Loudoun House, Irvinebank facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loudoun House
Loudoun House, 2006
Location	16 O'Callaghan Street, Irvinebank, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s–1890s (late 19th century)
Built	c. 1883–1884
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Loudoun House, Moffat's House
Type	state heritage (built, landscape)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600680
Significant period	1880s–1900s (fabric, historical)
Significant components	furniture/fittings, basement / sub-floor, residential accommodation – main house, office/s, tank – water, kitchen/kitchen house, trees/plantings
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Loudoun House is a special old house located at 16 O'Callaghan Street in Irvinebank, Australia. It was built around 1883 or 1884. Many people also know it as Moffat's House. This house is very important because it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. Today, Loudoun House is a museum. The Irvinebank School of Arts & Progress Association runs it.

The Story of Loudoun House

Who Was John Moffat?

John Moffat (1841–1918) was a very important person in the mining world. He was a mining boss who had a big impact on the mining industry in the Cairns area. This was from the early 1880s until World War I. He helped start many towns like Irvinebank, Watsonville, Chillagoe, and Mount Garnet.

Moffat was known for being honest and fair. He cared about the people who worked for him. People in Irvinebank liked him so much that they even taught their children to say "God Bless John Moffat." This shows how much they depended on him and his businesses.

Moffat's Mining Empire

While many people were looking for gold, Moffat focused on other metals. He invested in tin and copper. He built a special factory called the Loudoun Mill in Irvinebank. This factory processed tin. From 1883, he lived in Irvinebank. At first, he lived in tents. Later, he moved into Loudoun House.

Moffat chose a special spot for his house. Unlike other rich mine owners, he lived right in the middle of Irvinebank. His house overlooked the Assay office. It was also very close to the smelters, where metals were melted. He could even hear the machines working from his home. The house was also near the Queensland National Bank. This shows how important the bank was to his mining business. A tramway also ran nearby, connecting to the Loudoun Mill.

Building Loudoun House

Moffat's house was built around 1883 or 1884. An old photo from 1886 shows it as a two-story timber house. It had verandahs all around it. There was also a small building behind it. It was one of the first houses to use tall timber stumps. This created a second floor at ground level.

Around 1907, the house was made bigger. They added more rooms for servants on the eastern side. Some parts of the old kitchen area were built with a special method. They used single-layer brickwork with timber frames. This was probably for storing food. There is also a concrete water tank near the servant's area.

Moffat wrote that the house was made from local cedar wood. This wood came from the Loudoun Dam area. It also used imported timber. The house had a sitting room and two main bedrooms. There were also four bedrooms on the verandahs. The front verandah had a great view of the Mill and the dam. The downstairs area was used for cool offices, storage, and assay rooms. Assay rooms are where they test metals. Later, about 20 years after the house was built, more rooms were added for single men.

Changes Over Time

Moffat's mining business faced problems when metal prices dropped in 1907. In 1912, he had to retire. This was because the tin industry was slowing down. He moved to Sydney. Moffat passed away in 1918.

After his death, the Queensland Government bought the Irvinebank works in 1919. They used the downstairs part of Loudoun House as an office. The upstairs became a place for government employees to live. For a while, it was the manager's home. By 1980, it was still used as an office and storage by the Department of Mines. By 1984, the Irvinebank Progress Association started using it as a museum. In 1987, the land was officially set aside for museum purposes.

What Loudoun House Looks Like

Loudoun House is a tall timber building. It has an enclosed area under the house. There are also extra kitchen and bedroom areas on the eastern side. It faces west from a small hill in Irvinebank. It is near the old Assay Office and above the Queensland National Bank Building.

Many trees grow around the house. These include mango trees, red cedar trees, boab trees, fig trees, and a bunya pine. The old tramway path is still visible below the property. People use it as a walking path now.

The original house had a simple roof shape. It had verandahs all around it. The offices were downstairs, and the living areas were upstairs. More rooms were added to both floors while Moffat lived there.

The upper part of the house stands on strong timber stumps. The area under the house is enclosed with corrugated iron walls. The floors inside the house are made of red cedar wood. The verandah floors are concrete.

The upper level has red cedar walls, ceiling, and floor. The timber frame is visible on the outside verandah and back walls. The upper part of the house has a main living area. There are four rooms at the back and two rooms on each side of the living area. An extra room comes off the back. There is also a small space for a stove in a northern room.

Some of Moffat's original furniture is still in the house. This includes his office desk and table. However, most of the furniture was removed in 1967 or 1968.

Most of the old gardens are gone now. But some large trees remain. These include fig trees, red cedar trees, mango trees, boab trees, and bunya pine trees.

Why Loudoun House is Important

Loudoun House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. It is important for a few reasons:

• It shows how Queensland's history developed.

Loudoun House was built around 1883–84 for John Moffat. He was a mining boss who was very important in the Cairns area for 30 years. The house is strongly connected to the growth of the mining industry in North Queensland. The way it was built, with high blocks to create a second floor at ground level, was an early and clever design.

• It is linked to an important person in Queensland's history.

The house's location is special. It is very close to the Loudoun Mill and the town of Irvinebank. This includes the Queensland National Bank offices. This shows how Moffat liked to be involved in his businesses. It also shows his relationship with his workers and their families. The bank's closeness also highlights its big role in Moffat's business.