Cooktown Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cooktown Museum |
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James Cook Historical Museum, 2006
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| Location | Furneaux Street, Cooktown, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1888–1889 |
| Architect | Francis Drummond Greville Stanley |
| Official name: James Cook Historical Museum, St Mary's Convent and School | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600423 |
| Significant period | 1888–1941 (historical school/convent) 1970s–ongoing (historical museum) 1941–45 (historical US occ |
| Significant components | Kitchen/kitchen house, garden/grounds, school/school room |
| Builders | Hobbs & Carter |
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Cooktown Museum is a special old building in Cooktown, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a convent and a school called St Mary's. Now, it's a museum where you can learn about history.
A famous architect named Francis Drummond Greville Stanley designed it. It was built between 1888 and 1889. This important building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's History
Building a New School
This large, two-story brick building was finished in 1889. It was first known as St Mary's Convent and School. The idea for the school came from Bishop John Hutchinson. He was a leader for the Catholic Church in North Queensland.
The school was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. He was a very busy architect in Queensland during the late 1800s. The first teachers were the Sisters of Mercy from Ireland.
Cooktown's Early Importance
In the 1880s, Cooktown was a very important town. It was the main port for Far North Queensland. Bishop Hutchinson wanted a great school for girls in this growing town. He imagined a place that would offer excellent religious and academic lessons. It would be a day school and a boarding school.
The building work started around May 1888. The builders were Hobbs & Carter from Brisbane. They also built the Cook Monument in Cooktown. Bishop Hutchinson returned from Ireland with five Sisters of Mercy in June 1888. The school building was still being built, but it was ready by May 1889.
Design and Features
The original plan for the school was a main brick building with two side sections. But only the main part and one side section were finished. It cost almost £5,000. This large brick building was the most impressive in Cooktown. It was even bigger than the Queensland National Bank building.
The building had strong concrete foundations. Its base was made from local Cooktown granite. Most of the bricks came from Brisbane. Many skilled workers also traveled from Brisbane to help build it.
Inside, the ground floor had a main entrance hall. To the right was a large dining room, also used as a chapel. To the left was a big reception room for visitors. Behind these were two classrooms with folding doors. The school hall was a very large room in the north wing.
Upstairs were dormitories for the boarding students. There were also rooms for the Sisters. The building was designed for the hot Cooktown climate. It had large, airy rooms and deep verandahs at the front and back.
A Landmark Building
The school was built on a hill above Cooktown's main street. It had amazing views of the Endeavour River. By the 1890s, it was a famous landmark in Cooktown. Many visitors wrote about its impressive look.
Bishop Hutchinson put a lot of his own money into the school. He also borrowed from his family. But the local community also helped raise a lot of money. People knew that a good school for girls was needed in Far North Queensland. Families of all backgrounds sent their daughters there.
It was the first high school for girls in the area. It became well known for its excellent music lessons. Even the famous Queensland singer Gladys Moncrieff went to school there!
Changes Over Time
Cooktown's importance as a port began to fade in the 1890s. This was because the gold mining in the Palmer Goldfields slowed down. Bishop Hutchinson passed away in 1897. His replacement, Bishop James Murray, helped pay off the school's debt.
In 1906, Bishop Murray moved to Cairns. Cairns had become the main port in Far North Queensland. Even though Cooktown was getting smaller, St Mary's Convent and School remained important. It kept teaching girls until the 1930s.
The building was damaged by a cyclone in 1907. Part of the roof was ripped off, but it was quickly fixed. The boarding school closed in the 1930s. Day classes for both boys and girls continued until 1941. During World War II, the United States military used the building.
After the war, in 1945, the building was returned to the Church. But the school did not reopen, and the Sisters never came back. Another cyclone damaged the building in 1949. By 1969, it was in very bad shape. People even thought about tearing it down.
Becoming a Museum
However, the public protested. They wanted to save the building. So, it was given to the National Trust of Queensland. The plan was to fix it up and turn it into a museum. This museum would house the collection of the James Cook Historical Museum.
The new museum opened on April 22, 1970. Queen Elizabeth II herself opened it during her visit to Australia. This visit celebrated 200 years since Captain Cook mapped the east coast. The National Trust still looks after the building today. It is one of Cooktown's main tourist spots.
In the early 1970s, new parts were added to the back of the building. These were for the museum's collection. The gardens around the museum are now called the Joseph Banks Memorial Garden. They have plants that Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander found in Cooktown in 1770.
In December 2021, the museum was officially renamed Cooktown Museum.
What the Museum Looks Like
The Cooktown Museum building sits on a hill. It looks over the Endeavour River. It is made of red brick and has a Victorian Gothic style. This means it looks like old European churches.
The roof is steep and covered with corrugated iron. It used to have a different roof. There are new windows called dormer windows on the roof.
There are verandahs on the front and back of the building. The front verandah has fancy cast-iron columns and decorations. The back verandah is now enclosed.
Behind the main building, there is still the old brick kitchen building. New parts have been added next to it for the museum.
The front of the building has long, narrow windows. The north side has sets of four timber windows. These windows have decorative hoods.
You enter the building through a central wooden doorway. Stone stairs lead up to it from the front verandah. Inside, a beautiful wooden staircase connects the floors. The rooms inside are now used for museum displays. The walls are plastered, and the ceilings are decorative.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Cooktown Museum is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's a very important building. Here's why:
- It shows Queensland's history: The building shows how Cooktown grew and then changed. It was built when Cooktown was a busy gold rush port. It also shows how important education was in remote areas long ago.
- It's a rare building: Not many buildings this grand were built in faraway places like Cooktown in the late 1800s. It's special because of its size and details.
- It's a great example of its type: This building is a fantastic example of a large brick building from the 1880s. It was designed to be a convent and school in a tropical climate.
- It's beautiful: The building is well kept and still looks great. It stands out on the hill and has been a Cooktown landmark since it was built.
- It's important to the community: The people of Cooktown feel a strong connection to this building. They showed this when they protested against its demolition in the 1960s. As the Cooktown Museum, it's now a major tourist attraction.
- It's linked to important people and groups: The building is connected to the Augustinian fathers and the Sisters of Mercy. It was also used by the American military during World War II. Since 1970, it has been home to the James Cook Historical Museum collection. The Joseph Banks Memorial Garden also honors the work of botanists Joseph Banks and Dr Solander.
