Cairns School of Arts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cairns School of Arts |
|
|---|---|
Former Cairns School of Arts, converted into a museum, 2007
|
|
| Location | 93–105 Lake Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1907–1941 |
| Architect | Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: School of Arts, Cairns (former), Cairns Museum, Cairns School of Arts (former), Former School of Arts Building | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600380 |
| Significant period | 1907–1940 (fabric) 1907 – mid-1970s (historical) |
| Significant components | school of arts |
| Builders | Hanson & Sons |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Cairns School of Arts is a special historic building in Cairns City, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a place for learning and community activities, similar to a public library or a community college. Today, it is known as the Cairns Museum. This important building was designed by Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch and built by Hanson & Sons. Construction started in 1907 and continued with additions until 1941. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 because of its historical importance. The Cairns Museum is now run by the Cairns Historical Society.
Contents
What is a School of Arts?
Schools of Arts were like community learning centers. They were also called Mechanics' Institutes. These places started in Britain in the early 1800s. Their main goal was to help working people learn new skills and get a better education. They often had reading rooms, libraries, and offered classes.
These institutes were part of a bigger movement in the 1800s. People wanted to make education available to more people. Schools of Arts helped working men improve their lives. They could read books or take classes. In Australia, these places were often run by middle-class people. They still offered reading rooms, museums, and lectures. But they also had social events for the community.
History of the Cairns School of Arts
A School of Arts was started in Cairns in October 1885. People began raising money to build a proper meeting place. The first building was a single-story wooden structure. It was built in 1886 on Shields Street. Before it opened, the School of Arts had a reading room in a rented space.
The Cairns School of Arts grew quickly in the late 1880s. They even started a museum. But times were tough in the early 1890s. The School had to close for a short time in 1895. It reopened in 1897. In the early 1900s, classes for the Cairns Technical College began there. The government took over these classes in 1911.
Building the New School of Arts
By the early 1900s, the School needed a bigger building. In 1906, a special law was passed. This allowed the School to borrow money to build a new place. They held a competition to find the best design. The new building needed two floors. The top floor would be for the School of Arts. The ground floor would have shops to earn money.
A design by Arthur Beckford Polin was chosen first. But it was too expensive to build. So, the School asked Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch to design a new building. This company had an office in Cairns. They designed other important buildings in Cairns too. Hanson & Sons won the contract to build the new School of Arts. It cost about £2,170. The new building officially opened on December 5, 1907.
This building was special because it used reinforced concrete in some parts. This was an early use of this strong material in Queensland. The ground floor walls had steel rods inside the concrete. This made them very strong.
Changes and Extensions Over Time
The building has been changed and added to many times since 1907. By 1925, a verandah and bathroom were added upstairs at the back. In 1929, the verandah on Shields Street was closed in with windows. Part of the Lake Street verandah was also closed in around this time.
The first big extension happened in 1932. The School wanted more shops and offices to rent out. Cairns architects Richard Hill & Arthur John Henry Taylor designed the extension. The verandah along Lake Street was made longer. This added more shop space downstairs. It also made the library upstairs bigger. A fancy parapet (a low wall along the roof) was added to the old part of the building. This made it match the new section.
The shop fronts on the ground floor were updated in 1934-35. Another big extension was built in 1939-40. Hill & Taylor designed this part too. It extended the building further along Lake Street. This new section had a modern Art Deco style. A special terrazzo slab with "School of Arts" was placed in the footpath.
New bathrooms were designed in 1941. The original bathroom was probably turned into a kitchen. The ground floor on Shields Street was extended around 1956. This connected the School of Arts to a bank. However, both the bank and this extension have been removed since then.
From Library to Museum
For 70 years, the first floor of the building was the only public library in Cairns. It was a subscription library, meaning members paid a fee. The money from the shops downstairs helped pay for the library. By the mid-1970s, the library was the main purpose of the School of Arts. It was hard for them to provide a good library service for a growing city like Cairns.
In 1977, the Cairns City Council took over the building and its library. The library moved to a new building in 1979. In 1980, the Cairns Historical Society opened a museum on the empty first floor. Around 1983, the whole building was renovated. Some parts were changed, like the balustrade (the railing along the verandah). The ground floor still has shops and offices today.
In 2016, the building closed for a big renovation. The historical society and museum moved to a temporary location. The building reopened in early 2017.
What the Building Looks Like
The former Cairns School of Arts is a two-story building. It is located on the corner of Lake and Shields streets. It has verandahs (covered porches) along both streets. The roof is made of corrugated iron and is hidden behind a low wall called a parapet. The building is made of concrete. Only the ground floor has steel reinforcement inside the concrete.
The building was built in three main parts. The first part is the corner section. The third part, on the northern end of Lake Street, was designed to look a bit different. You can still see this in the parapet. The verandah was later extended along this side in 1983.
The verandahs have corrugated iron roofs. They have wooden posts and brackets. The ground floor has a wooden valance (a decorative border). The first floor has a metal balustrade (railing). Parts of the first-floor verandah have been enclosed with windows.
The first part of the building has the words "SCHOOL OF ARTS" on both street sides. The date "1907" is at the corner. The second part has a raised parapet with the building's name in different letters. The third part's original look has been changed. There is a special "SCHOOL OF ARTS" sign made of terrazzo in the footpath at the corner.
Inside, the ground floor has shops. It has been changed a lot over time. There is an arcade (a covered walkway with shops) from Lake Street to the back of the building. The street side has ceramic tiles. Some old shop elements, like wooden frames and leadlight panels, can still be seen.
The first floor is now used for the museum. It has suspended ceilings and air conditioning. French doors with fanlights (windows above the doors) open onto the verandah. You enter the first floor from Shields Street by a staircase with a wooden railing. Most of the inside walls have been removed to create open museum space.
During the 1983 renovations, a concrete verandah was built at the back. It has steel posts and a balustrade. This connects to a two-story building for toilets and storage. The back of the property has car parking and service areas.
Why is it a Heritage Site?
The former Cairns School of Arts was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it is an important historical place.
- It shows how Queensland's history developed.
The School of Arts was a big part of Cairns' community life. It served as a learning center, a public library, and now a museum. It also shows an early use of reinforced concrete in Queensland.
- It is beautiful and important to the community.
The building's size, shape, and materials make it an important part of the look of Lake and Shields streets. It adds to the overall appearance of Cairns.
- It is linked to important people or groups.
The building is connected to the Cairns School of Arts. This group helped with adult education in Cairns for almost 70 years. It also shows the work of the important architectural firm Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch.
