TEMPLE AFTER NEW OWNER
ONE of Townsville’s most iconic buildings will be sold for the first time since it was built more than 80 years ago.
The historic Masonic Temple at 42 Walker St in the City has been the meeting place of the Townsville branch of the Freemasons North Queensland but is now being offered to the market via expressions of interest as the fraternal organisation looks for a smaller home.
The imposing building in the heart of the CBD was built in 1934 using reinforced concrete. The building’s unique architecture has made it a popular landmark in the city.
The District Grand Master of North Queensland, Brother Les Keane, said due to declining member numbers the Masonic Temple was too large for their needs so they had decided to sell.
“The early 1920s was the start of boom times, the city was growing and membership of our fraternity expanded alongside with it,” he said.
“It was apparent to the leaders of the day that their centre in Sturt St was becoming too small for their growing membership and a committee was formed for the purposes of planning and building a new premises.
“The current building was completed in 1934 and was consecrated as a Masonic Temple ... at a ceremony attended by some 600 members.
“Those boom times continued up until the 1980s and as a result of the changing times of this modern world with 24- hour sport, entertainment and electronic media, our current and prospective membership has become time- poor, resulting in declining numbers.”
The building has more than 900sq m of space over two levels and is positioned on a 1012sq m block of land. The property is being marketed by Peter Wheeler and James Pascoe of Colliers International.
Mr Pascoe said the property represented a rare opportunity to buy a piece of the city’s history.
“The property is a beautiful piece of Townsville’s history that was very well constructed and has been meticulously maintained since its original construction in 1934,” he said.
“Some of the internal features throughout this building are absolutely superb, in particular the incredibly high ceilings, grand staircase, beautiful floorboards and abundant natural light. The strategic location of the property suggests it has strong conversion potential to office.”
Expressions of interest will close on October 25 at 4pm if not sold prior.