T. Willmetts & Sons printery and stationery warehouse (former)

Willmett’s building complements adjacent Stanton House and the former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney building. Thankful Percy Willmett was a well-known stationer and printer, active in local and regional politics. His working life began at the Cape River diggings near Charters Towers. He came to Townsville in 1870, working briefly for Clifton and Aplin before establishing his own business. He was mayor for the first time in 1880-1. In 1882 he imported a printing press and established the Excelsior Printery in a shop adjacent to the Exchange Hotel. In 1883 architects Waagepetersen and Bevan designed a new stationery shop for Willmett. This was an important business at a time when all news, correspondence and business were communicated wholly on paper. However, the first ever telephone call in Townsville was made to this shop in March 1883. A printery was added to the rear of this building in 1884. A fire destroyed the 1883 shop in 1885, and Willmett rebuilt. The new building contained warehouse space, an office and a retail shop. In 1927, the machine room and printery was extended to accommodate new machinery and an additional storey was added. The business was purchased by the North Queensland Newspaper Company in 1980.