Atkinson & Powell Building

Atkinson & Powell Building
Atkinson & Powell Building
	Atkinson & Powell Building, 2000
Location	181-183 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	19°15′27″S146°49′11″E / 19.2574°S 146.8197°E Coordinates: 19°15′27″S146°49′11″E / 19.2574°S 146.8197°E
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1887
Architect	Willoughby Powell
Architectural style(s)	Classicism
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name	Atkinson & Powell Building (former), Matchbox Theatre
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600897
Significant period	1880s (fabric); 1887-1965 (historical commercial use)
	Location of Atkinson & Powell Building in Queensland Atkinson & Powell Building (Australia)

Last updated November 13, 2021

Atkinson & Powell Building is a heritage-listed former pharmacy and now general commercial premises at 181-183 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Willoughby Powell and built in 1887. It is also known as Matchbox Theatre. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.^[1]

History

The former Atkinson & Powell Building was designed in 1886 by Willoughby Powell for chemists Atkinson & Powell, a firm in which the architect's brother was a partner.^[1]

Townsville was established in 1864 by partners John Melton Black and Robert Towns and the Port of Townsville was gazetted as a port of entry in 1865. It grew quickly as a supply centre and by 1873 the port was receiving international as well as coastal traffic. Improvements were carried out to port facilities to allow larger ships to anchor. By 1880 Townsville was the port for several major goldfields and had opened the first stage of the Great Northern railway line westwards through Charters Towers and beyond, consolidating its importance as a port and mercantile centre.^[1]

By the mid 1880s Townsville was enjoying a building boom owing to the growth of the town and the destruction by fire of a number of buildings in Flinders Street in the early 1880s. It was subsequently declared a first class area, where only building in stone, masonry or metal was permitted. This meant that timber buildings from the first stage of settlement were replaced with substantial masonry ones, an encouragement to do likewise even for those whose property had escaped fire damage.^[1]

In 1887 a mortgage on the site was taken out by Joseph Atkinson and Francis Powell to allow the construction of a substantial pharmacy building. It was designed by Willoughby Powell, the brother of Frank Powell, who was a dentist. The new premises had a large shop at the front and two smaller rooms behind, one of which was used as a surgery by Powell. The upper floor was a warehouse, used purely for storage, and was accessed by an outside stair and a small lift for raising goods. The ground floor originally had a central entrance flanked by windows, but in the 1890s, a side door and internal staircase were inserted. The curved frames of the original windows can still be seen.^[1]

Willoughby Powell was born and trained as an architect in England. In 1872 he emigrated to Australia with his brother and worked for Richard Gailey in Brisbane before joining the Queensland Works Department in 1874. After winning a design competition for the Toowoomba Grammar School he set up a practice there between 1875 and 1877. After travelling to England in 1878 he worked again for Gailey before moving to Maryborough to supervise his own work between 1882 and 1885. He then returned to Gailey in Brisbane until 1893 when the financial crash saw the bottom drop out of the building trade. His own design work seems to have largely been for churches, public buildings and large houses. The Atkinson and Powell building is his only work in North Queensland, one of very few shops known to have been designed by him. A drawing of the completed building was featured in the 1887 Christmas issue of the Townsville Herald.^[1]

Soon after the Atkinson and Powell building was constructed, Queens Building was erected adjoining it for Pio Armati by the well known Townsville firm of Tunbridge and Tunbridge. Their design complemented Atkinson and Powell's building, having several design features in common.^[1]

In 1893 Atkinson was declared insolvent and the building was acquired by the North Queensland Mortgage and Investment Company Limited who held the mortgage. The building was leased to a number of different businesses including a dentist, a chemist, and a watchmaker. In 1920 the building housed offices for the Australian Oriental Line, the Townsville Chamber of Commerce and a restaurant. The Vacuum Oil Co leased the ground floor between 1922 and 1932. The building is believed to have been later occupied by a newsagent on the ground floor and the upper storey was the headquarters of the Townsville Book Club, a private lending library. In 1965 the building was converted for use as the 1965 Stage Door Theatre. In 1979 they moved and the Performing Arts Department of the Townsville College of TAFE occupied the building.^[1]

Description

The former Atkinson & Powell Building is located on the main commercial street of Townsville and is a two-storey, brick building closely matching in style, though differing in decoration, the building adjoining it.^[1]

The building is rendered on the street elevation and has classically influenced moulded decoration. The upper floor has four rounded headed windows with prominent voussoirs, separated by pilasters. Above this is an entablature and a balustraded parapet with a triangular pediment. This conceals a hipped roof clad with corrugated iron.^[1]

