Queen Street Buildings facts for kids
The Queen Street Buildings are a group of old shops and a hotel located at 284 - 298 Queen Street in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. These buildings are very important because they show us what life was like a long time ago. They are protected as a heritage site by the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Some of the buildings are known by other names like McGuanne House, Old Railway Hotel, William Bursill's Shop, and The Coach House.
Quick facts for kids Queen Street Buildings |
|
|---|---|
Legacy House, c. 1856, pictured in 2008.
|
|
| Location | 284 - 298 Queen Street, Campbelltown, City of Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia |
| Owner | Minister For Administering The Environmental & Planning Act, 1979 |
| Official name: Queen Street Buildings Group; McGuanne House; Old Railway Hotel; William Bursill's Shop; The Coach House | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 7 |
| Type | Shop |
| Category | Retail and Wholesale |
| Builders |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Contents
History of Queen Street Buildings
The Campbelltown area was first settled by Europeans around 1809. This was an alternative to the Hawkesbury area, which often flooded. A road from Sydney to Liverpool began in 1811. It was extended south to Appin by 1814. This road, which passed through Campbelltown, was first called High Street. Later, in the late 1800s, it was renamed Queen Street.
The land where the Queen Street buildings stand was given to Joseph Phelps in 1816. He had been farming there for some years. However, his land was taken from him because he owed money. It was then sold to William Bradbury in 1817.
Just north of Phelps' land, a village area was set aside in 1815. This reserved land was officially declared a town by Governor Macquarie in December 1820. He named it Campbelltown to honor his wife's family.
William Bradbury (1774-1836) came to New South Wales in 1812. His daughter, Mary, joined him in Australia in 1815. Governor Macquarie visited Campbelltown in 1822. He had breakfast at 'Bradbury's', which shows Bradbury had built an inn. This inn was probably the one later known as the Royal Oak. Macquarie noted that Bradbury was building a "very good two storey brick house" as an inn. He named Bradbury's farm "Bradbury Park."
Queen Street was on the edge of town, so one side was inside the town and the other was not. Smart business people soon realized that both sides of the main road were good for business. By the 1840s, many shops and hotels were on the western side of High Street. When the railway arrived in 1858, it made Queen Street even more important for businesses.
In the 1960s, these buildings were recognized as a special group of old two-storey buildings. They were seen as the only surviving streetscape from the late 1840s in the County of Cumberland. The government bought these buildings to make sure they would be saved.
- 284-6 was built in the late 1840s by George Fullerton, a doctor.
- 288-290 was built around the same time by John Doyle, a blacksmith.
- The shop at 292-4 grew from a small stone building to a larger one. It was built around the same time and was William Bursill's auctioneer shop.
- 298 Coaching House has a strong verandah with cast iron columns. The large opening on the ground floor, with wooden gates, was an entrance to stables at the back.
Old Railway Hotel (288-290 Queen Street)
This land was part of the Bradbury Park Estate. In 1844, it was sold to John Hilt, a coachman. In 1845, John Hilt sold it to John Doyle, a blacksmith. At this time, there were no buildings on the land. The Doyle family owned the land until 1908.
Between 1844 and 1856, the Doyle family built a two-storey building. In 1856, it became a licensed hotel. The first person to run the hotel was Sylvester Byrne, who rented it from Doyle. The hotel had a bar, two parlours, a dining room, three bedrooms, a small room with a bed, and a well-equipped kitchen.
After Byrne became bankrupt, John Doyle took over running the hotel. Later, Thomas James managed it and turned the wooden coach house into a music and dance hall. After John Doyle died, his children inherited the property. In 1896, it was still known as Doyles Railway Hotel.
In 1908, John Doyle's sister, Annie Doyle, sold the property to Edwin and William Fieldhouse. The hotel was then rented to different people until 1921. In 1921, it was sold to Cecilia and Henry Meredith. In 1943, Mr. J. L. Froggatt bought the building and renamed it "Bonito." It was then divided into "Bonito Flats" for people to live in.
Legacy House (292-294 Queen Street)
This land was also part of the Bradbury Park Estate. In 1844, it was sold to William Bursill, an auctioneer. The price of the land increased a lot in just six years, showing that important buildings were built there.
The shop at 292-4 started as a small two-storey stone building and became a large stone building. William Bursill built a strong building in the 1840s, even though there was a difficult economic time in Australia. He ran a tannery (where animal hides are made into leather) and a boot shop from this building.
