Downes, Charles

DOWNES, Charles (c1845–1900) was born at Culmington, Shropshire, England, younger son of John Downes, a farmer, and Eliza Cross. Soon after his birth, his father died and in 1851, Charles was living with his mother and elder brother, at an aunt’s school in Bitterley, Shropshire. By 1861, he was working as a corn merchant but soon entered the Indian Civil Service. While serving in India he developed chronic asthma and on doctor’s advice to seek a dry climate came to Queensland in c1888. He commenced business as an auditor and accountant at Barcaldine in 1889. With extensive experience in finance and administration, he was successful and useful as the secretary of numerous local institutions including the School of Arts and the Hospital. Downes died unmarried at Barcaldine. His elder brother, William Edward, was articled to an engineer but by 1881, was a farmer, possibly on the farm which had been owned by his father. In the Queensland Post Office Directory’s Trades listings for 1900, Charles Downes was mistakenly listed as an architect instead of an accountant but as a stock and station agent, he may have represented one of the many architects at Rockhampton. His presence and apparent occupation led to the mistaken attribution of Downes as responsible for a group of houses built at Elm Street, Barcaldine c1900. In 1976, their unexpected interiors seemed certain to be an architect’s work provoked this on-going investigation into the previously unanticipated presence of architects working throughout Queensland. The houses in question were probably the work of Charles DYER, then an employee of Barcaldine builders MEACHAM & LEYLAND.