Atkinson & Powell Building (former)

This classically designed two-storey building in Flinders Street was constructed during Townsville’s prosperous 1880s. Following a disastrous town centre fire in 1881, Flinders Street was declared a first class building area; which required all new buildings to be stone or masonry. This building was designed by Willoughby Powell for chemists Atkinson and Powell, a firm in which the architect’s brother Frank Powell was a partner. The building was opened for business in 1886. Powell was a dentist and used one of the smaller rooms behind the shop front as his dental surgery. Atkinson was declared insolvent in 1893 and the building was acquired by the mortgagees; the North Queensland Mortgage and Investment Company Ltd. It was leased to a number of different businesses, including a dentist, chemist, and a watchmaker. During the 1930 - 40s, the upper floor was occupied by the Townsville Book Club. In 1965, the building was converted for use as a theatre, which relocated to other premises in 1979. The building was then occupied by The Performing Arts Department of TAFE.