Bursill sold his land to William Fowler, the Campbelltown postmaster, in 1850. It is thought that Fowler rented the buildings for the Post Office before he bought them. In 1879, Fowler's sons took over the post office. At that time, the building had thick stone walls. The ground floor was a shop with four rooms, and there were six rooms upstairs. There was also a separate kitchen, pantry, and storeroom, plus a stable and coach house outside.
In 1881, the store was sold to Joseph Atkinson, an innkeeper. Atkinson was one of the first elected council members for Campbelltown. The building was occupied by different businesses and residents over the years.
In 1886, Joseph Atkinson sold the property to James Wilson, a butcher. James Wilson was partners in business with Daniel Fowler, who was William Bursill's son-in-law. James Wilson died in 1912, and his wife Helen inherited the property.
In 1912, Helen Wilson gave the property to George Chinnocks, a storekeeper. Chinnocks had been a butcher and then became a general storekeeper. The building was called Stanwell House and also known as Chinnocks Newsagency. Chinnocks died in 1938.
The building was inherited by Georgina Highfield and her son Norman. In 1964, the State Planning Authority bought the property. In 1969, an architect named John Fisher was hired to restore the first five houses in Campbelltown, including this one. Today, the property is leased to an organization called Legacy.
Description of the Buildings
Old Railway Hotel
- Builder: John Doyle
- Built: Between 1844 and 1856
This building is a two-storey stone building in the Victorian Georgian style. It has windows and doors typical of the Georgian style, with decorative fanlights above the front doors. Inside, there are four Georgian fireplaces on the ground floor and two upstairs. Some rooms have old boarded ceilings, while others show the wooden joists (beams) above. The walls are made of plaster and studs, with Georgian skirting around the floors and windows.
At the back of the property, there are old additions like slab and shingle sheds. There are also newer buildings made of weatherboard and timber. The building was bought by the NSW Planning & Environment Commission, and restoration work began in 1971.
- Current Use: Doctors Surgery
- Former Use: Hotel
Old William Bursill's Shop, Legacy House
- Builder: William Bursill
- Built: 1840s
This is a two-storey stone building also in the Victorian Georgian style. It has typical Georgian doors and windows. It features a traditional Victorian shop front with old stone doorsteps. Many of the original doors and window frames are still there. The floor is old stone, and some windows on the first floor still have their original glass. There are also stud walls and old glazed doors. The back room has old shingle battens, and the original floor and roof structure are still in place.
The building was empty for some time and was damaged by vandals. The stone at the back of the building shows mortar made from seashells, and there is evidence of limewash (a type of paint). During restoration work, part of William Bursill's old shop sign was found.
- Current Use: Leased to Legacy
- Former Use: Shop and residence
Coaching House
This building dates back to the 1840s. It's a pair of two-storey townhouses with a wide coach drive in the middle, leading off Queen Street. The central opening on the ground floor has two large wooden gates. These gates used to open to let horse-drawn vehicles into the stables that were at the back of the building. Strong cast iron columns support the sturdy verandah. This building was restored in 1964.
Why These Buildings Are Important
The Queen Street Buildings are some of the oldest buildings still standing in Campbelltown. Campbelltown was one of the first towns built outside of Sydney. Many families who owned and used these buildings were very important in the early development of Campbelltown in the 1800s.
These buildings show us a lot about how people lived when they were built. They were also some of the first private properties bought by the State Government just to protect them. This happened in 1963 and was a big step in saving historical places in New South Wales. These buildings were also among the first to be given a high "A" classification by the National Trust.
There are not many Georgian-style buildings left in Australia, and even fewer are as well-preserved as the Queen Street terraces. They are great examples of both commercial (shop) and domestic (home) buildings from the 1800s.
The Queen Street Buildings were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 because they meet several important standards:
- They show the history of New South Wales: The Queen Street terraces (288-294) are important because they are one of the few groups of Georgian-style buildings that are still mostly complete in New South Wales. The families who lived and worked in these buildings were closely involved in Campbelltown's growth in the 1800s. These buildings are also believed to be among the first that the New South Wales Government bought and restored specifically to protect the state's historical places. This makes them a very important part of conservation history.
- They show great design and skill: The buildings still have many parts from their main stages of development since the mid-1800s, including some outbuildings and old hidden items. The buildings and their location are physical reminders of Campbelltown's history. This historic area on Queen Street makes the streetscape of Campbelltown much more beautiful and interesting. The site is also a valuable place for archaeologists to dig and learn more about early life in Campbelltown.
