Karingal Chambers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karingal Chambers |
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Building facade, 2014
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| Location | 386-388 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c. 1913 - c. 1913 |
| Architect | Henry James (Harry) Marks |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Karingal Chambers, Krimmers Chambers, Rowbotham Chambers | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 28 April 1997 |
| Reference no. | 600862 |
| Significant period | 1910s (fabric) c. 1913-ongoing (historical use) |
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Karingal Chambers is a historic building in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It's located on Ruthven Street and was built around 1913. This building was designed by a famous local architect named Henry James (Harry) Marks. It has been known by a few different names over the years, including Krimmers Chambers and Rowbotham Chambers. Today, it's recognized as an important part of Queensland's history and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Building History
Karingal Chambers is a two-story building made of brick covered with a smooth finish. It was built around 1913 for a businessman named Charles Rowbotham. His family was known for making and selling shoes. Charles Rowbotham was also a local leader, serving as the Mayor of Toowoomba from 1901 to 1902.
He bought the land for the building in 1906. It seems there was already a building there. He took out a large loan of £5,000 from the Bank of New South Wales to help with the property. The building was first called Rowbotham Chambers in 1910. However, the front of the building shows the date 1913, which is when it was likely finished.
The architect, Harry Marks, was known for his unique designs. He used a special triangular bay window on his own home, St Rest, which is now called Gladstone House. It's believed he used a similar design for Karingal Chambers. Some parts of the building along Bell Street might have been added after 1913.
The ground floor of Karingal Chambers was used for shops. Early tenants included a sausage company and a baker. Later, a well-known Toowoomba company, TK Lamb and Co Ltd, ran a tea room there. The first floor had offices. A dressmaker and a dancing teacher were among the people who had offices there for many years.
In 1925, William Charles Krimmer bought the building, and it became known as Krimmer's Chambers. His family owned it until 1974. Later, around 1987, the ground floor was changed to connect with the next-door property, creating an indoor shopping area called Karingal Arcade. The current owners bought the building in 1991. Today, the ground floor still has shops, and the top floor is used by a women's clothing company.
What the Building Looks Like
Karingal Chambers is a two-story building with a sloped roof made of wavy metal sheets. It sits on a corner where Ruthven Street, Bell Street Mall, and Bank Lane meet. The front of the building, facing Ruthven Street, has a low wall along the roof edge and is decorated with designs inspired by ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
The building is shaped like a long letter 'C'. In the middle of the 'C' shape, there's a central area with toilets, a hallway, and stairs. A walkway at the eastern end of the building connects it to the nearby Karingal Arcade. This walkway also leads to the central service area.
The ground floor was updated around 1987 and now has six shops. The upper floor has offices, a workshop, and storage areas. Looking closely at the brickwork and roof, it seems the building was built in three different stages, extending towards the east.
At the western end of the top floor, there are several offices. Some of these are now used for storage. These rooms have thin wooden panels on the walls and decorative wooden trims. The rooms facing Ruthven Street have arched windows with colored glass in the top parts. The middle room has new aluminum windows. An office overlooking Bell Street Mall has a unique triangular-shaped window, also with colored glass.
The central storage area has a large skylight that lets in light from above. There's also a smaller, chimney-like skylight. These skylights don't seem to match the rooms below them. This suggests that the wooden walls might have been added during an update in the early 1900s. Two larger workrooms further east have different wall coverings. A large workroom at the back seems to have been updated around the 1970s.
The front of the building on Ruthven Street looks very balanced. It has a central arched space with tall windows and decorative columns on either side. Above this, there's a triangular shape (called a pediment) on the roof's edge, with a railing below it. The pediment has a decorative edge with small block-like shapes. It also has a ribbon design with the year "1913" on it. The columns have fancy tops, and there's a large decorative edge below them with square and rectangle designs. The words "Karingal Chambers" are carved into this edge. The four central windows are arched with exaggerated wedge-shaped stones around them. The two windows on the very ends have small triangular shapes above them.
The side of the building on Bell Street Mall is divided into three parts. This is because of changes in the details, brickwork, and roofline. The western end has arched doorways with decorative wedge-shaped stones above them. It also has flat arched windows with exaggerated wedge-shaped stones on either side of the triangular bay window above. The rest of this side of the building has simpler, flat arched windows.
Inside, the building has some beautiful features. This includes the windows and wooden wall panels at the western end. The front of Karingal Chambers adds to the look of Ruthven Street. It's one of many decorative buildings from the early 1900s on Toowoomba's main street.
Why Karingal Chambers is Important
Karingal Chambers is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it meets several important criteria. This means it's recognized as a special place that needs to be protected.
The building helps us understand how Queensland's history has unfolded. It's one of several buildings on Ruthven Street, like Pigott's Building and White Horse Hotel, that show how the street developed and why it continues to be important.
Karingal Chambers is also important because of its beauty. People value its appearance, especially how the Ruthven Street front fits in with the other buildings. The inside of the building also has beautiful features, like the windows and wooden wall panels at the western end. Karingal Chambers is also a key part of the look of Bell Street Mall.
Finally, the building has a special connection to the work of important people in Queensland's history. It's a great example of the different types of commercial buildings designed by the Toowoomba architects, James Marks and Sons.
