Cardwell Bush Telegraph

Cardwell Bush Telegraph is a heritage-listed former post office and now heritage centre at 53 Victoria Street, Cardwell, Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. The Telegraph and Post Office at Cardwell was designed by Colonial Architect's Office and built in 1870 by George McCallum, making it one of the oldest buildings in North Queensland.The building operated as a post office until 1982. It was refurbished, conserved, branded "Cardwell Bush Telegraph", and re-opened as a heritage centre on 28 February 2003. The heritage precinct also includes the former court house and jail, an area designated as a government reserve for much of the township's history. The precinct welcomes visitors and showcases the history of Cardwell and its significance to the surrounding area. It was listed on the Register of the National Estate of the Australian Heritage Commission. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.It is located on the corner of the Bruce Highway and Balliol Street at the southern end of the town and is immediately adjacent to the also heritage-listed Cardwell Divisional Board Hall.HistoryThis single storeyed timber building was erected in 1870 as the Telegraph Office in Cardwell. Designed by the Colonial Works office, the Superintendent of Roads and Buildings at the time was Charles Tiffin. The contract for the building was let to George McCallum of Brisbane. Records indicate that the building was prefabricated in Brisbane and shipped to Cardwell where it was erected on the present site. It is considered to be one of the earliest examples of prefabricated post office buildings, reflecting the need to erect substantial Government buildings in remote settlements where structures were otherwise relatively unsophisticated.