Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point

Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point

Naval Stores at Kangaroo Point, seen from across the Brisbane River
Location 34 Amesbury Street, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates 27°28′27″S 153°02′04″E / 27.4743°S 153.0345°E / -27.4743; 153.0345Coordinates: 27°28′27″S 153°02′04″E / 27.4743°S 153.0345°E / -27.4743; 153.0345
Design period 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built 1886 - 1900s
Official name: Naval Stores (former), Naval Brigade Stores, Naval Depot
Type state heritage (archaeological, built)
Designated 21 October 1992
Reference no. 600239
Significant period 1880s-1900s (fabric)
1880s-1950s (historical)
Significant components slab/s - concrete, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, hut/shack, toilet block/earth closet/water closet, turntable, changing rooms/dressing shed, magazine / explosives store, wharf/dock/quay, slipway, steps/stairway, paint/chemical store
Location of Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point in Queensland

Naval Stores is a heritage-listed storehouse at 34 Amesbury Street, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1886 to 1900s. It is also known as Naval Brigade Stores and Naval Depot. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[1]

History

The original Naval Stores comprised a pair of two-storeyed iron-clad stud-framed buildings and a wharf, which were constructed between 1886 and 1888. The complex has been used throughout its naval and army history for two main purposes, as a storage depot and for training.[1]

In 1884, at the height of the Russian war scare, the Queensland colonial government commissioned two gunboats, the Gayundah and Paluma. In 1885 the gunboats arrived and with the government's acquisition of other vessels the development of a naval depot for storage, repairs and training became necessary. The Naval Stores were built on the site of a former Kangaroo Point quarry.[1]

The ground floor of Store No 1 contained the battery and lecture rooms used for training. The four rooms upstairs were used for stores and carpenters' shops. By 1913 upstairs was partitioned to provide for an orderly room, instructors' mess room and several small storerooms.[1]

Store No 2 originally consisted of two large rooms on either floor, with workshops on the ground floor. The first floor storerooms included the torpedo store room.[1]

After the 1893 floods, Store No 1 boat shed was replaced with a detached shed, a bridge linking the two stores was built, and an extension to the cliff stairs was added. About 1900 several additions to the site included the paint store, magazine, turntable between the stores and some first floor ceilings were lined.[1]

The wooden stairs provide access up the cliff to Amesbury Street and St Mary's Anglican Church which has been the Naval Chapel for many years. The stairs have been extended over the years.[1]

As the Queensland Naval Brigade developed, further depots were located at Maryborough, Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns and Cooktown. Other colonies also developed their naval and military forces. The depot was the base of the Queensland Navy until the formation of the Royal Australian Navy after Federation.[1]

Radio communication history was made in 1903 when the first Australian ship to use wireless telegraphy, the Gayundah, sent signals from Moreton Bay to the Stores. Alterations to the stores and additional structures were built during the occupation of the site by the Royal Australian Navy. The RAN Reserve vacated the site in 1959 and it was occupied by the Army till 1984.[1]

In 1984, two 8 inch (20.3 cm) breech-loading Armstrong forward guns from the Gayundah and Paluma were recovered. One gun and its mount have been lent to the Queensland Maritime Museum Association.[1]

The flagpoles, semaphore and several other structures have disappeared since 1984.[1]

In 1987 the property was purchased by the Brisbane City Council, tenders were called for its development and a fire partially destroyed Store No 1. The unoccupied Store No 2 has suffered degradation from vandals and white ant infestation.[1]

Description

The complex stands on a narrow strip of river flat with steep cliffs and includes the following items:[1]

The site remains a strong visual element of the riverscape.[1]

Heritage listing

Naval Stores (former) 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 former Naval Stores provide evidence of the Queensland Marine Defence Force which was an integral part of the Queensland colonial defences.[1]

The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

The former Naval Stores are significant as part of the historic cityscape at Kangaroo Point which includes the former Kangaroo Point quarry, St Mary's Church group and the linking cliff face stairs.[1]

The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

The Stores are significant for their continuous association with both colonial and Commonwealth defence forces.[1]

References

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).

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.