Winchcombe Carson Woolstores facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winchcombe Carson Woolstores |
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Winchcombe & Carson Woolstores, 2010
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| Location | 54 Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Built | 1910-1911, extende 1934 |
| Architect | Claude William Chambers |
| Official name: Winchcombe Carson Woolstores | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600326 |
| Significant period | 1910-1950s (fabric) 1911- 1981 (historical use) |
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The Winchcombe Carson Woolstores is a very old building in Teneriffe, Brisbane, Australia. It's a special kind of warehouse where wool from sheep was stored and sold. The building was designed by a famous architect named Claude William Chambers. It was built between 1910 and 1911, and later made bigger in 1934. Today, it's considered a very important historical site and is protected on the Queensland Heritage Register.
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A Look Back in Time
The Winchcombe Carson Woolstores building is the oldest wool storage building still standing in the Teneriffe area. A man named Frederick Earle Winchcombe bought the land for it in 1910. His company, Winchcombe Carson, then bought more land nearby.
The first building, called No. 1, was built by Stuart Brothers of Sydney between 1910 and 1911. They also added more to the back of the building in 1934. As the wool industry grew, the company expanded. By 1955, they had built a third wool store and planned for another.
In 1979, Winchcombe Carson joined with another company called Dalgety Australia. However, Dalgety had a newer, more modern wool complex. This meant the old Winchcombe Carson stores were no longer needed for wool.
In 1981, a company called Keita Pty Ltd bought the entire property. Today, the ground floor is used for shops and storage. The second and third floors are used by the RACQ (a car club) for storage. The top floors are currently empty. The local council plans for the woolstores to be used for homes and other businesses, like places for tourists.
What the Building Looks Like
The Winchcombe Carson Woolstores are actually three buildings located near Vernon Terrace and Ethel, Florence, and Dath Streets.
The Main Building (No. 1)
The first building, No. 1, faces Vernon Terrace. It's a big, impressive four-story building. It has shallow arched windows and a strong top section called a parapet. It was built during a time called the Federation era.
The building has parts made of red brick that are set back. Other parts stick out a little and are covered in white plaster. These white parts have decorative corners and a special shape at the top called a dutch gable pediment. The year "1911" and the words "Wool Store" are written on the middle pediment. The company's name is written across the top of the parapet.
Each row of windows on the white parts has a decorative arch above it. The windows in the red brick sections are connected to a fancy molding at the top. This building has a grand look, almost like a fancy English country house, which is unusual for a large warehouse. It was huge, covering almost 1.5 hectares (about 3.5 acres), and could hold 20,000 bales of wool!
Special Features of No. 1
The bottom of the building has dark, shiny bricks. A corrugated iron roof, like an awning, sticks out over the railway tracks and loading areas. This roof is held up by wooden supports and metal braces. Some of the loading bays have arches.
A unique feature of this store is its double doors. These doors slide right into the brick walls! They were made wide enough for wool bales to pass through easily. A fancy main doorway leads into the entrance area and offices, which have wooden walls. A large lift and a modern wooden staircase take you to the upper floors. Like many woolstores built before World War I, the upper floors are made of strong hardwood. They are held up by huge timber posts and supported by crisscross beams. The ground floor is made of concrete.
The top floor has a special showroom. It has a "sawtooth roof" which means it's shaped like the teeth of a saw. This design lets in the best natural light from the east to the west. This floor also has many thin, eight-sided columns with decorative carvings. These columns support the roof, which has vertical glass panels. This floor still has its original paneled dining room, changing room, and telephone booths for clients. There are also lifts and chutes for moving wool. The windows at the back of this floor were made bigger to connect it to the other buildings.
Other Buildings
The other two Winchcombe Carson woolstores have their own entrances and are also made of brick. However, they are only three stories tall and not as decorated as No. 1. Building No. 2 has metal columns on its top floor, arched windows, and vents. It's connected to the back of the Vernon Street store but has its own loading area for trucks. The third woolstore was finished in the 1950s and faces Ethel Street.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Winchcombe Carson Woolstores were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's a very important place that needs to be protected.
- Important History: This group of woolstores shows how the wool industry in Queensland grew and changed over time. It also shows how technology and marketing changed, and how the Brisbane River's docks were used.
- Great Example: These buildings are excellent examples of the many woolstores built in Australian ports, like Teneriffe. They show what these buildings looked like and how they were used. Building No. 1 is the oldest and most complete woolstore left in Teneriffe. It helps us understand the early days of the wool industry, which is now very different.
- Looks Amazing: The first woolstore (No. 1) is also very beautiful because of its special Federation era design.
- Clever Design: The unique mix of usefulness and style in No. 1 was created by Claude Chambers. He was a very important architect who also designed other big buildings in Brisbane.
- Community Value: The Winchcombe Carson woolstores are seen as a valuable landmark along the river. They remind people of the area's history with sheep farming and wool. That's why they are included in the Teneriffe Development Plan, which helps guide how the area will grow.
