One of Townsville's most distinguished buildings, Customs House, seeks new custodian
For more than a century, Townsville’s Customs House has watched over the waterfront from its prominent position at the corner of Wickham Street and The Strand.
Now, the heritage-listed landmark is looking for a new custodian, and its next use could be markedly different from the government work for which it was built.
The two-storey building of about 1925 square metres sits on a 2706-square-metre site at 16 Wickham Street, overlooking Cleveland Bay and the Port of Townsville. It’s being offered with vacant possession through an expressions-of-interest campaign, closing at 3pm AEST on September 8, with undisclosed price expectations.
A building with a new direction
Despite the building’s long association with government, Neville Smith, senior director at CBRE Queensland, says the sale is not a government disposal.
“It’s privately owned, although people could be forgiven for assuming otherwise because it has such a strong civic presence and such a long history as a government building,” he says.
“The market conditions are right for the vendors to hand it over to a new owner and move on to their next adventure.”
Designed by Queensland government architect George David Payne, the Customs House was constructed between 1900 and 1902 as Townsville emerged as one of northern Australia’s most important ports.
Its Federation Romanesque design was intended to convey the authority of the Australian Customs Service while responding to North Queensland’s tropical climate. High ceilings, broad, colonnaded verandahs and well-ventilated rooms were combined with an imposing red-brick-and-sandstone exterior.
Among the surviving features are its domed corner entrance, observation tower, strongroom, former customs “Long Room” and residential quarters. Cedar joinery, tiled fireplaces and the dome’s leadlight windows also remain.
The building served the Customs Service for close to a century and was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2005.
While its heritage significance will shape any redevelopment, Smith says its scale and location open the door to a broad range of potential uses, subject to the necessary approvals.
“You could see government occupying it again, but its future certainly isn’t limited to office accommodation,” he says.
“It could become a hospitality venue or bar, a hotel, boutique accommodation or even a residence. It is one of those properties where the building itself will probably inspire the eventual use.”
Growing interest in heritage buildings
The opportunity comes as heritage buildings around Australia are increasingly being repositioned for hospitality, tourism and accommodation. Their distinctive architecture can offer qualities difficult to replicate in a newly constructed project, although restoration costs and heritage controls require buyers with patience and a long-term outlook.
Smith expects the campaign to reach well beyond the local investor market.
“We anticipate interest from a wide range of buyers, including people from outside Townsville who recognise how unusual the opportunity is,” he says.
“This is likely to be an emotional purchase as much as an investment decision. It’s not simply a building that someone buys, improves and sells again in a few years.
“The buyer will probably be someone who connects with the history and the character of the place and sees it as a generational hold – something they can steward over the long term.”
