Aplin Brown & Company Building (former)

The Aplin Brown building is on a prominent site opposite the Townsville City Hall, close to the wharves where the company prospered. This building dates to 1887. The company began in 1865, when William Aplin and William Clifton established a mercantile business near the creek at the corner of Denham and Flinders Streets. Their building was destroyed by a cyclone in 1866. They rebuilt and Henry Aplin joined the firm. Clifton left Townsville in 1880, and William Villiers Brown, became a partner. He was previously manager of the Bank of NSW. By 1880, Aplin Brown was one of the leading merchant firms in Townsville, servicing the pastoral and gold mining industries. In 1887, Aplin Brown commissioned Rooney Brothers to design a new store. John and Matthew Rooney established themselves as architects, builders and contractors in Townsville from 1882. In 1895 the company became Aplin Brown and Crawshay Ltd. In 1913, the property was purchased by Bartlams Ltd, another well-known mercantile firm servicing North Queensland. In 1944, the property was transferred to Emery brothers, tailors. In 1974, the Queensland government acquired the building for offices until 1995. It was then sold into private hands, and now functions as a restaurant.