Discover the historic architecture in Mackay and surrounds
The Strand Theatre, 1940
Percy Tilse opened the Strand Theatre on the corner of Nebo Road and George Street on Friday, October 18, 1940. It was the first (by two weeks) of the suburban theatres (cinemas) in Mackay, the second being the Four Ways Theatre. The Strand was built by local builder...
Mitchelmore Automotive, 1935
Mitchelmore automotive building designed by Harold Vivian Marsh Brown at the river street end of wood street. The building most likely built by the Guthrie Brothers, due to its similar construction of others building the two firms collaborated on. The building was...
Civic Theatre, 1940
Mackay boasts one of the largest concentrations of Art Deco architecture in Queensland. After a devastating cyclone in 1918 much of the city was rebuilt in the Art Deco style, chosen for its association with “progress”. The Civic Theatre became a celebrated addition...
Mackay Fire Station, 1938
Lost Building of HVM Brown Built on the corner of Sydney and Alfred street was Mackay Fire Station deigned by Harold Brown. Having a frontage of 60ft (18.288 meters) and a total depth of approximately 78ft ( 23.7744 meters). The Fire Brigade Station had been designed...
CWA Building, 1938
Builder: Archie McDonald of McDonalds Pty Ltd Architect: HVM Brown The CWA Hall is a small, single storey building opening directly off the street. It has a ‘hollywood’ front in Art Deco stucco, behind which is a simple hall with pitched roof and side...
Empire Café, 1933
Builder: Archie McDonald of McDonalds Pty Ltd Architect: HVM Brown The building showcases the interwar period of building boom in Mackay, as well as the art deco style seen throughout the area. The Empire Cafe traded on this site for a number of decades, firstly in a...
Arony’s Building, 1938
Builder: Queensland Building and Engineering Co. Architect: Edward R Orchard This building is two storeys highm and traditionally with shops below and offices or administration above. It is Art Deco style with a horizontal concrete cantilever hood over the upper...
The Grant Building (Tick Tock Two)
Builder: McDonald and Sons Architect: unknown Originally known as The Grant Building, or better known as Tick Tock Jeweller to many locals, was originally home to the Grant family cabinet makers and furniture factory. The building provided two levels of showroom and...
McGuires Hotel Precinct
Cominos Building, 1930s
Builder: Archie McDonald of McDonalds Pty Ltd Architect: HVM Brown The building was constructed in the mid 1930s for Nicholas Demetreus Cominos, a relative of the Comino family, trading in Sydney Street. According to land titles documents, he was a café proprietor....
Post Office Building, 1883
Built in 1883, remodelled in 1938 Remodel Builder: Queensland Building and Engineering Co. Remodel Architect: TBC This two-storey building has dominated the River Street location since its construction in 1883. The Post Office is a substantial two-storeyed masonry...
Chaseley House, 1937
Builder: McDonald and sons Architect: HVM Brown Completed in December 1937, Chaseley House is a valuable contribution to the Sydney Street streetscape and the Mackay Art Deco collection. Symmetrical design with stepped skyline and vertical chevrons. The building was...
The Ambassador Hotel, 1937
Builder: Guthrie brothers Architect: Joseph Gabriel Rooney This imposing three-storey building with roof garden was built for Mrs Mary Azar in 1937 and was the first roof garden in the city. The Ambassador Hotel opened on 3 September 1937 and is another fine example...
The Palace Hotel, 1939
Builder: McDonald and Sons Architect: Hall and Phillips The Palace Hotel is a functionalist-style hotel with Art Deco detailing. It is believed to be the first concrete hotel in Mackay with a fully cantilevered veranda, demonstrating the high degree of technical...
The Imperial Hotel, 1942
Builder: Archie McDonald & Sons Architect: Harold VM Brown The Imperial Hotel has been known as many buildings over time, operating as a hotel until the late 1970s. In recent decades it housed the Mackay Permanent Building Society, then Auswide Bank....
The Australian Hotel, 1940
Builder: William and Frank Guthrie Architect: Edwin Orchard The Australian Hotel is a one of the best, intact example of Art Deco diginge in the city. While the building has undergone some alterations in recent years including replacement of original windows and tiles...