Bulletin Building, Rockhampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bulletin Building, Rockhampton |
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Bulletin Building, 2017
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| Location | 162-164 Quay Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Roy Chipps |
| Architectural style(s) | Stripped Classicism |
| Official name: Bulletin Building | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 5 December 2005 |
| Reference no. | 601582 |
| Significant period | 1920s (fabric) 1927-ongoing (historical use) |
| Significant components | machinery/plant/equipment - communications |
| Builders | R Cousins & Company |
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The Bulletin Building is a special old building in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a heritage-listed printing house, which means it was once a place where newspapers were printed. Designed by Roy Chipps, it was built in 1926 by R Cousins & Company. This building is important because it was home to The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton's oldest newspaper, for many years. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 December 2005, showing how important it is to the area's history.
Contents
The Story of the Bulletin Building
The Bulletin Building was built in 1926. It was designed by a well-known Rockhampton architect, Roy Chipps. This building was made especially to be a newspaper office. It replaced an older building on the same spot. The Morning Bulletin newspaper started way back in 1861. It is still Rockhampton's oldest newspaper today.
The newspaper became very popular thanks to many great editors. These included its founder, William Hitchcock Buzacott, and his brother, Charles Hardie Buzacott, who worked there from 1861 to 1880. Later, William McIlwraith and John Blair owned the newspaper from 1880 to 1911. After them, three generations of the Dunn family took over. They helped the Bulletin become more modern and deal with new things like electronic media.
The newspaper's name has changed only a little since 1861. It dropped "Northern Queensland Advertiser" from its title. In 1873, it became known as The Morning Bulletin.
Early Homes of the Newspaper
The first home of The Morning Bulletin was in Quay Street. It was a timber building near the Customs House. Sadly, on 14 August 1862, this office burned down, and the printing presses were destroyed. After the fire, the newspaper moved to a two-storey brick building in Denham Street.
The Morning Bulletin became so popular that it started printing every day from 1873. It was the first daily newspaper in Queensland outside of Brisbane.
In 1880, after William Hitchcock Buzacott passed away, William McIlwraith became the owner. In 1883, John Blair joined McIlwraith as a partner. As more people moved to the area and the newspaper became even more popular, the Denham Street building became too small. So, in the early 1880s, the office moved to a building in East Street. From this East Street office, plans were made in the mid-1920s for a much larger office back on Quay Street.
The Dunn Family Era
John Blair died suddenly in Rockhampton on 20 December 1910. A new chapter began for The Morning Bulletin on 11 March 1911. This was when Andrew Dunn Snr bought the newspaper from William McIlwraith. Andrew Dunn Jnr, his son, had already started working at The Morning Bulletin in 1905. His time with the newspaper lasted for 43 years. Dunn Jnr became the Managing-Editor after his father bought the paper in 1911.
Andrew Dunn Jnr is known for making The Morning Bulletin more modern. He added more popular articles for readers. After a few years, staff members even started writing articles using fake names. It was during the Dunn family's time that the new offices were built on Quay Street. From 1927, The Morning Bulletin's new address was 162-164 Quay Street.
Roy Chipps was chosen to design the new building. Chipps trained as an architect in New South Wales. He moved to Brisbane in 1917 and started his own architecture business. In 1923, he moved to Rockhampton and opened a very successful practice. The building Chipps designed is still the office of The Morning Bulletin today.
Recent Changes
In December 1976, Capricornia Newspapers Pty Ltd bought the property. This company is part of Australian Provincial Newspapers. Australian Provincial Newspapers is a media company that publishes many newspapers. They own over 65 newspapers in northern New South Wales and central Queensland. These include papers from Mackay to Coffs Harbour and inland to places like Emerald and Toowoomba.
In May 1992, Australian Provincial Newspapers allowed the public to buy shares in the company. They believed local people should own their local newspaper. This helped them raise money to pay off debts and improve their facilities.
The Morning Bulletin currently has about 165 staff members. The newspaper prints around 20,000 copies on weekdays and 26,500 on Saturdays. The large printing press used to make the newspapers was moved from the Bulletin Building in 2007. It went to a new printing facility in Kawana, an industrial area of Rockhampton.
After almost 88 years, The Morning Bulletin moved out of the Bulletin Building on 21 March 2014. The newspaper first moved to a temporary office on Fitzroy Street. However, they only stayed there for about six months. In late 2014, The Morning Bulletin moved again to its current address at 220 Bolsover Street. This is a smaller office on the ground floor, shared with banks and real estate offices.
In August 2015, it was announced that Bevan Slattery, who used to live in Rockhampton, bought the old Bulletin Building on Quay Street. At the time, he said he didn't have firm plans for the building. He hoped to create a space to grow his own business and help other new companies get started.
Even though the newspaper industry has changed, The Morning Bulletin is still the most widely read newspaper in Central Queensland.
What the Bulletin Building Looks Like
The Bulletin Building is a three-storey building made of concrete. Its design is in a classical style, meaning it looks balanced and traditional. It has a symmetrical front (facade) with classical details, but without too much fancy decoration. The front of the building is divided into sections by flat, column-like shapes called pilasters. These go up all three floors and create five equally spaced window areas. The large window openings now have newer glass and modern frames.
The main entrance is in the middle of the building. It has a concrete cover supported by curved brackets called corbels. Above the entrance, you can see the words "BULLETIN BUILDING" carved in relief. The top edge of the building, called the parapet, is curved. It rises in the center with a small half-circle shape that has "EST 1861" carved into it.
The main walls are made of reinforced concrete with brick fills. The entrance area has a concrete floor with a marble foyer, which is a fancy entrance hall. All the other floors are also made of concrete. The inside walls are reinforced concrete with brick fills.
On the first floor, there is a newer ceiling. This floor has office spaces, with new walls added to create more offices. Some original parts still remain, like four sets of steel-framed windows on the eastern side. There are also timber doors leading to the press room at the southern end. The large Harris Web Press used to take up a big part of this press room.
The second floor also has a newer ceiling and is mostly open office space. Some original timber doors are still on the northern side of this floor. The third floor is used for conference rooms. Like the other floors, it has a newer ceiling.
Why the Bulletin Building is Special
The Bulletin Building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 December 2005. This means it's considered very important to Queensland's history and culture.
A Link to Queensland's Past
The building was constructed in 1926 as a newspaper office. It is important because of its connection to The Morning Bulletin. This newspaper started in 1861 and is the oldest surviving newspaper in Rockhampton. It has been a big part of the history of Rockhampton and the surrounding area.
A Great Example of Architecture
The Bulletin Building is a good example of a style called Stripped Classicism. This style uses classical shapes but with less decoration. It was designed to fit in well with the older 19th-century buildings nearby.
Beautiful and Important to the Street
The size and look of the Bulletin Building fit perfectly with the other buildings on Quay Street. Many of these date back to the 1800s. The building helps make Quay Street a beautiful and important streetscape in Queensland.
Important to the Community
The Bulletin Building is special because of its strong connection to the people of Rockhampton and the surrounding area. It's linked to everyone who has been part of The Morning Bulletin story, including editors, reporters, and staff, both past and present.
Connected to Important People
This building is also important because it shows the work of architect Roy Chipps. He had a long and successful career in Rockhampton. It is also very significant because of its connection to the Dunn family. They owned the newspaper for over seventy years and had the Bulletin Building designed and built.
