Tozer's Building facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tozer's Building
Tozer's Building, 2009
Location	218 Mary Street, Gympie, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1896
Architect	Richard Gailey
Architectural style(s)	Classicism
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Tozer's Building, Jeffery & Cuddihy Building
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	15 July 2011
Reference no.	602779
Significant period	1896
Significant components	office/s
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Tozer's Building is a historic office building located at 218 Mary Street in Gympie, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by the famous architect Richard Gailey and finished in 1896. The building is also known as the Jeffery & Cuddihy Building. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 15, 2011, because of its important history.

Discovering the History of Tozer's Building

Tozer's Building was designed in 1895. It was built as offices for two lawyers, Horace Tozer and his partner Anthony Conwell. Horace Tozer was a lawyer in Gympie from 1868 to 1898. He was an expert in mining law. He also became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, a government minister, and an Agent-General for Queensland.

How Gold Shaped Gympie

Gympie became a town after gold was found there in October 1867. This discovery made Queensland a major gold producer. It brought much-needed money to the young colony. Thousands of people came to the Gympie goldfield very quickly.

At first, people found gold in riverbeds (alluvial gold). But this gold ran out in about a year. Then, miners started digging deeper for gold in rocks (reef mining). By 1881, mines were producing a lot of gold. This started a new time of wealth for Gympie. More money was invested in mining companies for machines and workers.

Gympie's Growth and Changes

As Gympie grew, its early simple wooden buildings were replaced. From the mid-1870s, more solid public and private buildings appeared. Deep reef mining in the 1880s needed a lot of money to be invested. Gympie was Queensland's second or third biggest gold producer during the 1880s and 1890s.

Gold production brought in a lot of Queensland's export money. This wealth led to new, strong commercial buildings in upper Mary Street. Banks and mining offices were built. Several fires in 1877, 1881, and 1891 destroyed older wooden buildings. This sped up the building of new, stronger ones.

The Site's Past and Horace Tozer's Practice

A fire in August 1881 destroyed many buildings on Mary Street. This included the building that stood where Tozer's Building is now. Horace Tozer started his law practice in Gympie in 1868. He bought the land for his business in 1871.

In February 1881, a newspaper reported that property in Gympie was becoming more valuable. This was because mining was doing very well. In August 1881, Horace Tozer sold his property. He moved his office to a rented space nearby. In 1886, he partnered with Anthony Conwell. Their firm was called Tozer and Conwell.

Rebuilding After Another Fire

In 1891, the building Tozer and Conwell were renting also burned down. They lost a lot of uninsured property. The lawyers moved to a temporary office for a few months. Then they moved to offices next to Caston and Davidson. This was possibly on the site of the current Tozer's Building.

At that time, Charles Campion Bunworth owned this property. He was a Gympie businessman. In 1890, he mortgaged the property to William Smyth. William Smyth was a local politician and community leader. By 1894, Bunworth had financial problems. The property then went to Robert Jones. He sold it to Ellen Jane Smyth, William Smyth's wife, in August 1894.

In October 1895, architect Richard Gailey asked for bids to build new offices and strongrooms. These plans were available at Tozer and Conwell's office. When finished, the new building became part of the gold era streetscape of upper Mary Street.

About the Architect, Richard Gailey

Richard Gailey (1834-1924) was an architect from Ireland. He moved to Brisbane in 1864. He started his own business in 1865. Over 60 years, he built a very successful practice. He designed many buildings, including churches, banks, and hotels.

Many of his commercial buildings in Brisbane had a classical style. He also designed the Commercial Hotel and the Bank of New South Wales Building in Mary Street, Gympie.

The Owners and Their Impact

Ellen Smyth, the building's owner, was the second wife of William Smyth. William Smyth started as a gold miner. He became very rich by investing in mine shares. He owned the most mines in Gympie. He was elected as an alderman for Gympie in 1883. He was also the mayor of Gympie from 1883 to 1884.

He then became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Gympie. He served from 1883 to 1899. He was also a director of several companies. William Smyth died in 1899. His wife, Ellen, was involved in many community groups.

Sir Horace Tozer: Lawyer and Politician

Sir Horace Tozer was born in 1844. He was both a lawyer and a politician. He practiced law in Gympie from 1868. He was also a part-owner of mining leases. This made him an expert in mining law. He even argued two mining cases in London.

He was elected to parliament for Wide Bay in 1871. He later served as an alderman in the first Gympie Municipal Council from 1880. In 1888, Tozer was again elected for Wide Bay. He held this seat until 1898. From 1890 until he retired, Tozer held important government jobs.

He was Colonial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works. He also served as Home Secretary. From March to November 1897, he was the acting Premier. In that year, he was knighted. From 1898 to 1909, Tozer was Queensland's Agent-General in London. He retired due to poor health.

During his public life, he helped create important laws. These included laws about public service, factory conditions, and elections. He also helped establish the Free Public Library in 1895. He helped create the National Art Gallery of Queensland around 1896. He passed away in 1916.

Tozer's Legacy in the Building

The law firm started by Horace Tozer in 1868 continued in Tozer's Building for 94 more years. This kept his name and his connection to the site alive. Sir Horace Tozer's son, Vivian Hoyles Tozer, joined the firm. He leased the building until he bought it in 1949. This was after Ellen Jane Smyth passed away.

Vivian Tozer became a lawyer in 1892. He was also elected to parliament. After his death, Tozer's Building went to his descendants. In 1990, the property was transferred to the law firm Jeffery Cuddihy and Joyce. This firm still uses the building today.

