Cairns Customs House (former)

Call in at the Café China noodle bar and contemplate the origins of this building. It was built in 1937 as the Cairns Customs House, the third such building in town. Cairns was declared a port in 1876 and the first Customs House was built in 1877, followed by a second in 1899. At the time of construction, Cairns was the third largest port in Queensland. This building was designed by government architect Robert Bowen, and built by local contractors, Watkins and Deal. Interior details were undertaken by Cairns craftsman Walter Morris. Northern timbers were used throughout the interior. It included residential quarters on the top floor. At the time of construction, the Cairns city centre was virtually rebuilt following a number of destructive cyclones, but also in response to the growth of the city after the railway line from Brisbane was completed in 1924. Cairns became the northern railway terminus, and functioned as a service town for sugar, mining, maize, dairying, timber and fruit growing. In 1970, the first floor residence was vacated to accommodate increased office staff, and in 1989 the customs department relocated to Aplin Street. The site was then redeveloped as part of the Reef Casino.