Step back in time, tour historic Charters Towers homes

Three historic houses of Charters Towers will be back on display this year for one day only.

Mercy House at St Mary's Campus of Columba Catholic College will be open to the public as part of the Great Houses of Charters Towers on July 28.

THREE historic houses of Charters Towers will be back on display this year for one day only.

The Great Houses of Charters Towers committee is playing host, along with two homeowners, a school and a local business on July 28.

Committee president Diana Lynch said this year’s homes included the historic Advent House on Gordon St, Chartre on Deane St and Mercy House at the St Mary’s Campus of Columba Catholic College.

Mrs Lynch said the property owners were all excited about showcasing their historic buildings.

For a fee of $5 per house, some of which goes to the homeowner and the remainder to the Charters Towers Host Lions Club for expenses in promoting the event, locals and visitors could have the chance to see inside properties they might never get to see.

Advent House in Gordon St will be open to the public as part of the Great Houses of Charters Towers on July 28.

She said following the success of last year’s event, the decision had been made to try to offer a public or commercial building as a freebie.

This year that property will be the historic Northern Miner building, which was constructed in 1905.

Mrs Lynch said last year’s inaugural Great Houses event had seen an estimated 800 adults paying to tour through Thornburgh House, Tower Villa and the Church of Christ.

She said there were many visitors from Townsville and surrounds who made the trek to the Towers, and this year the event would coincide with the start of the Charters Towers Show.

She said one of the reasons the July weekend was chosen was to tap into the existing events going on, to give visitors even more reason to stay a night or two.

In the coming weeks The Northern Miner will publish articles showcasing each of the homes involved in the Great Houses of Charters Towers open day.

To find out more, check out the Great Houses of Charters Towers Facebook page.

Originally published as Step back in time, tour historic Charters Towers homes