Changes to the Building Over Time

Some parts of the original building have been changed. The back verandah on the upper floor has been altered. A fireplace on the ground floor has been covered up. New walls were added to create more office space on the ground floor.

The original staircase to the basement has been closed off from the ground floor. However, the strongrooms on the ground floor and in the basement are still there. In 2009, the upper floor offices and the main staircase were still original. The original counter in the foyer is still in place. An extension was added to the back of the building for more offices.

What Tozer's Building Looks Like

Tozer's Building is a two-story building with a basement. It sits on a narrow piece of land between Mary and Reef Streets. It is part of a group of historic gold-mining buildings in Gympie. The building has strong brick walls. These walls support a timber roof and floors. The roof is hidden behind the front and side walls.

The Building's Front (Facade)

Tozer's Building has a detailed and balanced front. It is made of smooth, rendered brickwork. It shows features of the Neoclassical style. The windows and doors are arched and are all the same width. They are separated by flat columns called pilasters. These pilasters have flower designs on the lower level. The upper pilasters have Corinthian-style tops.

The arches have decorative frames and keystones. The top of the building has decorative balustrades and a deep, molded cornice.

Inside the Entrance

The main entrance is on the western side of the building. You enter through two concrete steps. A pair of wooden doors with an arched glass window above leads into a small entry area. This area has wooden panels on the walls and ceiling.

Inside, another pair of wooden doors leads into the main foyer. A tall, arched window is to the east of the entrance. There is also a basement window. The windows on the upper level are similar but a bit shorter.

The Back of the Building

On the back of the building, the upper level has two tall wooden windows. Between them is a wooden door that opens onto a verandah. This verandah has been changed. It has a rounded roof and a wooden balustrade. A concrete block extension has been added to the back of the ground floor and basement.

Rooms on the Ground Floor

The ground floor of the 1896 building has three main rooms. These are the foyer, a strongroom, and a back office. The foyer has the original counter. A tall clock is on the southern wall. A staircase leads from the foyer to the upper level.

Under the first part of the stairs, there is a hidden door. This door leads to a staircase down to the basement. The strongroom has a heavy metal door. It is next to a fireplace in the back office. Some new walls have been added to create a hallway to the back extension.

Offices on the First Floor

On the first floor, two offices are separated by the top part of the stairs. The front office has a fireplace. It has been divided into two smaller offices and an entrance area by new walls. The back office has access to the rear verandah. It has a fireplace and safes built into the wall.

The Basement

The basement of the 1896 building has painted brick walls. It has storage shelves all around. A strongroom is located under the ground floor strongroom. There is also a fireplace. The ceilings are made of wooden boards. The floor is concrete. The back wall has a door and two tall windows with metal grilles for security.

Original Interior Details

The original inside walls on the upper two levels look like stone blocks. The ceilings on all levels are made of wooden boards with wooden cornices. The doors are tall and made of wood. They have glass fanlights above them that can pivot open.

Many areas have wide wooden skirting boards and decorative architraves around doors. Most of the original wood inside is clear finished. However, the skirting in the back office on the ground floor has been painted. Original door and window handles are still there. Some old light fittings, like gas jets, can still be seen.

The two-story concrete block extension at the back is not considered historically important.

Why Tozer's Building is Important

Tozer's Building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 15, 2011. It meets several important criteria.

Showing Queensland's History

Tozer's Building (built 1896) helps us understand the history of gold mining in Gympie. Gold mining was very important to Queensland's wealth for about 60 years. As gold mining changed from easy surface gold to deep mining, Gympie's town center changed too. More permanent and fancy buildings were built.

The building was the office of Sir Horace Tozer. He was a lawyer and politician. He was an expert in mining law during Queensland's gold era. The building shows how important Gympie was as a goldfield in the 1890s. It also shows the importance of gold mining in Queensland's history.

Its location near Commissioners Hill, close to other important government and mining buildings, also shows how Gympie grew. It is part of the historic upper Mary Street area from the gold era.

Showing Key Features of Historic Offices

Tozer's Building is a great example of commercial offices designed by Richard Gailey. The original 1896 building shows the main features of Victorian-era offices. It has a foyer, a beautiful cedar staircase, a ground floor office, a strongroom, and a basement with its own strongrooms.

The inside has beautiful details. These include plaster walls, decorative plaster cornices, pine ceilings, and lovely original cedar woodwork. This includes the counter, windows, fanlights, architraves, skirting boards, and strong doors.

Its Beautiful Design

The building is important for its beauty. This is seen in the skilled work and details of its woodwork and finishes inside. It also adds to the beauty of the street. Its shape, size, and design fit well with other 19th-century buildings still standing on the street.

Located on the southwestern side of Mary Street, Tozer's Building is part of the pleasing upper Mary Street area. This area has many late Victorian commercial buildings from the 1880s and 1890s.

Connection to Important People

Tozer's Building has a special connection to the life and work of Sir Horace Tozer. He was a lawyer and a member of the Queensland parliament. He was a Queensland minister and later Queensland's Agent-General. He lived in Gympie from the very beginning of the goldfield.

Sir Horace Tozer became an expert in mining law. He helped create important laws in Queensland parliament. He held powerful public jobs. He helped shape the future of Queensland and its people.

Tozer's Building was built for Sir Horace Tozer. It is still known by his name. The law firm he started in 1868 was run by his family from Tozer's Building for 94 years. This keeps his name and his connection to the place alive.