By ALENA HIGGINS
THEY have been companions for more than a century, existing side-by-side and signifying the transformation of Warwick in the late 1860s and 1870s from a squatters’ town to one of Queensland’s most prosperous agricultural districts.
But the legacy of Plumbs Chambers was torn apart on Monday when demolition crews levelled the brick and timber building at 82 Fitzroy Street to make way for the expansion of Rose City Shoppingworld.
The McConaghy Group acted swiftly, tearing down the structure and a number of others, including the former McDougall and Sons building, barely a week after declaring it had lodged an application with council for a $40 million redevelopment of the mall.
The slightly younger stone building at 84 Fitzroy Street, thought to have been built in 1874-75, will remain it its entirety and be restored after an application by the McConaghy Group to destroy its rear service wing was quashed by a court ruling.
However, its ill-fated neighbour was not so lucky.
While the demolition of 84 Fitzroy Street was denied, a State Government decision approved the demolition of 82 Fitzroy Street in December 2012 after it was inadvertently left off the council’s heritage register.
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection executive director Andrew Connor told the Free Times in June 2013 the department had approved the building owners’ application to demolish 82 Fitzroy Street as it was in a state of disrepair and required substantial replacement of original building materials.
