, residential accommodation - main house, kitchen/kitchen house |
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Ay Ot Lookout is a beautiful old house in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by an architect named William White and built in the 1890s. This special house is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of history that needs to be protected.
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History of Ay Ot Lookout
Ay Ot Lookout was built in the 1890s. This was a time when Charters Towers was booming because of gold mining. Many grand homes, like Ay Ot Lookout, were built during this rich period. Other big houses from this time include Thornburgh House and the old Pfeiffer House.
Charters Towers Gold Rush
Gold was found in Charters Towers in late 1871. Soon, it became the richest gold mining area in North Queensland. The town officially became a municipality (a self-governing town) in 1877. A railway was built, making it easy to send gold to the port at Townsville. This helped the town grow even faster.
The gold in Charters Towers was deep underground. Special equipment was needed to get it out. Money for this equipment came from investors in southern Australia and overseas. This created many jobs, and the town became very busy and successful.
A Prosperous Town
By the late 1880s and 1890s, Charters Towers was thriving. About 2,500 children went to several schools. There were eight churches, three newspapers, and two metal foundries. The town also had a hospital, a fire brigade, and a jockey club. Fancy public buildings replaced the simpler ones from earlier times.
Gold production reached its highest point in 1899. At that time, the town had a population of 26,500 people. Many wealthy citizens built large, impressive homes. For example, Frederick Pfeiffer, who owned the Day Dawn gold mine, built his house after 1882. Another rich mining owner, E. H. T. Plant, built the very grand house called Thornburgh by 1890.
Building Ay Ot Lookout
The land where Ay Ot Lookout stands was first given to John Brown in 1880. He sold it to Felix McElroy, who then sold it to Henry Collins in 1885. We don't know the exact year Ay Ot Lookout was built. However, it's thought to have been built for Thomas Smith. He bought the property in September 1895. Smith was a mill manager. He took out a large loan in 1897, which might have been for building the house.
The house was designed by William White. He was born in England and became a mining surveyor. He arrived in Charters Towers in 1887. In the 1890s, he worked as a land surveyor and architect. Later, in 1900, he became a teacher at the School of Mines. He passed away in Charters Towers in 1911.
Later Owners and Use
Ay Ot Lookout was sold in February 1904 to Herbert Foxlee. He was a successful merchant who owned shops near the house. It is believed that Foxlee named his new home "Ay Ot Lookout" after his childhood home, Ay Ot Farm, in England. The Foxlee family lived in the house for the longest time. They owned it until it was sold to Charles Brownson in 1952.
By the time John and Dorothy Scott bought the property in May 1968, the house was quite run down. The Scotts spent nine years fixing it up. They also collected many old pieces of furniture from the Charters Towers area. This collection was sold at an auction in 1977. Many people in the community wanted the government to buy the house and the furniture to keep them together.
In the 1980s, Mount Leyshon Gold Mines Limited bought Ay Ot Lookout. Today, it is used as a club for their employees. It is also open to visitors as a museum, so people can learn about its history.
What Ay Ot Lookout Looks Like
Ay Ot Lookout is located on the corner of Hodgkinson and High Streets. It's just one block away from the main business area along Gill Street.
Outside the House
This house has two stories and is made of timber. The timber frame is visible on the outside, which makes it look decorative. It has a complex roof with many gables (pointed sections) covered in corrugated iron. Both levels of the house have wide verandahs (porches). These verandahs have fancy cast iron railings and timber handrails. The posts that hold up the verandahs are made of timber with special decorative tops and brackets. There's also a deep decorative border, called valancing, between the two floors.
The front of the house has a special bay (a section that sticks out) on both verandahs. This bay is next to the main entrance. A square porch extends out from the verandah and goes up through the second floor. This makes it look a bit like a tower.
Inside the House
The front door has a large, round window above it called a fanlight. This door opens into an entrance foyer. This is a large area with a black and white chequerboard floor made of Italian marble. There's also a beautiful turned timber staircase and a ceiling with panels.
The quality of the work inside the house is very high. The wooden parts, like doors and frames, are made of cedar wood. The rooms on the ground floor have very high ceilings. The drawing room and dining room both have fireplaces. The kitchens have been updated and made modern. The house also has a small cellar (an underground room). At the back of the house, there's a single-storey building attached. It has a chimney and was probably an old kitchen area.
Why Ay Ot Lookout is Special
Ay Ot Lookout was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
Charters Towers was an incredibly rich goldfield. It played a huge part in Queensland's economy and helped develop the northern part of the state in the late 1800s. Ay Ot Lookout is a large and elegant house. It shows how wealthy and confident Charters Towers was when it was at its most successful. Many high-quality buildings were constructed in the town during this time.
A Great Example of Its Kind
Ay Ot Lookout is important because it's a very good example of a stylish house from its time. It shows the typical features of a fashionable villa (a large, fancy house) from that era.
Beautiful Design
The house has great aesthetic value, meaning it's beautiful to look at. It's a well-designed building in a late Victorian style. People generally like this style. This is clear because the community showed a lot of concern for its protection in the 1970s and beyond. They wanted to make sure this special house was saved.
