Billy Madrid's House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy Madrid's House |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Bill Madrid's House, 2015
|
|
| Location | 32 Cedar Street, Yungaburra, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | c. 1925 |
| Official name: Special Glass Co. Shop, Billy Madrid's house, T.A.B. Agency, Tailor's shop | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600478 |
| Significant period | 1920s (fabric) c. 1925-1955, 1990s-ongoing (historical use) |
| Significant components | shed/s |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Billy Madrid's House is a special old building in Yungaburra, Queensland, Australia. It's located at 32 Cedar Street. This building is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its important history. It was built around 1925 and has been known by a few names, including Special Glass Company Shop and Tailor's shop. Today, it's still used as a shop.
Contents
History of Billy Madrid's House
This building is one of two timber shops built around 1925. People think they were built because the town of Yungaburra was expecting more visitors and business. This was after the Gillies Highway connected Yungaburra to Cairns in 1926.
Early Settlement in Yungaburra
The first Europeans came to the Atherton Tableland to cut timber and mine. But the area's rich soil and cool weather were also great for farming. In 1885, a plan called the Village Settlement scheme started. It offered settlers farm blocks and village home sites. In 1888, a village settlement was set up at Allumbah Pocket, which later became Yungaburra.
Around the same time, the railway from Cairns to the Tableland began. It took a long time to build. The first farms in Allumbah started in 1891. The railway reached Mareeba in 1895 and Atherton in 1903. This made it much easier to get to the area.
The Williams Family's Role
More people moved to Allumbah after new land laws in the early 1900s. The land where Billy Madrid's House now stands was part of a farm chosen by George O'Donnell in 1899. In 1900, it was sold to George Wedderburn. He divided it into smaller blocks in 1910.
The Railway Commissioner bought some land, and the new Yungaburra railway station changed where the town's main area was. Buildings were moved or built closer to the railway.
The Williams family played a big part in Yungaburra's growth. Henry S. Williams came to Australia in the 1860s. He later started a store and butchery. After he passed away in 1905, his sons continued the family business. In 1907, they opened a small hotel in Allumbah.
In 1910, the railway line reached the settlement. The town was renamed Yungaburra to avoid confusion with another town. The railway brought a lot of growth. A sawmill, a store, and a large hotel for the Williams family were built. Many other shops and houses also appeared. In 1918, the land for Billy Madrid's House became part of the Williams family's company.
The House's Later Uses
In 1926, the Gillies Highway opened. This was the first good road to the Tablelands. Yungaburra became a popular spot for tourists visiting nearby lakes. This led to another period of growth for the town. Billy Madrid's House was built around 1925. It was first used by a tailor.
In 1954, the land was divided into two blocks. This meant each shop had its own separate title. In 1955, William Madrid bought the block with this building. He had worked for the Williams family's Lake Eacham Hotel for a long time.
The Madrid family lived in the shop. Mrs. Madrid ran a hairdressing business from an addition on the side. A shed was built behind the shop in 1967. Billy Madrid passed away in 1987. In 1995, the current owners bought the shop. They did a lot of repairs, including replacing the roof. The large front windows were added to make it easier to use as a shop.
Today, the property is home to a pharmacy and a fishing tackle shop.
What Billy Madrid's House Looks Like
Billy Madrid's House is a single-story building made of timber. It's shaped like a rectangle, with the shorter side facing the street. The front of the building is level with the street. The back is higher off the ground because the land slopes down.
The shop has a stepped parapet (a low wall at the edge of the roof) and a gable (a triangular part of the wall under a sloping roof) and hipped roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides). The roof is covered with corrugated metal. Timber posts hold up a metal awning (a cover) over the street.
The front of the shop has a door set back in the middle, with display windows on either side. These large timber-framed windows have many small glass panes. Inside, the shop is simple, with timber walls and floors.
There's an extension along the western side with a skillion roof (a single-sloping roof). This part is also made of timber and has a row of timber-framed windows. A door next to the main shop window leads into this extension. At the back of the property, there's a large shed with a low-sloping roof. It's covered in corrugated iron and sits on a concrete slab.
Why Billy Madrid's House is Heritage Listed
Billy Madrid's House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's considered important to Queensland's history and culture.
Showing Queensland's History
This shop is an early commercial building in Yungaburra. It shows how the town grew after the railway arrived in 1910 and the road link to the coast opened in 1926. These connections helped farming and tourism grow in the Tablelands area.
Showing a Type of Building
The shop is a good example of the simple timber commercial buildings that were common in new settlements in the early 1900s.
Its Beautiful Look
The way the building is shaped, its size, and its details make it a very important part of Yungaburra's look and feel.
Connection to Important People
This building was constructed as part of the Williams Estate. This means it's connected to the Williams family, who helped a lot with the business growth of Yungaburra.
