Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers |
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Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers, 2008
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| Location | Haly Street, Kingaroy, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919–1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1938 |
| Architect | Gerard William Barlow |
| Architectural style(s) | Modernism, Art Deco |
| Official name: Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers (former) | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 9 November 2012 |
| Reference no. | 602810 |
| Significant period | Interwar |
| Significant components | office/s, meeting house |
| Builders | Kell & Rigby |
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The Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers is an old building in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia. It used to be the main office for the local council, like a town hall. Today, it is a visitor information centre and an art gallery.
This special building is located on Haly Street in Kingaroy. It was designed by Gerard William Barlow and built in 1938 by a company called Kell & Rigby. Because of its history and design, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 November 2012. This means it is a protected historical site.
Contents
The Story of Kingaroy's Council Chambers
The Kingaroy Shire Chambers were built in 1938. This building shows how Kingaroy grew and became an important town in the Wide Bay–Burnett area.
How Kingaroy Grew
Kingaroy started to grow quickly after a railway line arrived in 1904. This railway made it easier to transport goods. People started buying land and building homes and businesses near the train station. Older towns nearby couldn't compete with Kingaroy's easy access to the railway. By 1911, Kingaroy was the main service centre for the South Burnett region.
At first, timber was the main product sent from Kingaroy railway station. Loggers cut down many hoop and bunya pine trees. Later, people cleared land for farming. They found rich red soils, which the area is now famous for. By the 1910s, growing maize (corn) and dairy farming became very important. The region's peanut industry also began around this time.
Forming the Kingaroy Shire
The Shire of Kingaroy was created in 1912. It took parts from other shires like Nanango and Wambo. A "shire" is like a local government area. Kingaroy's first council office was a small timber building built in 1913. The first council meeting was held there in June of that year.
Between World War I and World War II (the interwar period), farming in the Kingaroy Shire grew a lot. Dairy farming was a major industry. The Kingaroy Butter Factory was one of the biggest in the region. Kingaroy Shire also became the centre for Queensland's growing peanut industry. By 1928, there were over 550 peanut farmers. The town's first timber silos for peanuts were built that year. The area was also very important for growing corn.
Why a New Building Was Needed
By late 1937, the Kingaroy Shire Council had outgrown its small office. The four council workers were crammed into a small room. They even had to move to a shared counter when council meetings were happening. Also, smoke from the nearby power house often came into the building.
In September 1937, the council decided to build a new, bigger office. To do this, they bought some empty land next to their old building in mid-1938.
Building Boom in the 1930s
Many new council buildings were built across Queensland in the 1930s. Some were built to help people find jobs during the Great Depression. Others were built later in the decade when the economy was better. In the South Burnett area, other towns also built new civic buildings. These included the Murgon Civic Centre (1938) and the Wondai Shire Hall and Library (1938-39).
The Queensland Government often helped by offering low-interest loans. However, Kingaroy Shire Council decided to fund their new building themselves. They borrowed money, believing it was a better option than government help at the time.
Modern Design for a Modern Future
Many council buildings from the 1920s and 1930s show modern architectural styles. These buildings often used elements of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne. These styles used geometric shapes, vertical lines, and smooth designs. They showed a belief in a bright, modern future. You can see these features in other important buildings like the Goondiwindi Civic Centre.
Local builder Mr C Gill first drew up plans for the Kingaroy building. He then worked with the council engineer, GW Barlow, on the final design. The building was constructed by Kell & Rigby, a building company from Sydney. They also built the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba. The old 1913 council office was moved to face the street behind the new building.
Kingaroy's Progress in 1938
The building of the Kingaroy Council Chambers happened at the same time as other big projects in the area. These projects showed how much the district was growing. In 1938, the South Burnett's first radio station, 4SB, opened in Kingaroy. Construction also began on a new Kingaroy Hospital, which was considered very modern.
The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock also opened a new office in Kingaroy. This showed how important the area was for farming. The Peanut Marketing Board also built large concrete silos (the Kingaroy Peanut Silos) across the street from the new council chambers. Kell & Rigby, the same company that built the chambers, also built these silos.
Official Opening
The Kingaroy Shire Chambers were officially opened on 1 December 1938. The Minister for Agriculture and Stock, Frank Bulcock, did the honours. Before this, he also opened the new peanut silos. Opening both buildings on the same day showed the Shire's confidence. It also highlighted how important farming was for Kingaroy's future.
Inside the New Chambers
The new chambers were a single-storey building made of brick and concrete. Inside, a lot of Silky oak timber was used for fittings, doors, and furniture. This work was done by a local company, RV Rogerson's joinery firm. The ceilings had fancy plaster work, and the main windows had leadlight glass with the Shire's logo. A separate toilet block was built behind the building.
When it opened, a description explained the inside layout. The front central area was for the public to do business. It had a special strong room for important documents. The left side of the building had offices for the health inspector and engineer. The right side had rooms for the accounting office, clerks, and the shire chairman.
The most important room was the boardroom at the back. This room had silky oak wood panels on the walls. The floor was made of parquetry (small pieces of wood arranged in patterns) using tulip and rose gum timber. A raised platform (a dais) was for the shire chairman and clerk. A U-shaped table with drawers and swivel oak chairs was for the twelve councillors. There was also oak seating for the public to watch meetings.
What Happened Next
The Kingaroy Shire Council used these chambers for over forty years. In 1979, new council offices were built next to the Kingaroy Civic Centre. In December 1983, the old chambers were officially reopened. They became the Kingaroy District Development Board Tourist Information Centre. This was done by Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who was the Premier of Queensland at the time.
