North Ward Defence Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Ward Defence Complex |
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North Ward Defence Complex, 2000
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| Location | 46 Oxley Street, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1885 - c. 1942 |
| Official name: Former North Ward Defence Complex, Townsville, 11 Brigade Administration Support Battalion Headquarters Company, Oxley Street Defence site | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 25 August 2006 |
| Reference no. | 602147 |
| Significant period | 1890-1942 (fabric) 1880s-c. 2000 (Historic) |
| Significant components | office/administration building, hall - drill, residential accommodation - staff housing, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, garage |
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The North Ward Defence Complex is a historic site in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is located at 46 Oxley Street in the area known as North Ward. This complex was built between 1885 and around 1942.
It was first used as a training facility for volunteer soldiers. Today, it is also known as the 11 Brigade Administration Support Battalion Headquarters Company. The complex was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 August 2006 because of its important history.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Complex
The North Ward Defence Complex began its life in 1885. It was built to train volunteer soldiers who wanted to help defend their country. Most of the buildings you see there today were built between the 1890s and the 1940s.
Early Defence in Australia
In the 1840s, Britain started giving its colonies, like Australia, more control over their own affairs. This included some responsibility for their defence. Britain still handled big things like foreign relations and international trade. But the colonies had to take care of many of their own military needs.
When gold was discovered in Australia in the 1850s, the need for stronger defence grew. Gold shipments needed protection on land and at sea. There were also worries about attacks from "privateers," which were ships that attacked other ships for their goods. The Crimean War in Europe also made people think about protecting Australia.
Because British soldiers might be busy fighting elsewhere, Australian colonies started their own volunteer forces. These volunteers provided most of their own gear, but Britain supplied weapons and training.
Protecting Queensland's Coast
In the late 1800s, there were concerns about Australia's military readiness. Until 1878, Queensland's defences only went as far as Rockhampton. The rest of the coast, including Townsville, was unprotected.
To fix this, the Townsville No.4 Battery and Garrison Artillery was formed. This group was created to protect the port of Townsville from sea attacks, especially from privateers who might want the gold shipments. Even with this new group, people in Townsville were still worried about being ready for an attack in the 1880s and early 1890s.
New Defence Laws
The Queensland Government wanted to improve its defence force. In 1884, they passed the Defence Act. This law helped create a permanent artillery force and a partially paid militia. A militia is a group of citizens who are trained as soldiers but are not part of the regular army.
The North Ward Defence Complex was likely built because of this new law. The first building, a drill hall, was started in 1885 and finished around 1887. A drill hall is a large building where soldiers can practice their drills and training.
Around 1890, a two-story brick building for offices and stores was added. Also, Staff Officers' Quarters (housing for officers), stables, and fencing were built around the same time. These early buildings were designed by the Queensland Colonial Architect's office.
In 1904, new plans were approved for a larger drill hall and administrative offices. These plans were drawn by District Architect Thomas Pye. The old drill hall was removed, and the new one was finished in 1905-1906.
Australia's Defence Becomes One
In 1889, a British officer named James Bevan Edwards visited Australia. He advised the colonies on how to make their military stronger. His visit was important because the colonies were thinking about Federation, which meant joining together to form one country.
On 1 March 1901, when Australia became a federation, the volunteer militias from the six colonies came under the control of the new Australian Government. The government decided to combine these forces into one paid volunteer army. This new army would defend Australia both at home and overseas. Unpaid volunteers would only defend Australia within its borders.
When World War I started in 1914, many militia members and volunteers joined the Australian Infantry Force (AIF). More than 50,000 militia members joined the AIF. This showed that the volunteer force was no longer the main military group in Australia.
After the Wars
After World War I, the North Ward Defence Complex became a place for cadet training. Cadets are young people who are training to be soldiers. Young men aged 18 and 19 who lived in cities had to do compulsory military training.
In 1937, the Defence Department started buying more land around the complex. This purchase was completed in 1939. By 1942, a Quartermaster's Store (Building No. 8) was built on this new land. A Quartermaster's Store is where military supplies are kept.
