Gowrie House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gowrie House |
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Gowrie House, 2000
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| Location | 112 Mary Street, East Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c. 1901 |
| Architect | Henry James (Harry) Marks |
| Official name: Gowrie House, Largo | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 25 August 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601307 |
| Significant period | 1900s, 1930s, 1940s (fabric) 1945- (social) |
| Significant components | kitchen/kitchen house, trees/plantings, steps/stairway, stained glass window/s, residential accommodation - main house |
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Gowrie House is a special old house in East Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named Harry Marks and built around 1901. This house is also known as Largo. It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place.
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A Look Back at Gowrie House
Gowrie House, originally called Largo, was built around 1901 or 1902. It was designed by architect Harry Marks for a well-known Toowoomba businessman, Alexander Mayes.
The Architect: Harry Marks
Harry Marks was a talented architect from Toowoomba. He and his father, James Marks, were very important architects in the area for over 50 years. Harry Marks designed many buildings in Toowoomba and other parts of Queensland. He was known for being creative and even invented his own special window design!
The First Owner: Alexander Mayes
Alexander Mayes was born in Scotland in 1859. He moved to Queensland and became a successful builder in Toowoomba in 1886. He helped build many important places like the Toowoomba City Hall and the Toowoomba Post Office.
Alexander Mayes was also the mayor of Toowoomba several times. A mayor is the leader of a city or town. He was very active in the community and helped with many local groups.
By 1902, Alexander Mayes and his wife, Helena, moved into their new home, Largo. This large house showed how important the Mayes family was in Toowoomba.
How the House Changed Hands
In 1922, Alexander Mayes retired. Later, in 1936, Dr. Albert Furness bought the house. He hired another architect, William Hodgen, to make some changes. These changes included updates to the garage and laundry, and adding nice wood panels in the dining room.
In 1945, Dr. Furness sold the house to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Toowoomba.
Gowrie House and the YWCA
The YWCA is an international group that helps women and girls. It started in England in the 1850s. The Toowoomba branch of the YWCA was set up in 1932.
During World War II, the Toowoomba YWCA offered places for servicewomen to stay. In 1945, they bought Largo to use as a hostel. A hostel is like a hotel, but often for longer stays and for specific groups.
They renamed the house Gowrie House. It was named after Lady Gowrie, whose husband was the Governor-General of Australia. The Governor-General is the King's representative in Australia.
On November 10, 1945, Gowrie House officially opened as a hostel. It provided a safe and happy place for young working girls and students.
Life at the YWCA Hostel
Newspaper articles from 1945 described the hostel as being in a great spot with big, shady trees. The house was made of strong brick. It had a main hall with four large rooms that had fireplaces and big windows. These rooms were turned into dormitories where four to six girls could sleep.
The house also had a big dining room with wood panels. It could seat many girls at once. There was also a kitchen and staff rooms.
Over the years, more girls needed a place to stay while going to school in Toowoomba. So, new parts were added to Gowrie House in the 1950s and 1970s to make more space.
Later, fewer girls needed accommodation. In 1979, the YWCA changed its rules to allow both boys and girls to stay at Gowrie House.
In the late 1980s, more students, including those with disabilities, needed places to live. The YWCA raised money to add even more rooms and facilities, like wheelchair access.
Today, Gowrie House is still the YWCA's main office in Toowoomba. It's the only YWCA hostel in Queensland that still offers accommodation. It has 42 rooms for students, people with disabilities, and travelers.
What Gowrie House Looks Like
Gowrie House is a large, low-set brick house. It sits on a big block of land at the corner of Mary and Arthur Streets in Toowoomba.
Outside the House
The front of the house is very balanced. It has a central entrance porch with bay windows on either side. Bay windows stick out from the wall. The roof is steep and made of corrugated iron. It has a decorative "widow's walk" at the top.
The house is built with thick brick walls. Wide concrete steps lead up to a fancy entrance area called a portico. The word "Largo" is carved into the decoration above the entrance. The wide veranda, which is like a porch, has pretty iron lace around its edge. The house uses lighter coloured bricks to highlight the corners and edges of the walls.
Above the front door, there's an arch with beautiful stained glass. The veranda wraps around the house. It's enclosed on one side, making another room.
Harry Marks' designs often included unique features. At Gowrie House, you can see his style in the three chimneys, the special outside sash windows, and the window decorations.
Inside the House
Inside, Gowrie House is mostly still original. The kitchen has been updated, and a door was added between two bedrooms. But many original details are still there. These include the doors, skirting boards, fireplaces, plaster ceilings, and stained glass windows. Even the original gas lamp is still in the entry hall!
Gowrie House is set back from the road. There's a new garden around parts of the house, and the grounds have several old, mature trees.
Why Gowrie House is Important
Gowrie House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 25, 2000. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history has changed. Since 1945, Gowrie House has provided safe places for young women. Later, it welcomed both sexes. It's the only YWCA hostel still open in Queensland. Its story shows how accommodation needs have changed and how important the YWCA is to the community.
- It shows special architectural design. Gowrie House is a great example of Harry Marks' creative and inventive architectural work.
- It is beautiful and well-designed. It's one of many buildings designed by the Marks family that add to the unique look of Toowoomba.
- It is linked to important people and groups. Gowrie House was designed by the famous architect Harry Marks for Alexander Mayes, a leading builder and former mayor of Toowoomba. It's also important because of its long connection with the YWCA.
