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Contributor
- News of the day
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Brisbane Courier, Monday 16 August 1880, page 3
Toowoomba. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT]
August 11.
After all, the contest for the vacant seat in the Municipal Council does not promise much excitement, Quito the reverse ; it is settling down into a humdrum affair. The first candidate forgot on entering the field to enquire whether or not ho was eligible, and only made the discovery that he was not after he had announced his intention to stand. So he withdrew. Now Mr. Groom is a candidate, having been requisitioned to take a seat at the board, and the third gentleman who was expected to contest the seat has not made up his mind.
Considerable improvement is being made to the footpaths of Toowoomba, and not a moment too soon either. The paths on either side of Ruthven-street are being asphalted from Russell-street to Herries-street. Already they are nearly completed as far as the School of Arts, the improvement being a special boon to "poor feet." The chief characteristic of primitive footpaths in Toowoomba seems to be ruggedness, so that you can imagine how acceptable the change to asphalt must be.
The post and telegraph offices have been removed from their old quarters into the new premises in Margaret-street, adjoining the court house. The buildings are more commodious than artistic, but I hear many complaints about the distance they are removed from the business centre of the town. However, people will soon get used to the change, and there will not be much grumbling if the town council will only make the offices accessible in wet weather by asphalting one side of Margaret-street, or causing it to be done.
The weather is a great source of anxiety. Rain is badly needed, and the cold and drying westerly winds, which are now the rule, make the want of a downpour much felt. The wheat crops - early planted - can stand a couple more weeks of drought without injury, should rain intervene at the end of that time. But should rain not fall early the outlook of the farmers will be very poor indeed. Bush fires are raging throughout the district, and doing a considerable amount of harm. One farmer in the Gomoran district lost three wheat stacks through a bush fire, and another had a considerable portion of fencing destroyed. I hear also of other Iosses through the same scourge. The sky is overcast to-day, but as both wind and clouds are from the west, it is not likely there will be any rain. But come when it will and from whatever quarter it will be very welcome.
- Background
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Classified by National Trust of Queensland for its architectural merit. Associations with Queensland's development and contribution to streetscape. Built in 1878 as a major staging point on the intercolonial telegraph.
Italian Renaissance style brick building with sandstone facing, two storeys high. Expression derived of the shadows produced by deep detailing (on the central clock tower) and verandahs. Little modelling of corner bays, strong horizontal coursing of stonework corners at street level.