A bullnosed corrugated iron awning shades the shopfront. It is supported on cast iron columns linked by a cast iron frieze. The central and eastern bays of the original timber framed glazed shopfront survive. There is a separate entrance to the upper level accessed through a timber door on the western side.^[1]

Heritage listing

The former Atkinson & Powell Building was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

The style and quality of the former Atkinson & Powell Building demonstrates the prosperity of Townsville in the 1880s and reflects the way in which North Queensland was developed by the establishment of key ports as commercial and administrative centres.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

The building is important as a good example of a substantial nineteenth century office building in North Queensland.^[1]

The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

It is located on the major commercial street of Townsville where, by its design, form and materials, it is a substantial visual component of the built character of the city.^[1]

The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.

The building is associated with the life and work of architect Willoughby Powell and is believed to be his only commission in North Queensland.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Bowen Courthouse is a heritage-listed courthouse at 30 Williams Street, Bowen, Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by George St Paul Connolly of the Colonial Architect's Office and built in 1880 by Southall & Tracey. It is also known as Bowen Court House. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Hardy Brothers Building is a heritage-listed shop at 116 Queen Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey and built in 1881. It is also known as Love's Auction Mart. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Corbett and Son Store is a heritage-listed store at 446-452 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robin Dods and built in 1908. It is also known as Diamonds Dry Cleaners, Isis Restaurant, and Peerless Dry Cleaners. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 26 May 2000.

The Phoenix Buildings are heritage-listed commercial buildings at 647 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They were designed by Richard Gailey and built from 1889 to 1890 by James Rix. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 May 1995.

Watson Brothers Building is a heritage-listed warehouse at 129 Margaret Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey and built from 1887 to 1918. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 April 1999.

Barnes and Co. Trading Place is a heritage-listed former department store at 118 Palmerin Street, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Wallace & Gibson and built from 1910 to 1911 by M Ivory. It is also known as Smith & Miller Furniture Store. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Townsville School of Arts is a heritage-listed former school of arts and now community cultural centre at Stanley Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Eyre & Munro and built in 1891 by James Smith. It is also known as Dancenorth Theatre and Townsville Arts Centre. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Victoria Park Hotel was a heritage-listed hotel at 266 Boundary Street, South Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge & Tunbridge and built from 1895 to 1896 by Jeremiah Dempsey. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. It was completely destroyed by fire on 8 June 2018.

Queensland National Bank is a heritage-listed former bank at 295-303 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1878-1879 by C A Ward. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 January 1994.

West End Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 89 Ingham Road, West End, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1885 by Peter Dean. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 June 1999.

Great Northern Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 500 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge & Tunbridge and built from 1900 to 1901. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

St John's Anglican Church Precinct is a heritage-listed churchyard at 30-34 Macrossan Street, South Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c. 1907 to c. 1911. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

The Magnetic House is a heritage-listed office building at 143-149 Flinders Street East, Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by C H E Blackmann & John Sulman and built from 1886 to 1888 by Dennis Kelleher. It was later known as Magnetic House. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992.

Australian Joint Stock Bank Building is a heritage-listed bank at 173 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1887 to 1888 by MacMahon & Cliffe. It is also known as Australian Bank of Commerce and The Bank Nite Club. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Queens Building is a heritage-listed shopping centre at 175 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge & Tunbridge and built c. 1887. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

T. Willmetts & Sons Printery is a heritage-listed former printing house at 193 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Waggepetersen & Bevan and built from 1883 to 1927. It is also known as Capitol Seafood Restaurant. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Aplin Brown & Company Building is a heritage-listed commercial building at 232-234 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1887 by Rooney Brothers. It is also known as Buckaroo's Restaurant, Family Services, and Toula's Taverna. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Cluden Racecourse is a heritage-listed racecourse at 1 Racecourse Road, Cluden, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Walter Howard Tunbridge and built in 1896 by Mr Reid. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Cairns School of Arts is a heritage-listed former school of arts and now the Cairns Museum at 93-105 Lake Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch and built from 1907 to 1941 by Hanson & Sons. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Westpac Bank Building is a heritage-listed bank building at Landsborough Street, Normanton, Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey and built in 1886. It is also known as Bank of New South Wales. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Atkinson & Powell Building (former) (entry 600897)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

External links

Media related to Atkinson & Powell Building at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[qhr-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Atkinson & Powell Building (former) (entry 600897)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

[1]