Charters Towers Police Station

Charters Towers Police Station is a heritage-listed police station at 49 Gill Street, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Thomas Pye and built in 1910 by T Johnson. It is also known as Police Barracks. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.HistoryCharters Towers Police Station was the product of the Queensland Government Architect's Office of Alfred Barton Brady. The drawings are signed by the Deputy Government Architect Thomas Pye, and the design is possibly his work. The building was constructed in 1910 by builder T Johnson.The discovery of gold at Charters Towers in December 1871 and the expansion of the pastoral industry in the region created a need for a resident police force. By 1872 Charters Towers had become the second most important police station in Queensland, after Brisbane, with a staff of 24 police. In 1878, there was a population of 3,760 people on the Charters Towers gold field and there were 256 issues dealt with by staff. These figures are more meaningful when contrasted with the Gympie gold field which had a population of 4,760 but only 79 cases were dealt with.Nothing is known about the early accommodation for police staff on the gold field; however, a wooden police barracks appears to have been built on the Gill Street site prior to 1891. This barracks was extended in 1891 and again in 1894. By 1907 plans were being drawn up to replace the timber building with new brick premises at an estimated cost of £3000. The existing wooden structure was to be moved to the rear of the block and would be sold for removal after the new building was opened.