Lyall's Jewellery Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lyall's Jewellery Shop |
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Lyall's Jewellery Shop, 1997
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| Location | 90 Mosman Street, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Official name: Lyall's Jewellery Shop, Charters Towers and Dalrymple Historical Society Folk Museum | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600408 |
| Significant period | 1890s (fabric) 1897-c. 1970 (historical use) |
| Significant components | strong room, furniture/fittings |
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Lyall's Jewellery Shop is a special old building in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. It was built way back in 1897. This shop is also known as the Charters Towers & Dalrymple Historical Society Folk Museum. It's so important that it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected because of its history and unique design.
Contents
A Glimpse into Charters Towers' Gold Rush History
Lyall's Jewellery Shop is a small building made of stone. It was built in 1897 for David Lyall. He wanted to replace his old jewellery shop on the same spot. This new shop was built when Charters Towers was at its busiest and richest. It's famous for its fancy front, which has big display windows made of curved glass.
The Gold Rush Begins
Gold was found near Charters Towers in late 1871. Soon after, in 1872, many people rushed to the area hoping to find gold. In 1874, the town's business area was planned out. It was a square mile in the middle of Gill and Mosman Streets. This area quickly became the main place for shops and social life.
When people realized Charters Towers was a serious gold town, not just a temporary camp, permanent buildings started to appear. The land was officially measured and mapped. The small piece of land where Lyall's shop stands is a good example. It's only about 4.22 meters wide at the front. A man named Richard Binder bought this land in 1876. He was a gold tester and jeweller. He probably already had a small office there.
David Lyall's Business
In 1889, Richard Binder sold the property to David Lyall. Lyall had been working as a jeweller and watchmaker in Charters Towers since at least 1886. He advertised in the local newspaper, The Northern Miner. He claimed he could make any piece of jewellery right there in his shop. He said the quality would be as good as the best in London or Edinburgh.
Lyall's business grew during the peak of Charters Towers' gold boom. In the 1880s, people invested a lot of money in mining shares. Foreign money helped dig deep for gold. For a while, Charters Towers was the second biggest town in Queensland. People called it "The World" because it was so famous internationally. Gold production was highest in 1899. After that, it started to slow down. By 1912, many people were leaving the town. Gold mining officially stopped in 1916.
The New Shop Opens
In 1897, Charters Towers was still growing. Mosman Street was full of impressive buildings. On December 4, David Lyall opened his new shop. He wanted it to be better than all his rivals' shops. It had bright electric lights and expensive, stylish decorations. The most striking features were two amazing semicircular display windows made of curved glass.
Lyall called his new shop a "palace of wonders" in his opening day advertisement. Pictures of the shop, both inside and out, appeared in the 1897 Christmas Edition of The North Queensland Register. A few days after the opening, there was a big explosion at a nearby mine. Lyall's shop was one of the very few buildings in town whose windows were not shattered. People thought this might have been because of the strong, curved glass.
Later Years and Museum Use
Lyall's was a well-known and fancy shop where people bought special gifts. David Lyall became very successful. He even owned a second shop in Gill Street by 1903. He also had a house called "Towervilla." He passed away in 1910, and his wife, Rebecca Lyall, took over the shop.
The shop was then run by different managers and was still called Lyall's until 1915. It operated as both an optometrist's (eye doctor's) and a jewellery shop. In 1939, the shop was sold to Michael Hegarty. It changed hands again in 1957, when Stanley Shong bought it. Finally, in 1970, the Charters Towers and Dalrymple Historical Society bought the building.
The Historical Society started in 1968 because people were very interested in the city's past. Between 1968 and 1970, the society held exhibitions to raise money. They wanted to buy a building for a community museum. Many local volunteers helped fix up Lyall's shop, and materials were donated. This allowed the museum to open in the building on November 1, 1970.
In 1975, Lyall's shop was given to the National Trust of Queensland. The museum's collection had grown too big for Lyall's. So, the items were moved to the Zara Clark Museum, which is in the old Bartlam's Store.
What the Shop Looks Like
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Lyall's Jewellery Shop is a small, one-story building made of brick with a smooth, plastered finish. It has a very fancy shop front. The main entrance is set back between two large display windows made of curved glass. Below these windows are decorative wooden grilles for air circulation. Above the windows, there are panels of small, colored glass panes. Another large display window with flat glass is on the side of the shop. There's also an old-fashioned gas light above the doorway. The original cedar wood doors are still there, along with sliding windows on the side and back walls.
The roof is sloped but you can't see it from the street. It's now covered with a material called Zincalume. The curved awning over the street is made of corrugated iron. It's held up by thin cast iron posts. The decorative cast iron lace that used to be between the posts is no longer there. The top part of the building, called a parapet, has a railing and decorative pieces on top.
At the back of the shop, there's a central door between two plain windows. A new toilet block has been built there by the next-door theatre. This new block replaced the shop's original back porch.
The inside of the shop is still mostly original. It's divided into three parts. The largest part, near the street, was the main retail area. The section behind that was probably used as a workshop or office. There's also a strong room, which was used to keep precious metals, gems, and valuable items safe. The strong room has a brick floor, unlike the wooden floors in the rest of the shop. Its original metal door is now missing. The display counters are gone, but the cedar-framed display cases, custom-made to fit the unique windows, are still there.
Why Lyall's Jewellery Shop is Important
Lyall's Jewellery Shop was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site for several reasons.
Showing Queensland's History
The shop is on a very narrow piece of land. This shows how many gold rush towns were planned out. Lyall's Jewellery Store helps us understand the history of north Queensland. As a high-quality, fashionable jewellery shop, it shows how rich and important Charters Towers was in the late 1800s.
Unique Features
The curved glass display windows at the front of Lyall's shop are very special. They are the only known example of their kind in Queensland. This makes the shop very rare and unique.
Learning from the Past
The shop is still very much as it was. Its display area, workshop space, and strong room can help us learn how a small jewellery business worked back then. It shows us how jewellers made and sold their items.
Good Design for the Climate
The large wooden grilles under the windows are also important. They show how buildings were designed to stay cool in Queensland's hot, tropical climate.
Beautiful Architecture
The shop is also important because it's a well-designed building in a late Victorian style. This style is generally well-liked by the community, making the shop an attractive part of the town's history.
