History of the Mount Morgan Historical Museum Building

The James Stewart Building

This building was erected in 1895 for James Stewart, a prominent Rockhampton businessman in the drapery, clothing, tailoring, boots and shoes, furniture and crockery retail trade and who became a large shareholder in the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company Limited, as well as its Chairman of Directors in 1893.

This building is situated on the corner of Morgan Street and East Street, which is actually the south-east corner of John Gordon's original 640 acre (one square mile) block which he selected in 1870 and on the western boundary of which was found the rich gold-copper ore-body that became the famous Mount Morgan mine.

This building (drapery clothier tailoring) was the largest of three shops built for the Mount Morgan Branch of the firm. Two smaller shops, a boot and shoe shop and a furniture and house furnishing shop adjoined this building on the western side. The business, like the one in Rockhampton, traded under the name of "Criterion House". The Mount Morgan branch closed down in 1928, because the town's population had very greatly declined following the temporary closure of the mine in 1925. The two smaller shops were dismantled and taken elsewhere.

Since 1928, This Building has been used for a variety of purposes. In the 1930's it was used as an indoor skating rink. Later it was the venue for the local Amateur Dramatic Group complete with stage. It served as a centre for the Mount Morgan Red Cross Society, the Child Welfare and Community Health Services.

In 1950 it was purchased by Mount Morgan Ltd., who made certain changes to the front of the building and converted it into single menÕs quarters for a number of Balt Migrants who had to work at the mine for two years before being allowed to go elsewhere in Australia.

The Mount Morgan Museum

In 1977, Mount Morgan Ltd. donated this building to the Trustees of the Mount Morgan Historical Museum, so the Museum's historical collections which had been housed in less suitable buildings in East Street opposite the Uniting Church property in East Street since the Museum was officially opened on 27th May 1957, were transferred to this building. The Museum was opened to visitors in this present building on 21st November 1983.

Photographs of the original buildings may be seen in the reception room of the Museum.