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 that shows what a pharmacy was like a long time ago. The building was designed by F H Faircloth and built between 1902 and 1909. It's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's an important historical site.
Contents
The Story of the Museum
The building that is now the Childers Pharmaceutical Museum was built in 1902. It was part of a row of shops designed by architect F H Faircloth. These new shops were built after a huge fire in 1902. This fire destroyed most of the timber buildings on the main street of Childers. Faircloth helped rebuild the town with new brick buildings.
Childers and Sugar
Childers is in an area once covered by thick forests called the Isis Scrub. In the late 1800s, people started growing sugar cane here. A railway line was built in 1887. This helped transport timber and later, sugar, making Childers a busy town. By 1895, Childers was a thriving center for sugar farming.
Thomas Gaydon's Pharmacy
Thomas Gaydon, a pharmacist, arrived in Childers in 1894. He opened his own pharmacy, "The Isis Pharmacy," on the main street. His first shop was made of timber.
The Great Fire of 1902
In 1902, a big fire swept through Childers' main street. Many timber shops, including Thomas Gaydon's pharmacy, were destroyed. After the fire, F H Faircloth designed new, stronger brick buildings. Gaydon's new pharmacy was one of these. It was a single-story brick building with large glass windows.
A Busy Man and His Building
In 1911, a second floor was added to Gaydon's building. Thomas Gaydon was a very busy and important person in Childers. Besides being a pharmacist, he also worked as a dentist, photographer, and even helped as an anaesthetist at the local hospital. He was also involved in many community groups and served as the chairman of the local council.
After Thomas Gaydon passed away in 1935, his sons, who were also a dentist and a chemist, continued the business. Later, other pharmacists took over. In 1982, the pharmacy stopped selling medicines and became a gift shop, but all the old pharmacy items were kept safe.
Becoming a Museum
In 1987, the shop closed. The local council bought all the old pharmacy items and decided to turn the building into a museum. In 1989, Gaydon's Pharmacy officially opened as a pharmaceutical museum. An art gallery was set up on the upper floor. The council's work to create the museum even won an award! Today, the Bundaberg Regional Council owns the building, and the Isis Historical Society looks after the amazing collection inside.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Pharmaceutical Museum is a two-story brick building on the main street of Childers. It has a classic design with a fancy front that includes a date (1894) and the name "Gaydon's Buildings." The shop front has a central entrance and display windows with cool lead lighting and old signs.
Inside, the museum looks almost exactly as it did when it was a working pharmacy. You can see the original counters, shelves, drawers, and even old medicines and supplies. There's also old equipment like a cash register, a dental chair, and tools. You can even see old account books and prescription books! It's like stepping back in time to see how a pharmacy operated in the early 1900s. The upper floor is now an art gallery.
Why This Place is Special
The Childers Pharmaceutical Museum is important for many reasons:
- It shows how Childers grew in the early 1900s, especially after the big fire. It's a great example of how towns rebuilt after such disasters.
- It's 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.
- Because it's so rare, it helps us understand what early pharmacists did, especially in country towns where they offered many different services.
- It's a great example of how commercial buildings looked in country towns in the early 1900s, with their awnings, shop fronts, and overall design.
- The building adds to the beautiful look of Churchill Street, which has many old buildings that fit well together.
- The museum has a strong connection to the Childers community. It provided important health services for many years and is now a key community building.
- It's specially linked to Thomas Gaydon, who was a chemist, dentist, anaesthetist, and photographer in the Childers area. It also shows the work of the famous architect F H Faircloth.
Images for kids
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Mr Gaydon's Pharmacy, 1903
