Gowrie House, Heritage building in East Toowoomba, Australia.
Gowrie House is a low-set brick residence at 112 Mary Street featuring early twentieth-century Queensland residential architecture. The building has been modified over time and now operates as a hostel with single, double, and twin rooms.
Alexander Mayes, a Scottish businessman who arrived in Queensland in 1886, commissioned architect Henry James Marks to design this residence, completed in 1902. The building was repurposed in 1945 by the Young Women's Christian Association as a hostel.
The building took its name in 1945 when the Young Women's Christian Association opened it as a women's hostel, naming it after Lady Gowrie, wife of the Australian Governor General. The name reflects both the building's new purpose and a connection to national figures.
The building now operates as a hostel offering various room types to accommodate different visitors and needs. It is the last YWCA-owned hostel still operating in Queensland.
The building underwent significant renovations in the 1970s and 1980s, shifting from serving exclusively women to welcoming both male and female guests. This transformation reflects how the facility adapted to changing social needs over time.
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