Townsville Post Office, Heritage-listed postal building in Flinders Street, Townsville, Australia.
Townsville Post Office is a two-story brick building at the corner of Flinders Street featuring Renaissance design elements, a loggia, covered verandah, and a striking clock tower. The structure displays fine craftsmanship with ornamental details throughout its facade and architectural features.
The first stage, a two-storey telegraph office costing almost £6000, was followed in 1886 by a post office with the postmaster's residence above. Dennis Kellcher carried out extensions in 1888, and Henry L Davis & Co. built the clock tower, whose chimes arrived from England in 1889 and were installed by 1891. After the bombing of Darwin, the tower was dismantled in 1942; a greatly modified tower by JE Allen & Co. replaced it in 1963–64 at a cost of £42,135.
The building's prominent corner site made it a stage for political rallies, where speakers addressed crowds from a soap box. Since 2001 it has housed The Brewery, owned by the Townsville Brewing Company, which brews beer on-site and runs a restaurant and bar in the former post office.
Today the building houses a working brewery with dining facilities occupying the ground and upper floors. Visitors can explore the interior architecture while enjoying food and locally made beverages.
The clock tower visitors see today is not the original: the 1880s tower was dismantled in 1942 after the bombing of Darwin, and a greatly modified tower was built in 1963–64 by JE Allen & Co. of Townsville at a cost of £42,135. The chimes, imported from England in 1889 and installed by 1891, had been stored away with the mechanism.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,896 contributors worldwide.