Over the years, some changes were made to the buildings. For example, the 1890 Offices and Stores Building was turned into a dentist's surgery. Later, concrete block toilets were built behind the Drill Hall when women were allowed to join the armed forces.
Today, the complex is no longer owned by the Department of Defence.
What the Complex Looks Like
The former North Ward Defence Complex is located on a block of land bordered by Oxley, Leichhardt, Mitchell Streets, and The Strand. You enter the complex from Mitchell Street. Most of the buildings face inwards, but the office part of the 1905-1906 Drill Hall faces Leichhardt Street.
At one time, there were 28 buildings here. Three buildings are especially important for their history and design:
Former Offices and Stores Building (1890)
This building is made of red brick. It has a triangular section of roof called a gable over a large opening on the first floor. This opening now has a modern glass door. The building has wooden windows that open by sliding up and down. It also has two original wooden doors on the ground floor.
The building has a roof made of corrugated iron that slopes down on all sides. The inside of the building has been changed a lot to create office spaces, but it might still have some of its original layout.
Administration Offices and Storeroom (former Drill Hall and Offices, 1905-06)
This building is made of timber. Some parts have exposed wooden studs on the outside and vertical wooden boards on the inside. Other parts are covered with traditional weatherboards.
The part of the building that runs along Mitchell Street has a corrugated iron roof with a gable shape and a semi-circular vent. The other part has a corrugated iron roof that slopes down on all sides, with a vent at one end. The building sits on concrete stumps.
The doors are usually made of four wooden panels. Many doors opening to the verandah (a covered porch) have two doors with a small window above them. The windows are timber frames that pivot (swing) open. The inside of the Mitchell Street wing has been re-covered, but the other wing still has much of its original wooden lining boards.
Offices (former Staff Quarters, c. 1890)
This building used to be a six-room house for staff. It has a pyramid-shaped corrugated iron roof. The building stands on brick supports. Its outside walls and verandah roof are covered with chamfer boards (a type of timber cladding).
The verandah goes all the way around the building. It has been enclosed with fibre cement sheets, wooden trellis work, windows, and doors that were added more recently. The verandah has a curved corrugated iron roof. A small building at the back, which used to be for services, is made of timber and fibre cement sheets with a corrugated iron skillion roof (a roof that slopes in one direction).
Inside, the rooms are similar. Most rooms have French doors (two doors that open outwards) with small windows above them, leading to the verandah. The hallways have four-panel doors with small windows next to and above them.
Why This Place is Important
The former North Ward Defence Complex was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 August 2006. This means it is considered very important to Queensland's history and culture.
Showing Queensland's History
This complex, with parts dating from the 1890s to 1942, shows how Queensland's history unfolded. It provides evidence of how the colony responded to changes in British military defence. It also shows how Queensland's militia (citizen soldiers) were trained under both colonial and later, Australian, governments. The fact that it was used as a defence complex for over a century makes it very significant.
Rare Buildings
The 1890 Former Offices and Stores Building and the 1905-06 former timber Drill Hall and Administrative Offices are rare. They are some of the few examples of their type and age still standing in Queensland. The drill hall, in particular, is one of only two Federation-era drill halls left in Queensland. These buildings also show the important work of the Queensland Government Architect's Office from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
Showing Key Features of Military Sites
As a military complex built mostly before 1945, the North Ward Defence Complex shows the main features of such places. This includes how the buildings are arranged and what they are made of. It helps us understand the facilities needed to train volunteer soldiers in Queensland before World War II.
Beautiful Design
The buildings from around 1890 and the 1905-06 Former Drill Hall and Administrative Offices have a special beauty. Their shape, materials, details, and size make them look good. The two-story brick building from around 1890 stands out and is a landmark on Mitchell Street.
Special Connection to Queensland's History
The North Ward Defence Complex is important because of its long connection with the Queensland Volunteer Defence Forces. These forces played a big part in defending Queensland throughout its history.
