Customs House Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Customs House Museum
Customs House Museum, 2012
Location	1 McLean Street, Goondiwindi, Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1840s–1860s (mid-19th century)
Built	1860s circa – 1900s circa
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Customs House Museum
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600530
Significant period	1860s-1900s circa (fabric, historical)
Significant components	residential accommodation – main house, kitchen/kitchen house, residential accommodation – housing
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The Customs House Museum in Goondiwindi is a special old building. It used to be a private home, but now it's a museum. It was built a long time ago, between the 1860s and early 1900s. This historic building is found on McLean Street, right in Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia. It's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's an important part of Queensland's history.

Discovering Goondiwindi's Past

The Customs House Museum is near the main bridge over the Macintyre River in Goondiwindi. This town grew from a simple camp. It was a place where people driving wagons would stop. This camp was located where three large sheep farms met.

Early Explorers and Settlers

Allan Cunningham, an explorer, visited this area in 1827. In the 1830s, people from New South Wales started moving north. They were looking for new land for their sheep. By the early 1840s, sheep farms were set up on the Darling Downs. These early farms got their supplies from places like Maitland in New South Wales. The wagon drivers would camp on a small hill in Goondiwindi. This hill slowly became a small town.

Goondiwindi Becomes a Town

At first, government services were at a place called Callandoon. A police camp was there from 1849. Later, a police station and post office opened in 1859. But people wanted a town survey at the teamsters' camp. So, in 1859, the area was surveyed. In August 1860, the first land was sold in Goondiwindi.

By this time, Queensland had become its own separate colony. The Macintyre River became part of the border with New South Wales. In 1861, the post office moved to Goondiwindi. A courthouse and police station were also built. The land where the Customs House Museum stands was first bought in 1863. It was owned by Matthew Maher, a mail contractor. Later, in 1872, Samuel Droughton bought the property. He was also a mail contractor and a dairyman. His family owned the house until 1901.

The Role of Customs and the Border

In December 1859, Queensland officially became a new colony. In 1862, a law was made to collect customs duties. These were taxes on goods moving between New South Wales and Queensland. At first, not many goods crossed the border inland. So, collecting taxes in remote areas wasn't worth the cost.

Why Customs Became Important

As more people settled, the Queensland Government worried about losing money. More goods came into Queensland than went into New South Wales. Also, taxes on things like tea and tobacco were much higher in Queensland. This led to a lot of smuggling across the border. The colonies tried to work out a deal, but it didn't happen.

In late 1870, Queensland decided to act. They wanted to stop losing an estimated £15,000 each year. A new law was passed in December 1870 to collect customs duties on goods brought overland. A special border patrol was set up. They started collecting duties from January 1, 1871. Their job was to move along the border. They collected taxes and kept records of goods and money. They also noted good spots for customs offices.

Customs Officers and Border Crossings

The Inspector, William Parry-Okeden, reported his findings in April 1871. He suggested 11 places for customs offices, including Goondiwindi. On April 12, 1871, Richard Marshall became the Customs Officer for Goondiwindi. He was already the Police Magistrate and Land Agent. After he passed away, John Murphy took over. It was noticed that stricter border controls made more goods go through Brisbane instead of inland towns.

The bridge over the Macintyre River at Goondiwindi, around 1890

Goondiwindi kept growing. In 1880, a bridge was built over the Macintyre River. This was a joint project by the New South Wales and Queensland governments. The bridge replaced a ferry service. It made crossing the river easier in all weather. This made Goondiwindi an even more important border crossing. Charles F Cumming became the Customs Officer in 1880. He was also the Police Magistrate. By 1887, Goondiwindi was one of eight important customs stations along the New South Wales border.

The job of Customs Officer often seemed to be part of police duties. Customs records were even kept at the Courthouse in 1898. There's no official record saying this building was a Customs House. It stayed a private home while duties were collected. However, local stories strongly suggest it was used by Customs officers unofficially.

After Federation

After the Federation of Australia in 1901, customs duties were no longer charged between the states. This meant the border customs offices were no longer needed. The old bridge over the Macintyre River was replaced by the current one in 1914.

Around 1900, the original roof, made of wooden shingles, was replaced with corrugated iron. This might have happened after the property was sold in 1901. The building was changed a bit over the years. It was used as a home and later as an antique shop. The Goondiwindi Town Council bought it in 1975. The Goondiwindi Historical Society then fixed it up. It opened as a museum in October 1975.

What the Museum Looks Like

Customs House Museum, 2012

The Customs House Museum is on the corner of Maclean Street and MacIntyre Street. It includes the main Customs House building, a smaller timber cottage, and some newer sheds. These buildings have steep roofs and add to the look of Maclean Street.

The Main Building

The Customs House Museum is a simple rectangular building. It has covered porches, called verandahs, on three sides. There's also an extra section, or annex, attached to the west. The building seems to have been built in three parts, getting bigger over time. Both the main building and the annex have steep corrugated iron roofs. The main building has a large brick chimney. The verandahs have gently curved corrugated iron roofs.

The outside walls show the different building stages. The southern part has single timber slabs with strips covering the gaps. The north-eastern corner has chamferboard (timber with angled edges). The rest of the building, including the annex, has weatherboard (overlapping timber planks). The triangular parts at the ends of the roof, called gables, have decorative scalloped timber.

The verandahs have posts with angled corners and carved bases. The railings are made of square wooden bars. The building has timber windows that slide up and down. It also has French doors that open onto the east verandah.

Inside the Museum

Inside, the southern end of the main building has one large room. The northern end has four rooms along a central hallway. The annex has two rooms and a toilet. The inside walls are different, just like the outside. Some walls show the timber frame, while others have horizontal or vertical timber boards. All the ceilings are made of timber boards. The fireplace in the southern room has a timber frame around it.

The Cottage and Other Buildings

The small cottage is another timber building with a steep corrugated iron roof. It has a verandah at the front (east). At the back (west), there's an annex with a corrugated iron stove area and a timber porch. This cottage also looks like it was built in different stages. The main part has weatherboard walls, while the annex has chamferboard with its timber frame showing.

The museum complex also has newer sheds and display areas. These sheds hold old machinery for visitors to see.

Why the Museum is Special

The Customs House Museum was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place.

A Glimpse into Queensland's History

This museum helps us understand how Queensland grew. It shows how Goondiwindi was one of 14 border posts before Australia became a single country. These posts collected taxes on goods moving between the colonies. Customs duties were a big source of money. The need for these posts shows how much goods moved inland as farms grew in western Queensland. Goondiwindi was a major border crossing. The customs service here shows how the government collected taxes in faraway places.

Its Beautiful Design

The Customs House Museum is also important because of how it looks. It's an early building in Goondiwindi. Its shape, size, and the materials it's made from add a lot to the unique character of the town.