Childers Pharmaceutical Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Childers Pharmaceutical Museum |
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Childers Pharmaceutical Museum, 2008
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| Location | 88–90 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1902–1909 |
| Architect | F H Faircloth |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Childers Pharmaceutical Museum & Tourist Information Centre, Gaydon's Pharmacy | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600628 |
| Significant period | 1900s (fabric) 1902–c. 1982 (historical use as pharmacy) 1989–ongoing (historical – pharmaceutical museum) |
| Significant components | furniture/fittings, objects (movable) – health/care services |
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The Childers Pharmaceutical Museum is a special place in Childers, Australia. It used to be a pharmacy called Gaydon's Pharmacy. Now, it's a museum where you can see how pharmacies looked and worked a long time ago. This historic building was designed by F H Faircloth and built between 1902 and 1909. It is also known as the Tourist Information Centre.
Contents
History of the Museum Building
The Great Fire of Childers
In 1902, a big fire swept through the main street of Childers. Most buildings were made of wood and were very close together. The fire destroyed many shops, including the original pharmacy owned by Thomas Gaydon.
Rebuilding Childers
After the fire, the town decided to rebuild with stronger materials. F H Faircloth, a famous architect from Bundaberg, designed many of the new buildings. He planned for brick shops instead of wooden ones. This made the town look much different and safer.
Thomas Gaydon's Pharmacy
Thomas Gaydon was a chemist who arrived in Childers in 1894. He opened "The Isis Pharmacy," one of the first shops on the main street. After the fire, his new brick pharmacy was built in 1902. It was a single-story building with large glass windows.
In 1909, the pharmacy was made bigger. A second floor was added, and it included the shop next door. This new upper floor was very bright, with big windows. Thomas Gaydon used this space for his other work. Besides being a pharmacist, he was also a dentist, a photographer, and even helped with anaesthesia at the local hospital. He was a very important person in the community.
From Pharmacy to Museum
Thomas Gaydon passed away in 1935. His sons, who were also a dentist and a chemist, continued to run the pharmacy. Later, Mervyn G Hooper took over the business.
In 1982, after Mervyn Hooper died, his wife, Isa Hooper, turned the pharmacy into a gift shop. She kept all the old pharmacy items inside. In 1987, the shop closed down.
The local council then bought the building and its amazing collection of old pharmacy items. They worked hard to protect and preserve everything. In 1989, Gaydon's Pharmacy reopened as a special museum. It shows what a pharmacy was like in the early 1900s. The upper floor became an art gallery.
Today, the Bundaberg Regional Council owns the building. The Isis Historical Society helps manage the museum's collections.
What You Can See at the Museum
Building Design and Features
The Childers Pharmaceutical Museum is a two-story brick building. It stands in a row of shops on Churchill Street, the main street of Childers. The building has a classic design with a fancy front. You can see the date "1894" on the front, along with "Gaydon's Buildings."
The shop front has a central entrance and display windows. These windows have beautiful lead lighting and old signs. A large awning shades the footpath, decorated with pressed metal.
Inside the Old Pharmacy
When you go inside, you'll see the shop area at the front. Offices and the dispensary (where medicines were prepared) are at the back. The upper floor is now an art gallery.
The inside of the museum is incredibly well-preserved. It looks almost exactly as it did when it was a working pharmacy. You can see:
- Old furniture and counters
- Shelves filled with bottles and jars
- Drawers with their original contents
- Old equipment like a cash register
- A dental chair and tools
- Account books and prescription records
This museum is like a time capsule. It shows you exactly how a pharmacy operated in the early 1900s. It even has items from another old pharmacy in Brisbane.
Why This Place is Important
A Glimpse into History
The Childers Pharmaceutical Museum helps us understand Queensland's history. It shows how Childers rebuilt its main street after the big fire in 1902. It also reminds us how fires affected many towns long ago.
A Rare and Special Museum
This museum is one of only two pharmaceutical museums in Australia. It's very rare because it still has so many of its original fittings, equipment, and stock. This makes it a unique place to learn about early chemists.
Learning About Early Chemists
Because it's so rare, the museum offers a lot of information. It helps us understand the work of early chemists, especially in country towns. These chemists often provided many different services, not just medicines.
Beautiful Architecture
The museum building is a great example of early 1900s commercial buildings in country towns. Its awnings, shop fronts, and overall design are very typical of that time. It also adds to the charming look of Churchill Street.
Important to the Community
The Pharmaceutical Museum has a strong connection to the Childers community. For many years, it provided important health services, including pharmacy, dental care, and photography. Now, it's a key community building that shares local history.
Connected to Important People
The museum is closely linked to the life and work of Thomas Gaydon. He was a chemist, dentist, anaesthetist, and photographer in the Childers area. It also shows the work of the famous Bundaberg architect, F H Faircloth.
Images for kids
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Mr Gaydon's Pharmacy in 1903, after it was rebuilt.