Kingaroy Art Gallery
The former Kingaroy Shire Chambers is now home to the Kingaroy Art Gallery. It is part of the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre, which opened in 2005. The gallery holds new art shows every month. These shows feature local artists and artists from other places. Sometimes, they show art from the South Burnett Regional Council’s own collection. The gallery also has a shop where you can buy local art and crafts.
A new building was added between the chambers and the old power house (which is now the Kingaroy Heritage Museum). To connect to this new building, part of the chamber's right wall was removed. Some original parts, like the vestibule screen and counter, were moved to the museum building. Even with these changes, much of the Kingaroy Shire Chambers, especially its meeting room, still looks very much like it did when it was first built.
In 2008, Kingaroy Shire joined with Wondai, Murgon, and Nanango Shires. Together, they formed the South Burnett Region.
What the Building Looks Like
The Kingaroy Council Chambers is a single-storey building made of stone or brick. It has Art Deco decorations. It is on Haly Street, right across from Kingaroy's tall peanut silos. Today, it is part of the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre. It is connected to the old power house (now the Kingaroy Heritage Museum) by another building on its east side. Its Art Deco style, with vertical lines and geometric shapes, makes it stand out on the street.
Outside Features
The front of the building is balanced, with the main entrance in the middle. It has a stepped roof edge called a parapet with decorative shapes. The front wall is smooth and divided into three sections by columns that stick out. The central entrance has rectangular windows on each side. These windows have metal frames and leadlight glass. The glass includes the original Kingaroy Shire logo. Above the windows are large, diamond-shaped decorations.
A concrete roof-like structure called an awning covers the entrance. It is supported by columns with vertical patterns. The entrance door is new. Steps lead up to the door. Above the entrance, it says "KINGAROY SHIRE COUNCIL CHAMBERS" in letters. This is framed by simple decorations and two columns that stick out from the wall. Flag poles rise from the roof behind the parapet.
The west side of the building is a plain wall with a central door and two windows on each side. It has similar decorative touches as the front, like the moulded top of the wall and around the windows. Small hooded vents are above each window.
The building has a hipped roof (sloping on all sides) that is mostly hidden behind the parapets. It sticks out about 40 centimetres. The roof is covered with red corrugated metal. The gutters are quad-shaped, and the undersides of the roof (soffits) are lined with timber. The windows and doors at the back of the building look similar to those on the front and west sides. The east side is mostly covered by the connecting building.
Inside Features
Inside, the Council Chambers has a large open space at the front. This used to be the public office. It includes a strong room. At the back of the building is the meeting room. Hallways run along each side of these two large rooms, leading to several smaller offices.
The front central space, the former public office, has a striped floor made of crows ash and ironbark timber. The walls and ceilings are smooth plaster. The ceilings have fancy plaster cornices (decorative mouldings) and panels with geometric designs. Some original pendant lights are still there. The baseboards and door frames are made of shiny silky oak wood. There are several internal windows and openings. One is a timber-framed opening to the teller's booth, with a metal grille. Others are leadlight glass.
The meeting room at the back has walls covered in silky oak panels. The floors are made of parquetry using tulip and rose gum timber. A raised platform (a dais) is for the shire chairman and clerk. It looks over a solid U-shaped table with drawers. This table has 12 chairs, including six swivel oak chairs. There is also silky oak seating for the public and a timber screen. A tall map cabinet is built into the west wall. The ceilings are plaster and slope near the walls, with decorative plaster cornices. A central plaster panel on the ceiling has original pendant lights. The doors, door frames, and baseboards are all silky oak. All the timber work, including the furniture, has similar details.
The offices are simpler, with plaster cornices and some decorative ceiling panels. All rooms have silky oak door frames, panelled doors, and baseboards. The floors are hardwood, but some are covered with carpet. Some original pendant lights remain, but others have been replaced.
The strong room has thick masonry walls and a solid metal door with brass handles. A small brass plaque on the door says "Ajax Manufacturing Co." Some old shelving and a timber rolling ladder are still inside.
You can enter the museum next door through a new covered area. This area is accessed through an opening made in the eastern wall of the chambers building. The garden plants around the building are not considered historically important.
Why This Building Is Special
The former Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 November 2012. This means it is important for several reasons:
Showing Queensland's History
This building helps us understand how Kingaroy grew and became an important town. It shows how towns near railway lines became service centres for farming regions. The building was opened in 1938, a time when Kingaroy was doing very well. This was because dairy farming, peanut growing, and other farming activities were expanding.
The Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers also shows how towns in Queensland expressed their pride by building grand council offices in the 1930s. Many of these buildings, including this one, show the influence of modern architectural styles like Art Deco. You can see this in its vertical lines and geometric shapes.
Showing Key Features of Council Buildings
The Kingaroy Shire Chambers clearly shows what a shire council office should look like. The building is in a very noticeable spot on a main street. Inside, the front area was for public business. There were also offices and a special meeting room at the back. This layout shows how a shire council worked every day. The beautiful wooden details inside, like the meeting room's table, chairs, and map cabinet, are still in great condition.
From the outside, the vertical lines and geometric shapes on the main front of the building show the architectural style used in many council buildings in Queensland during the 1930s.
Its Beautiful Design
The Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers is important because it is a beautiful building. It is modest but elegant and well-proportioned. Its design stands out, especially when compared to the huge peanut silos across the street.
The building's important location on a main street shows how central and important local government was to the community. Its design also shows the pride and confidence of Kingaroy Shire when it was built.
The Kingaroy Shire Council Chambers is also special because of the amazing craftsmanship in its meeting room. This room has many finely made wooden features. These include walls panelled in silky oak, floors made of tulip and rose gum parquetry, the raised platform (dais), the meeting table, the swivel oak meeting chairs, the public seating, and the map cabinet.
